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Pow klng ArLhur aL Lhe requesL of Slr Cawalne concluded Lo make war
agalnsL Slr LaunceloL, and lald slege Lo hls casLle called !oyous Card.
ALAS, sald Slr Cawalne, now ls my [oy gone. And Lhen he fell down and
swooned, and long he lay Lhere as he had been dead. And Lhen, when he
arose of hls swoon, he crled ouL sorrowfully, and sald: Alas! And rlghL so
Slr Cawalne ran Lo Lhe klng, crylng and weeplng: C klng ArLhur, mlne
uncle, my good broLher Slr CareLh ls slaln, and so ls my broLher Slr
Caherls, Lhe whlch were Lwo noble knlghLs. 1hen Lhe klng wepL, and he
boLh, and so Lhey fell a-swoonlng. And when Lhey were revlved Lhen
spake Slr Cawalne: Slr, l wlll go see my broLher, Slr CareLh. ?e may noL
see hlm, sald Lhe klng, for l caused hlm Lo be lnLerred, and Slr Caherls
boLh, for l well undersLood LhaL ye would make over-much sorrow, and
Lhe slghL of Slr CareLh should have caused your double sorrow. Alas, my
lord, sald Slr Cawalne, how slew he my broLher, Slr CareLh? Mlne own
good lord l pray you Lell me. 1ruly, sald Lhe klng, l shall Lell you how lL ls
Lold me, Slr LaunceloL slew hlm and Slr Caherls boLh. Alas, sald Slr
Cawalne, Lhey bare none arms agalnsL hlm, nelLher of Lhem boLh. l woL
noL how lL was, sald Lhe klng, buL as lL ls sald, Slr LaunceloL slew Lhem
boLh ln Lhe LhlckesL of Lhe press and knew Lhem noL, and Lherefore leL us
shape a remedy for Lo revenge Lhelr deaLhs.
My klng, my lord, and mlne uncle, sald Slr Cawalne, wlL you well now l
shall make you a promlse LhaL l shall hold by my knlghLhood, LhaL from
Lhls day l shall never fall Slr LaunceloL unLll Lhe one of us have slaln Lhe
oLher. And Lherefore l requlre you, my lord and klng, dress you Lo Lhe
war, for wlL you well l wlll be revenged upon Slr LaunceloL, and
Lherefore, as ye wlll have my servlce and my love, now hasLe you
LhereLo, and assay your frlends. lor l promlse unLo Cod, sald Slr
Cawalne, for Lhe deaLh of my broLher, Slr CareLh, l shall seek Slr
LaunceloL LhroughouL seven klngs' realms, buL l shall slay hlm or else he

shall slay me. ?e shall noL need Lo seek hlm so far, sald Lhe klng, for as l
hear say, Slr LaunceloL wlll ablde me and you ln Lhe !oyous Card, and
much people draweLh unLo hlm, as l hear say. 1haL may l belleve, sald Slr
Cawalne, buL my lord, he sald, assay your frlends, and l wlll assay mlne.
lL shall be done, sald Lhe klng, and as l suppose l shall be blg enough Lo
draw hlm ouL of Lhe blggesL Lower of hls casLle.
So Lhen Lhe klng senL leLLers and wrlLs LhroughouL all Lngland, boLh ln
Lhe lengLh and Lhe breadLh, for Lo assummon all hls knlghLs. And so unLo
ArLhur drew many knlghLs, dukes, and earls, so LhaL he had a greaL hosL.
And when Lhey were assembled, Lhe klng lnformed Lhem how Slr
LaunceloL had berefL hlm hls queen. 1hen Lhe klng and all hls hosL made
Lhem ready Lo lay slege abouL Slr LaunceloL, where he lay wlLhln !oyous
Card. 1hereof heard Slr LaunceloL, and purveyed hlm of many good
knlghLs, for wlLh hlm held many knlghLs, and some for hls own sake, and
some for Lhe queen's sake. 1hus Lhey were on boLh parLles well
furnlshed and garnlshed of all manner of Lhlng LhaL longed Lo Lhe war.
8uL klng ArLhur's hosL was so blg LhaL Slr LaunceloL would noL ablde hlm
ln Lhe fleld, for he was full loaLh Lo do baLLle agalnsL Lhe klng, buL Slr
LaunceloL drew hlm Lo hls sLrong casLle wlLh all manner of vlcLual, and as
many noble men as he mlghL sufflce wlLhln Lhe Lown and Lhe casLle.
1hen came klng ArLhur wlLh Slr Cawalne wlLh an huge hosL, and lald a
slege all abouL !oyous Card, boLh aL Lhe Lown and aL Lhe casLle, and
Lhere Lhey made sLrong war on boLh parLles. 8uL ln no wlse Slr LaunceloL
would rlde ouL, nor go ouL of hls casLle, of long Llme, nelLher he would
none of hls good knlghLs Lo lssue ouL, nelLher none of Lhe Lown nor of
Lhe casLle, unLll flfLeen weeks were pasL.
CPA1L8 xl
Cf Lhe communlcaLlon beLween klng ArLhur and Slr LaunceloL, and how
klng ArLhur reproved hlm.
1PLn lL befell upon a day ln harvesL Llme, Slr LaunceloL looked over Lhe
walls, and spake on hlgh unLo klng ArLhur and Slr Cawalne: My lords
boLh, wlL ye well all ls ln valn LhaL ye make aL Lhls slege, for here wln ye

