{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart462.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart462.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart462.htm","text":"CHAPTER VIII\nHow Sir Launcelot was delivered out of prison by a lady,\nand took a white courser and came for to keep his day\nSO leave we Sir Launcelot lying within that cave in great\npain; and every day there came a lady and brought him\nhis meat and his drink, and wooed him, to have lain by\nhim; and ever the noble knight, Sir Launcelot, said her\nnay. Sir Launcelot, said she, ye are not wise, for ye may\nnever out of this prison, but if ye have my help; and\nalso your lady, Queen Guenever, shall be brent in your\ndefault, unless that ye be there at the day of battle. God\ndefend, said Sir Launcelot, that she should be brent in my\ndefault; and if it be so, said Sir Launcelot, that I may not\nbe there, it shall be well understanded, both at the king and\nat the queen, and with all men of worship, that I am dead,\nsick, outher in prison. For all men that know me will\nsay for me that I am in some evil case an I be not there\nthat day; and well I wot there is some good knight either\nof my blood, or some other that loveth me, that will take\nmy quarrel in hand; and therefore, said Sir Launcelot, wit\nye well ye shall not fear me; and if there were no more\nwomen in all this land but ye, I will not have ado with\nyou. Then art thou shamed, said the lady, and destroyed\nfor ever. As for world's shame, Jesu defend me, and as\nfor my distress, it is welcome whatsoever it be that God\nsendeth me.\nSo she came to him the same day that the battle should\nbe, and said: Sir Launcelot, methinketh ye are too\nhard-hearted, but wouldest thou but kiss me once I should\ndeliver thee, and thine armour, and the best horse that is\nwithin Sir Meliagrance's stable. As for to kiss you, said\nSir Launcelot, I may do that and lose no worship; and\nwit ye well an I understood there were any disworship\nfor to kiss you I would not do it. Then he kissed her,\nand then she gat him, and brought him to his armour.\nAnd when he was armed, she brought him to a stable,\nwhere stood twelve good coursers, and bade him choose\nthe best. Then Sir Launcelot looked upon a white\ncourser the which liked him best; and anon he commanded\nthe keepers fast to saddle him with the best saddle\nof war that there was; and so it was done as he bade.\nThen gat he his spear in his hand, and his sword by his\nside, and commended the lady unto God, and said: Lady,\nfor this good deed I shall do you service if ever it be in\nmy power.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIX CHAPTER VIII","type":"page"}