{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart481.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart481.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart481.htm","text":"CHAPTER XIV\nHow the Pope sent down his bulls to make peace, and how\nSir Launcelot brought the queen to King Arthur\nSO when this Bishop was come to Carlisle he shewed the\nking these bulls. And when the king understood these\nbulls he nist what to do: full fain he would have been\naccorded with Sir Launcelot, but Sir Gawaine would not\nsuffer him; but as for to have the queen, thereto he agreed.\nBut in nowise Sir Gawaine would not suffer the king to\naccord with Sir Launcelot; but as for the queen he\nconsented. And then the Bishop had of the king his great\nseal, and his assurance as he was a true anointed king that\nSir Launcelot should come safe, and go safe, and that the\nqueen should not be spoken unto of the king, nor of none\nother, for no thing done afore time past; and of all these\nappointments the Bishop brought with him sure assurance\nand writing, to shew Sir Launcelot.\nSo when the Bishop was come to Joyous Gard, there\nhe shewed Sir Launcelot how the Pope had written to\nArthur and unto him, and there he told him the perils\nif he withheld the queen from the king. It was never in\nmy thought, said Launcelot, to withhold the queen from\nmy lord Arthur; but, insomuch she should have been\ndead for my sake, meseemeth it was my part to save her\nlife, and put her from that danger, till better recover\nmight come. And now I thank God, said Sir Launcelot,\nthat the Pope hath made her peace; for God knoweth,\nsaid Sir Launcelot, I will be a thousandfold more gladder\nto bring her again, than ever I was of her taking away;\nwith this, I may be sure to come safe and go safe, and\nthat the queen shall have her liberty as she had before;\nand never for no thing that hath been surmised afore this\ntime, she never from this day stand in no peril. For\nelse, said Sir Launcelot, I dare adventure me to keep her\nfrom an harder shour than ever I kept her. It shall not\nneed you, said the Bishop, to dread so much; for wit you\nwell, the Pope must be obeyed, and it were not the Pope's\nworship nor my poor honesty to wit you distressed,\nneither the queen, neither in peril, nor shamed. And\nthen he shewed Sir Launcelot all his writing, both from\nthe Pope and from King Arthur. This is sure enough,\nsaid Sir Launcelot, for full well I dare trust my lord's\nown writing and his seal, for he was never shamed of his\npromise. Therefore, said Sir Launcelot unto the Bishop,\nye shall ride unto the king afore, and recommend me\nunto his good grace, and let him have knowledging that\nthis same day eight days, by the grace of God, I myself\nshall bring my lady, Queen Guenever, unto him. And\nthen say ye unto my most redoubted king, that I will say\nlargely for the queen, that I shall none except for dread\nnor fear, but the king himself, and my lord Sir Gawaine;\nand that is more for the king's love than for himself.\nSo the Bishop departed and came to the king at\nCarlisle, and told him all how Sir Launcelot answered\nhim; and then the tears brast out of the king's eyen.\nThen Sir Launcelot purveyed him an hundred knights,\nand all were clothed in green velvet, and their horses\ntrapped to their heels; and every knight held a branch of\nolive in his hand, in tokening of peace. And the queen\nhad four-and-twenty gentlewomen following her in the\nsame wise; and Sir Launcelot had twelve coursers\nfollowing him, and on every courser sat a young gentleman,\nand all they were arrayed in green velvet, with sarps\nof gold about their quarters, and the horse trapped in the\nsame wise down to the heels, with many ouches, y-set with\nstones and pearls in gold, to the number of a thousand.\nAnd she and Sir Launcelot were clothed in white cloth of\ngold tissue; and right so as ye have heard, as the French\nbook maketh mention, he rode with the queen from\nJoyous Gard to Carlisle. And so Sir Launcelot rode\nthroughout Carlisle, and so in the castle, that all men\nmight behold; and wit you well there was many a\nweeping eye. And then Sir Launcelot himself alighted\nand avoided his horse, and took the queen, and so led her\nwhere King Arthur was in his seat: and Sir Gawaine sat\nafore him, and many other great lords. So when Sir\nLauncelot saw the king and Sir Gawaine, then he led the\nqueen by the arm, and then he kneeled down, and the\nqueen both. Wit you well then was there many bold\nknight there with King Arthur that wept as tenderly as\nthough they had seen all their kin afore them. So the\nking sat still, and said no word. And when Sir Launcelot\nsaw his countenance, he arose and pulled up the queen\nwith him, and thus he spake full knightly.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XX CHAPTER XIV","type":"page"}