{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart335.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart335.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart335.htm","text":"CHAPTER X\nWhat sorrow Queen Guenever made for Sir Launcelot, and\nhow he was sought by knights of his kin.\nAND when the queen heard them say so she fell to the\nearth in a dead swoon. And then Sir Bors took her up,\nand dawed her; and when she was awaked she kneeled\nafore the three knights, and held up both her hands, and\nbesought them to seek him. And spare not for no goods\nbut that he be found, for I wot he is out of his mind. And\nSir Bors, Sir Ector, and Sir Lionel departed from the\nqueen, for they might not abide no longer for sorrow.\nAnd then the queen sent them treasure enough for their\nexpenses, and so they took their horses and their armour,\nand departed. And then they rode from country to\ncountry, in forests, and in wilderness, and in wastes; and\never they laid watch both at forests and at all manner of\nmen as they rode, to hearken and spere after him, as he\nthat was a naked man, in his shirt, with a sword in his\nhand. And thus they rode nigh a quarter of a year,\nendlong and overthwart, in many places, forests and wilderness,\nand oft-times were evil lodged for his sake; and yet for all\ntheir labour and seeking could they never hear word of\nhim. And wit you well these three knights were passing\nsorry.\nThen at the last Sir Bors and his fellows met with\na knight that hight Sir Melion de Tartare. Now fair\nknight, said Sir Bors, whither be ye away? for they knew\neither other afore time. Sir, said Melion, I am in the way\ntoward the court of King Arthur. Then we pray you,\nsaid Sir Bors, that ye will tell my lord Arthur, and my lady,\nQueen Guenever, and all the fellowship of the Round\nTable, that we cannot in no wise hear tell where Sir\nLauncelot is become. Then Sir Melion departed from them,\nand said that he would tell the king, and the queen, and\nall the fellowship-of the Round Table, as they had desired\nhim. So when Sir Melion came to the court of King\nArthur he told the king, and the queen, and all the\nfellowship of the Round Table, what Sir Bors had said of\nSir Launcelot. Then Sir Gawaine, Sir Uwaine, Sir Sagramore\nle Desirous, Sir Aglovale, and Sir Percivale de Galis\ntook upon them by the great desire of King Arthur, and\nin especial by the queen, to seek throughout all England,\nWales, and Scotland, to find Sir Launcelot, and with them\nrode eighteen knights mo to bear them fellowship; and\nwit ye well, they lacked no manner of spending; and so\nwere they three and twenty knights.\nNow turn we to Sir Launcelot, and speak we of his\ncare and woe, and what pain he there endured; for cold,\nhunger, and thirst, he had plenty. And thus as these\nnoble knights rode together, they by one assent departed,\nand then they rode by two, by three, and by four, and by\nfive, and ever they assigned where they should meet. And so\nSir Aglovale and Sir Percivale rode together unto their\nmother that was a queen in those days. And when she\nsaw her two sons, for joy she wept tenderly. And then\nshe said: Ah, my dear sons, when your father was slain\nhe left me four sons, of the which now be twain slain.\nAnd for the death of my noble son, Sir Lamorak, shall my\nheart never be glad. And then she kneeled down upon\nher knees to-fore Aglovale and Sir Percivale, and besought\nthem to abide at home with her. Ah, sweet mother, said\nSir Percivale, we may not, for we be come of king's blood\nof both parties, and therefore, mother, it is our kind to\nhaunt arms and noble deeds. Alas, my sweet sons, then\nshe said, for your sakes I shall lose my liking and lust, and\nthen wind and weather I may not endure, what for the\ndeath of your father, King Pellinore, that was shamefully\nslain by the hands of Sir Gawaine, and his brother, Sir\nGaheris: and they slew him not manly but by treason.\nAh, my dear sons, this is a piteous complaint for me of\nyour father's death, considering also the death of Sir\nLamorak, that of knighthood had but few fellows. Now,\nmy dear sons, have this in your mind. Then there was but\nweeping and sobbing in the court when they should depart,\nand she fell a-swooning in midst of the court.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XI CHAPTER X","type":"page"}