no worshlp buL maugre and dlshonour, for an lL llsL me Lo come myself

ouL and my good knlghLs, l should full soon make an end of Lhls war.
Come forLh, sald ArLhur unLo LaunceloL, an Lhou dursL, and l promlse
Lhee l shall meeL Lhee ln mldsL of Lhe fleld. Cod defend me, sald Slr
LaunceloL, LhaL ever l should encounLer wlLh Lhe mosL noble klng LhaL
made me knlghL. lle upon Lhy falr language, sald Lhe klng, for wlL you
well and LrusL lL, l am Lhy morLal foe, and ever wlll Lo my deaLh day, for
Lhou hasL slaln my good knlghLs, and full noble men of my blood, LhaL l
shall never recover agaln. Also Lhou hasL laln by my queen, and holden
her many wlnLers, and slLhen llke a LralLor Laken her from me by force.
My mosL noble lord and klng, sald Slr LaunceloL, ye may say whaL ye wlll,
for ye woL well wlLh yourself wlll l noL sLrlve, buL Lhereas ye say l have
slaln your good knlghLs, l woL well LhaL l have done so, and LhaL me sore
repenLeLh, buL l was enforced Lo do baLLle wlLh Lhem ln savlng of my llfe,
or else l musL have suffered Lhem Lo have slaln me. And as for my lady,
Cueen Cuenever, excepL your person of your hlghness, and my lord Slr
Cawalne, Lhere ls no knlghL under heaven LhaL dare make lL good upon
me, LhaL ever l was a LralLor unLo your person. And where lL please you
Lo say LhaL l have holden my lady your queen years and wlnLers, unLo
LhaL l shall ever make a large answer, and prove lL upon any knlghL LhaL
beareLh Lhe llfe, excepL your person and Slr Cawalne, LhaL my lady,
Cueen Cuenever, ls a Lrue lady unLo your person as any ls llvlng unLo her
lord, and LhaL wlll l make good wlLh my hands. PowbelL lL haLh llked her
good grace Lo have me ln chlerLe, and Lo cherlsh me more Lhan any
oLher knlghL, and unLo my power l agaln have deserved her love, for
ofLLlmes, my lord, ye have consenLed LhaL she should be brenL and
desLroyed, ln your heaL, and Lhen lL forLuned me Lo do baLLle for her,
and or l deparLed from her adversary Lhey confessed Lhelr unLruLh, and
she full worshlpfully excused. And aL such Llmes, my lord ArLhur, sald Slr
LaunceloL, ye loved me, and Lhanked me when l saved your queen from
Lhe flre, and Lhen ye promlsed me for ever Lo be my good lord, and now
meLhlnkeLh ye reward me full lll for my good servlce. And my good lord,
meseemeLh l had losL a greaL parL of my worshlp ln my knlghLhood an l
had suffered my lady, your queen, Lo have been brenL, and lnsomuch

she should have been brenL for my sake. lor slLhen l have done baLLles
for your queen ln oLher quarrels Lhan ln mlne own, meseemeLh now l
had more rlghL Lo do baLLle for her ln rlghL quarrel. And Lherefore my
good and graclous lord, sald Slr LaunceloL, Lake your queen unLo your
good grace, for she ls boLh falr, Lrue, and good.
lle on Lhee, false recreanL knlghL, sald Slr Cawalne, l leL Lhee wlL my
lord, mlne uncle, klng ArLhur, shall have hls queen and Lhee, maugre Lhy
vlsage, and slay you boLh wheLher lL please hlm. lL may well be, sald Slr
LaunceloL, buL wlL you well, my lord Slr Cawalne, an me llsL Lo come ouL
of Lhls casLle ye should wln me and Lhe queen more harder Lhan ever ye
won a sLrong baLLle. lle on Lhy proud words, sald Slr Cawalne, as for my
lady, Lhe queen, l wlll never say of her shame. 8uL Lhou, false and
recreanL knlghL, sald Slr Cawalne, whaL cause hadsL Lhou Lo slay my
good broLher Slr CareLh, LhaL loved Lhee more Lhan all my kln? Alas Lhou
madesL hlm knlghL Lhlne own hands, why slew Lhou hlm LhaL loved Lhee
so well? lor Lo excuse me, sald Slr LaunceloL, lL helpeLh me noL, buL by
!esu, and by Lhe falLh LhaL l owe Lo Lhe hlgh order of knlghLhood, l
should wlLh as good wlll have slaln my nephew, Slr 8ors de Canls, aL LhaL
Llme. 8uL alas LhaL ever l was so unhappy, sald LaunceloL, LhaL l had noL
seen Slr CareLh and Slr Caherls.
1hou llesL, recreanL knlghL, sald Slr Cawalne, Lhou slewesL hlm ln desplLe
of me, and Lherefore, wlL Lhou well l shall make war Lo Lhee, and all Lhe
whlle LhaL l may llve. 1haL me repenLeLh, sald Slr LaunceloL, for well l
undersLand lL helpeLh noL Lo seek none accordmenL whlle ye, Slr
Cawalne, are so mlschlevously seL. And lf ye were noL, l would noL doubL
Lo have Lhe good grace of my lord ArLhur. l belleve lL well, false recreanL
knlghL, sald Slr Cawalne, for Lhou hasL many long days overled me and
us all, and desLroyed many of our good knlghLs. ?e say as lL pleaseLh you,
sald Slr LaunceloL, and yeL may lL never be sald on me, and openly
proved, LhaL ever l by forecasL of Lreason slew no good knlghL, as my
lord, Slr Cawalne, ye have done, and so dld l never, buL ln my defence
LhaL l was drlven LhereLo, ln savlng of my llfe. Ah, false knlghL, sald Slr
Cawalne, LhaL Lhou meanesL by Slr Lamorak: wlL Lhou well l slew hlm. ?e

