{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart372.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart372.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart372.htm","text":"CHAPTER XIX\nHow a voice spake to Sir Launcelot, and how he found his\nhorse and his helm borne away, and after went afoot.\nTHEN anon Sir Launcelot waked, and set him up, and\nbethought him what he had seen there, and whether it\nwere dreams or not. Right so heard he a voice that\nsaid: Sir Launcelot, more harder than is the stone,\nand more bitter than is the wood, and more naked\nand barer than is the leaf of the fig tree; therefore go\nthou from hence, and withdraw thee from this holy\nplace. And when Sir Launcelot heard this he was\npassing heavy and wist not what to do, and so departed\nsore weeping, and cursed the time that he was born.\nFor then he deemed never to have had worship more.\nFor those words went to his heart, till that he knew\nwherefore he was called so. Then Sir Launcelot went\nto the cross and found his helm, his sword, and his\nhorse taken away. And then he called himself a very\nwretch, and most unhappy of all knights; and there he\nsaid: My sin and my wickedness have brought me unto\ngreat dishonour. For when I sought worldly adventures\nfor worldly desires, I ever enchieved them and had the\nbetter in every place, and never was I discomfit in no\nquarrel, were it right or wrong. And now I take upon\nme the adventures of holy things, and now I see and\nunderstand that mine old sin hindereth me and shameth\nme, so that I had no power to stir nor speak when the\nholy blood appeared afore me. So thus he sorrowed till\nit was day, and heard the fowls sing: then somewhat he\nwas comforted. But when Sir Launcelot missed his horse\nand his harness then he wist well God was displeased\nwith him.\nThen he departed from the cross on foot into a forest;\nand so by prime he came to an high hill, and found an\nhermitage and a hermit therein which was going unto\nmass. And then Launcelot kneeled down and cried on\nOur Lord mercy for his wicked works. So when mass\nwas done Launcelot called him, and prayed him for\ncharity for to hear his life. With a good will, said the\ngood man. Sir, said he, be ye of King Arthur's court\nand of the fellowship of the Round Table? Yea forsooth,\nand my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake that hath been\nright well said of, and now my good fortune is changed,\nfor I am the most wretch of the world. The hermit\nbeheld him and had marvel how he was so abashed. Sir,\nsaid the hermit, ye ought to thank God more than any\nknight living, for He hath caused you to have more\nworldly worship than any knight that now liveth. And\nfor your presumption to take upon you in deadly sin for\nto be in His presence, where His flesh and His blood was,\nthat caused you ye might not see it with worldly eyes;\nfor He will not appear where such sinners be, but if it be\nunto their great hurt and unto their great shame; and\nthere is no knight living now that ought to give God so\ngreat thank as ye, for He hath given you beauty,\nseemliness, and great strength above all other knights; and\ntherefore ye are the more beholding unto God than any\nother man, to love Him and dread Him, for your\nstrength and manhood will little avail you an God be\nagainst you.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIII CHAPTER XIX","type":"page"}