{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart449.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart449.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart449.htm","text":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER XX\n \n Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends and Sagas\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n BOOK XVIII\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n CHAPTER XX\n \n How the corpse of the Maid of Astolat arrived to-fore King\n Arthur, and of the burying, and how Sir Launcelot\n offered the mass-penny.\n \n \n SO by fortune King Arthur and the Queen Guenever were\n speaking together at a window, and so as they looked into\n Thames they espied this black barget, and had marvel\n what it meant. Then the king called Sir Kay, and showed\n it him. Sir, said Sir Kay, wit you well there is some new\n tidings. Go thither, said the king to Sir Kay, and take\n with you Sir Brandiles and Agravaine, and bring me ready\n word what is there. Then these four knights departed\n and came to the barget and went in; and there they found\n the fairest corpse lying in a rich bed, and a poor man\n sitting in the barget's end, and no word would he speak.\n So these four knights returned unto the king again, and\n told him what they found. That fair corpse will I see,\n said the king. And so then the king took the queen by\n the hand, and went thither.\n \n Then the king made the barget to be holden fast,\n and then the king and the queen entered with certain\n knights with them; and there he saw the fairest woman\n lie in a rich bed, covered unto her middle with many\n rich clothes, and all was of cloth of gold, and she lay as\n though she had smiled. Then the queen espied a letter\n in her right hand, and told it to the king. Then the king\n took it and said: Now am I sure this letter will tell what\n she was, and why she is come hither. So then the king\n and the queen went out of the barget, and so commanded\n a certain man to wait upon the barget.\n \n And so when the king was come within his chamber,\n he called many knights about him, and said that he would\n wit openly what was written within that letter. Then the\n king brake it, and made a clerk to read it, and this was\n the intent of the letter. Most noble knight, Sir Launcelot,\n now hath death made us two at debate for your love. I\n was your lover, that men called the Fair Maiden of\n Astolat; therefore unto all ladies I make my moan, yet\n pray for my soul and bury me at least, and offer ye my\n mass-penny: this is my last request. And a clean maiden\n I died, I take God to witness: pray for my soul, Sir\n Launcelot, as thou art peerless. This was all the substance\n in the letter. And when it was read, the king, the queen,\n and all the knights wept for pity of the doleful complaints.\n Then was Sir Launcelot sent for; and when he was come\n King Arthur made the letter to be read to him.\n \n And when Sir Launcelot heard it word by word, he\n said: My lord Arthur, wit ye well I am right heavy of\n the death of this fair damosel: God knoweth I was never\n causer of her death by my willing, and that will I report\n me to her own brother: here he is, Sir Lavaine. I will\n not say nay, said Sir Launcelot, but that she was both fair\n and good, and much I was beholden unto her, but she\n loved me out of measure. Ye might have shewed her, said\n the queen, some bounty and gentleness that might have\n preserved her life. Madam, said Sir Launcelot, she would\n none other ways be answered but that she would be my\n wife, outher else my paramour; and of these two I would\n not grant her, but I proffered her, for her good love that\n she shewed me, a thousand pound yearly to her, and to her\n heirs, and to wed any manner knight that she could find\n best to love in her heart. For madam, said Sir Launcelot,\n I love not to be constrained to love; for love must arise\n of the heart, and not by no constraint. That is truth,\n said the king, and many knight's love is free in himself,\n and never will be bounden, for where he is bounden\n he looseth himself.\n \n Then said the king unto Sir Launcelot: It will be\n your worship that ye oversee that she be interred worshipfully.\n Sir, said Sir Launcelot, that shall be done as I can\n best devise. And so many knights yede thither to behold\n that fair maiden. And so upon the morn she was interred\n richly, and Sir Launcelot offered her mass-penny; and all\n the knights of the Table Round that were there at that\n time offered with Sir Launcelot. And then the poor man\n went again with the barget. Then the queen sent for Sir\n Launcelot, and prayed him of mercy, for why that she had\n been wroth with him causeless. This is not the first time,\n said Sir Launcelot, that ye had been displeased with me\n causeless, but, madam, ever I must suffer you, but what\n sorrow I endure I take no force. So this passed on all\n that winter, with all manner of hunting and hawking, and\n jousts and tourneys were many betwixt many great lords,\n and ever in all places Sir Lavaine gat great worship, so\n that he was nobly renowned among many knights of the\n Table Round.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVIII CHAPTER XX","type":"page"}