So when this tournament was done Sir Bors departed and rode till he came to Sir Launcelot,his cousin;and then he found him walking on his feet,and there either made great joy of other;and so Sir Bors told Sir Launcelot of all the Jousts like as ye have heard.I marvel,said Sir Launcelot,that Sir Gareth,when he had done such deeds of arms,that he would not tarry.Thereof we marvelled all,said Sir Bors,for but if it were you,or Sir Tristram,or Sir Lamorak de Galis,I saw never knight bear down so many in so little a while as did Sir Gareth:and anon he was gone we wist not where.By my head,said Sir Launcelot,he is a noble knight,and a mighty man and well breathed;and if he were well assayed,said Sir Launcelot I would deem he were good enough for any knight that beareth the life;and he is a gentle knight,courteous,true,and bounteous,meek,and mild,and in him is no manner of mal engin,but plain,faithful,and true.
So then they made them ready to depart from the hermit.And so upon a morn they took their horses and Elaine le Blank with them;and when they came to Astolat there were they well lodged,and had great cheer of Sir Bernard,the old baron,and of Sir Tirre,his son.And so upon the morn when Sir Launcelot should depart,fair Elaine brought her father with her,and Sir Lavaine,and Sir Tirre,and thus she said:
CHAPTER XIX
Of the great lamentation of the Fair Maid of Astolat when Launcelot should depart,and how she died for his love.
MY lord,Sir Launcelot,now I see ye will depart;now fair knight and courteous knight,have mercy upon me,and suffer me not to die for thy love.What would ye that Idid?said Sir Launcelot.I would have you to my husband,said Elaine.Fair damosel,I thank you,said Sir Launcelot,but truly,said he,I cast me never to be wedded man.
Then,fair knight,said she,will ye be my paramour?Jesu defend me,said Sir Launcelot,for then I rewarded your father and your brother full evil for their great goodness.
Alas,said she,then must I die for your love.Ye shall not so,said Sir Launcelot,for wit ye well,fair maiden,I might have been married an I had would,but I never applied me to be married yet;but because,fair damosel,that ye love me as ye say ye do,I will for your good will and kindness show you some goodness,and that is this,that wheresomever ye will beset your heart upon some good knight that will wed you,I shall give you together a thousand pound yearly to you and to your heirs;thus much will I give you,fair madam,for your kindness,and always while I live to be your own knight.Of all this,said the maiden,I will none,for but if ye will wed me,or else be my paramour at the least,wit you well,Sir Launcelot,my good days are done.Fair damosel,said Sir Launcelot,of these two things ye must pardon me.
Then she shrieked shrilly,and fell down in a swoon;and then women bare her into her chamber,and there she made over much sorrow;and then Sir Launcelot would depart,and there he asked Sir Lavaine what he would do.
What should I do,said Sir Lavaine,but follow you,but if ye drive me from you,or command me to go from you.
Then came Sir Bernard to Sir Launcelot and said to him:
I cannot see but that my daughter Elaine will die for your sake.I may not do withal,said Sir Launcelot,for that me sore repenteth,for I report me to yourself,that my proffer is fair;and me repenteth,said Sir Launcelot,that she loveth me as she doth;I was never the causer of it,for I report me to your son I early ne late proffered her bount nor fair behests;and as for me,said Sir Launcelot,I dare do all that a knight should do that she is a clean maiden for me,both for deed and for will.And I am right heavy of her distress,for she is a full fair maiden,good and gentle,and well taught.Father,said Sir Lavaine,I dare make good she is a clean maiden as for my lord Sir Launcelot;but she doth as I do,for sithen I first saw my lord Sir Launcelot,I could never depart from him,nor nought I will an I may follow him.
Then Sir Launcelot took his leave,and so they departed,and came unto Winchester.And when Arthur wist that Sir Launcelot was come whole and sound the king made great joy of him,and so did Sir Gawaine and all the knights of the Round Table except Sir Agravaine and Sir Mordred.Also Queen Guenever was wood wroth with Sir Launcelot,and would by no means speak with him,but estranged herself from him;and Sir Launcelot made all the means that he might for to speak with the queen,but it would not be.
Now speak we of the Fair Maiden of Astolat that made such sorrow day and night that she never slept,ate,nor drank,and ever she made her complaint unto Sir Launcelot.So when she had thus endured a ten days,that she feebled so that she must needs pass out of this world,then she shrived her clean,and received her Creator.And ever she complained still upon Sir Launcelot.Then her ghostly father bade her leave such thoughts.Then she said,why should I leave such thoughts?Am I not an earthly woman?And all the while the breath is in my body I may complain me,for my belief is I do none offence though I love an earthly man;and I take God to my record I loved never none but Sir Launcelot du Lake,nor never shall,and a clean maiden I am for him and for all other;and sithen it is the sufferance of God that I shall die for the love of so noble a knight,I beseech the High Father of Heaven to have mercy upon my soul,and upon mine innumerable pains that I suffered may be allegeance of part of my sins.For sweet Lord Jesu,said the fair maiden,I take Thee to record,on Thee I was never great offencer against thy laws;but that I loved this noble knight,Sir Launcelot,out of measure,and of myself,good Lord,I might not withstand the fervent love wherefore Ihave my death.
And then she called her father,Sir Bernard,and her brother,Sir Tirre,and heartily she prayed her father that her brother might write a letter like as she did indite it:
and so her father granted her.And when the letter was written word by word like as she devised,then she prayed her father that she might be watched until she were dead.
