THEN she told him as ye have heard to-fore,and how her father betook him her brother to do him service,and how her father lent him her brother's,Sir Tirre's,shield:And here with me he left his own shield.For what cause did he so?said Sir Gawaine.For this cause,said the damosel,for his shield was too well known among many noble knights.Ah fair damosel,said Sir Gawaine,please it you let me have a sight of that shield.Sir,said she,it is in my chamber,covered with a case,and if ye will come with me ye shall see it.Not so,said Sir Bernard till his daughter,let send for it.
So when the shield was come,Sir Gawaine took off the case,and when he beheld that shield he knew anon that it was Sir Launcelot's shield,and his own arms.Ah Jesu mercy,said Sir Gawaine,now is my heart more heavier than ever it was to-fore.Why?said Elaine.For I have great cause,said Sir Gawaine.Is that knight that oweth this shield your love?Yea truly,said she,my love he is,God would I were his love.So God me speed,said Sir Gawaine,fair damosel ye have right,for an he be your love ye love the most honourable knight of the world,and the man of most worship.So me thought ever,said the damosel,for never or that time,for no knight that ever I saw,loved I never none erst.God grant,said Sir Gawaine,that either of you may rejoice other,but that is in a great adventure.But truly,said Sir Gawaine unto the damosel,ye may say ye have a fair grace,for why I have known that noble knight this four-and-twenty year,and never or that day,I nor none other knight,I dare make good,saw nor heard say that ever he bare token or sign of no lady,gentlewoman,ne maiden,at no jousts nor tournament.And therefore fair maiden,said Sir Gawaine,ye are much beholden to him to give him thanks.But I dread me,said Sir Gawaine,that ye shall never see him in this world,and that is great pity that ever was of earthly knight.Alas,said she,how may this be,is he slain?I say not so,said Sir Gawaine,but wit ye well he is grievously wounded,by all manner of signs,and by men's sight more likelier to be dead than to be alive;and wit ye well he is the noble knight,Sir Launcelot,for by this shield I know him.Alas,said the Fair Maiden of Astolat,how may this be,and what was his hurt?
Truly,said Sir Gawaine,the man in the world that loved him best hurt him so;and I dare say,said Sir Gawaine,an that knight that hurt him knew the very certainty that he had hurt Sir Launcelot,it would be the most sorrow that ever came to his heart.
Now fair father,said then Elaine,I require you give me leave to ride and to seek him,or else I wot well I shall go out of my mind,for I shall never stint till that I find him and my brother,Sir Lavaine.Do as it liketh you,said her father,for me sore repenteth of the hurt of that noble knight.Right so the maid made her ready,and before Sir Gawaine,****** great dole.
Then on the morn Sir Gawaine came to King Arthur,and told him how he had found Sir Launcelot's shield in the keeping of the Fair Maiden of Astolat.All that knew I aforehand,said King Arthur,and that caused me I would not suffer you to have ado at the great jousts,for I espied,said King Arthur,when he came in till his lodging full late in the evening in Astolat.But marvel have I,said Arthur,that ever he would bear any sign of any damosel,for or now I never heard say nor knew that ever he bare any token of none earthly woman.By my head,said Sir Gawaine,the Fair Maiden of Astolat loveth him marvellously well;what it meaneth I cannot say,and she is ridden after to seek him.So the king and all came to London,and there Sir Gawaine openly disclosed to all the court that it was Sir Launcelot that jousted best.
CHAPTER XV
Of the sorrow that Sir Bors had for the hurt of Launcelot;and of the anger that the queen had because Launcelot bare the sleeve.
AND when Sir Bors heard that,wit ye well he was an heavy man,and so were all his kinsmen.But when Queen Guenever wist that Sir Launcelot bare the red sleeve of the Fair Maiden of Astolat she was nigh out of her mind for wrath.And then she sent for Sir Bors de Ganis in all the haste that might be.So when Sir Bors was come to-fore the queen,then she said:Ah Sir Bors,have ye heard say how falsely Sir Launcelot hath betrayed me?Alas madam,said Sir Bors,I am afeard he hath betrayed himself and us all.No force,said the queen,though he be destroyed,for he is a false traitor-knight.
Madam,said Sir Bors,I pray you say ye not so,for wit you well I may not hear such language of him.Why Sir Bors,said she,should I not call him traitor when he bare the red sleeve upon his head at Winchester,at the great jousts?Madam,said Sir Bors,that sleeve-bearing repenteth me sore,but I dare say he did it to none evil intent,but for this cause he bare the red sleeve that none of his blood should know him.For or then we,nor none of us all,never knew that ever he bare token or sign of maid,lady,ne gentlewoman.Fie on him,said the queen,yet for all his pride and bobaunce there ye proved yourself his better.Nay madam,say ye never more so,for he beat me and my fellows,and might have slain us an he had would.Fie on him,said the queen,for I heard Sir Gawaine say before my lord Arthur that it were marvel to tell the great love that is between the Fair Maiden of Astolat and him.Madam,said Sir Bors,I may not warn Sir Gawaine to say what it pleased him;but I dare say,as for my lord,Sir Launcelot,that he loveth no lady,gentlewoman,nor maid,but all he loveth in like much.
And therefore madam,said Sir Bors,ye may say what ye will,but wit ye well I will haste me to seek him,and find him wheresomever he be,and God send me good tidings of him.And so leave we them there,and speak we of Sir Launcelot that lay in great peril.