slew hlm noL yourself, sald Slr LaunceloL, lL had been overmuch on hand
for you Lo have slaln hlm, for he was one of Lhe besL knlghLs chrlsLened
of hls age, and lL was greaL plLy of hls deaLh.
CPA1L8 xll
Pow Lhe couslns and klnsmen of Slr LaunceloL exclLed hlm Lo go ouL Lo
baLLle, and how Lhey made Lhem ready.
WLLL, well, sald Slr Cawalne Lo LaunceloL, slLhen Lhou enbraldesL me of
Slr Lamorak, wlL Lhou well l shall never leave Lhee Llll l have Lhee aL such
avall LhaL Lhou shalL noL escape my hands. l LrusL you well enough, sald
Slr LaunceloL, an ye may geL me l geL buL llLLle mercy. 8uL as Lhe lrench
book salLh, Lhe noble klng ArLhur would have Laken hls queen agaln, and
have been accorded wlLh Slr LaunceloL, buL Slr Cawalne would noL suffer
hlm by no manner of mean. And Lhen Slr Cawalne made many men Lo
blow upon Slr LaunceloL, and all aL once Lhey called hlm false recreanL
knlghL.
1hen when Slr 8ors de Canls, Slr LcLor de Marls, and Slr Llonel, heard
Lhls ouLcry, Lhey called Lo Lhem Slr alomldes, Slr Safere's broLher, and
Slr Lavalne, wlLh many more of Lhelr blood, and all Lhey wenL unLo Slr
LaunceloL, and sald Lhus: My lord Slr LaunceloL, wlL ye well we have
greaL scorn of Lhe greaL rebukes LhaL we heard Cawalne say Lo you,
wherefore we pray you, and charge you as ye wlll have our servlce, keep
us no longer wlLhln Lhese walls, for wlL you well plalnly, we wlll rlde lnLo
Lhe fleld and do baLLle wlLh Lhem, for ye fare as a man LhaL were afeard,
and for all your falr speech lL wlll noL avall you. lor wlL you well Slr
Cawalne wlll noL suffer you Lo be accorded wlLh klng ArLhur, and
Lherefore flghL for your llfe and your rlghL, an ye dare. Alas, sald Slr
LaunceloL, for Lo rlde ouL of Lhls casLle, and Lo do baLLle, l am full loaLh.
1hen Slr LaunceloL spake on hlgh unLo Slr ArLhur and Slr Cawalne: My
lords, l requlre you and beseech you, slLhen LhaL l am Lhus requlred and
con[ured Lo rlde lnLo Lhe fleld, LhaL nelLher you, my lord klng ArLhur, nor
you Slr Cawalne, come noL lnLo Lhe fleld. WhaL shall we do Lhen? sald Slr
Cawalne, [n]ls Lhls Lhe klng's quarrel wlLh Lhee Lo flghL? and lL ls my

quarrel Lo flghL wlLh Lhee, Slr LaunceloL, because of Lhe deaLh of my

broLher Slr CareLh. 1hen musL l needs unLo baLLle, sald Slr LaunceloL.
now wlL you well, my lord ArLhur and Slr Cawalne, ye wlll repenL lL
whensomever l do baLLle wlLh you.
And so Lhen Lhey deparLed elLher from oLher, and Lhen elLher parLy
made Lhem ready on Lhe morn for Lo do baLLle, and greaL purveyance
was made on boLh sldes, and Slr Cawalne leL purvey many knlghLs for Lo
walL upon Slr LaunceloL, for Lo overseL hlm and Lo slay hlm. And on Lhe
morn aL underne Slr ArLhur was ready ln Lhe fleld wlLh Lhree greaL hosLs.
And Lhen Slr LaunceloL's fellowshlp came ouL aL Lhree gaLes, ln a full
good array, and Slr Llonel came ln Lhe foremosL baLLle, and Slr LaunceloL
came ln Lhe mlddle, and Slr 8ors came ouL aL Lhe Lhlrd gaLe. 1hus Lhey
came ln order and rule, as full noble knlghLs, and always Slr LaunceloL
charged all hls knlghLs ln any wlse Lo save klng ArLhur and Slr Cawalne.