RIGHT so at the noon came the damosel unto him with his dinner,and asked him what cheer.Truly,fair damosel,said Sir Launcelot,in my life days never so ill.Sir,she said,that me repenteth,but an ye will be ruled by me,I shall help you out of this distress,and ye shall have no shame nor villainy,so that ye hold me a promise.Fair damosel,I will grant you,and sore Iam of these queen-sorceresses afeard,for they have destroyed many a good knight.Sir,said she,that is sooth,and for the renown and bounty that they hear of you they would have your love,and Sir,they say,your name is Sir Launcelot du Lake,the flower of knights,and they be passing wroth with you that ye have refused them.But Sir,an ye would promise me to help my father on Tuesday next coming,that hath made a tournament betwixt him and the King of Northgalis--for the last Tuesday past my father lost the field through three knights of Arthur's court--an ye will be there on Tuesday next coming,and help my father,to-morn or prime,by the grace of God,I shall deliver you clean.Fair maiden,said Sir Launcelot,tell me what is your father's name,and then shall I give you an answer.Sir knight,she said,my father is King Bagdemagus,that was foul rebuked at the last tournament.I know your father well,said Sir Launcelot,for a noble king and a good knight,and by the faith of my body,ye shall have my body ready to do your father and you service at that day.Sir,she said,gramercy,and to-morn await ye be ready betimes and I shall be she that shall deliver you and take you your armour and your horse,shield and spear,and hereby within this ten mile,is an abbey of white monks,there I pray you that ye me abide,and thither shall Ibring my father unto you.All this shall be done,said Sir Launcelot as I am true knight.
And so she departed,and came on the morn early,and found him ready;then she brought him out of twelve locks,and brought him unto his armour,and when he was clean armed,she brought him until his own horse,and lightly he saddled him and took a great spear in his hand and so rode forth,and said,Fair damosel,Ishall not fail you,by the grace of God.And so he rode into a great forest all that day,and never could find no highway and so the night fell on him,and then was he ware in a slade,of a pavilion of red sendal.By my faith,said Sir Launcelot,in that pavilion will I lodge all this night,and so there he alighted down,and tied his horse to the pavilion,and there he unarmed him,and there he found a bed,and laid him therein and fell asleep sadly.
CHAPTER V
How a knight found Sir Launcelot lying in his leman's bed,and how Sir Launcelot fought with the knight.
THEN within an hour there came the knight to whom the pavilion ought,and he weened that his leman had lain in that bed,and so he laid him down beside Sir Launcelot,and took him in his arms and began to kiss him.And when Sir Launcelot felt a rough beard kissing him,he started out of the bed lightly,and the other knight after him,and either of them gat their swords in their hands,and out at the pavilion door went the knight of the pavilion,and Sir Launcelot followed him,and there by a little slake Sir Launcelot wounded him sore,nigh unto the death.
And then he yielded him unto Sir Launcelot,and so he granted him,so that he would tell him why he came into the bed.Sir,said the knight,the pavilion is mine own,and there this night Ihad assigned my lady to have slept with me,and now I am likely to die of this wound.That me repenteth,said Launcelot,of your hurt,but I was adread of treason,for I was late beguiled,and therefore come on your way into your pavilion and take your rest,and as I suppose I shall staunch your blood.And so they went both into the pavilion,and anon Sir Launcelot staunched his blood.
Therewithal came the knight's lady,that was a passing fair lady,and when she espied that her lord Belleus was sore wounded,she cried out on Sir Launcelot,and made great dole out of measure.
Peace,my lady and my love,said Belleus,for this knight is a good man,and a knight adventurous,and there he told her all the cause how he was wounded;And when that I yielded me unto him,he left me goodly and hath staunched my blood.Sir,said the lady,I require thee tell me what knight ye be,and what is your name?
Fair lady,he said,my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake.So me thought ever by your speech,said the lady,for I have seen you oft or this,and I know you better than ye ween.But now an ye would promise me of your courtesy,for the harms that ye have done to me and my Lord Belleus,that when he cometh unto Arthur's court for to cause him to be made knight of the Round Table,for he is a passing good man of arms,and a mighty lord of lands of many out isles.
Fair lady,said Sir Launcelot,let him come unto the court the next high feast,and look that ye come with him,and I shall do my power,an ye prove you doughty of your hands,that ye shall have your desire.So thus within a while,as they thus talked,the night passed,and the day shone,and then Sir Launcelot armed him,and took his horse,and they taught him to the Abbey,and thither he rode within the space of two hours.
CHAPTER VI
How Sir Launcelot was received of King Bagdemagus'
daughter,and how he made his complaint to her father.