CHAPTER VIII

How the truth was known by the Maiden of the Lake,
and of divers other matters.


AND so it befell that the damosel of the lake, her name
was Nimue, the which wedded the good knight Sir Pelleas,
and so she came to the court; for ever she did great
goodness unto King Arthur and to all his knights through her
sorcery and enchantments.  And so when she heard how
the queen was an-angered for the death of Sir Patrise,
then she told it openly that she was never guilty; and
there she disclosed by whom it was done, and named him,
Sir Pinel; and for what cause he did it, there it was openly
disclosed; and so the queen was excused, and the knight
Pinel fled into his country.  Then was it openly known
that Sir Pinel enpoisoned the apples at the feast to that
intent to have destroyed Sir Gawaine, because Sir Gawaine
and his brethren destroyed Sir Lamorak de Galis, to the
which Sir Pinel was cousin unto.  Then was Sir Patrise
buried in the church of Westminster in a tomb, and
thereupon was written:  Here lieth Sir Patrise of Ireland,
slain by Sir Pinel le Savage, that enpoisoned apples to
have slain Sir Gawaine, and by misfortune Sir Patrise ate
one of those apples, and then suddenly he brast.  Also
there was written upon the tomb that Queen Guenever
was appealed of treason of the death of Sir Patrise, by Sir
Mador de la Porte; and there was made mention how
Sir Launcelot fought with him for Queen Guenever, and
overcame him in plain battle.  All this was written upon
the tomb of Sir Patrise in excusing of the queen.  And
then Sir Mador sued daily and long, to have the queen's
good grace; and so by the means of Sir Launcelot he
caused him to stand in the queen's good grace, and all
was forgiven

Thus it passed on till our Lady Day, Assumption.
Within a fifteen days of that feast the king let cry a great
jousts and a tournament that should be at that day at
Camelot, that is Winchester; and the king let cry that he
and the King of Scots would joust against all that would
come against them.  And when this cry was made, thither
came many knights.  So there came thither the King of
Northgalis, and King Anguish of Ireland, and the King
with the Hundred Knights, and Galahad, the haut prince,
and the King of Northumberland, and many other noble
dukes and earls of divers countries.  So King Arthur
made him ready to depart to these jousts, and would have
had the queen with him, but at that time she would not,
she said, for she was sick and might not ride at that time.
That me repenteth, said the king, for this seven year ye
saw not such a noble fellowship together except at
Whitsuntide when Galahad departed from the court.  Truly,
said the queen to the king, ye must hold me excused, I
may not be there, and that me repenteth.  And many
deemed the queen would not be there because of Sir
Launcelot du Lake, for Sir Launcelot would not ride with
the king, for he said that he was not whole of the wound
the which Sir Mador had given him; wherefore the king
was heavy and passing wroth.  And so he departed
toward Winchester with his fellowship; and so by the
way the king lodged in a town called Astolat, that is now
in English called Guildford, and there the king lay in the
castle.

So when the king was departed the queen called Sir
Launcelot to her, and said thus: Sir Launcelot, ye are
greatly to blame thus to hold you behind my lord; what,
trow ye, what will your enemies and mine say and deem?
nought else but, See how Sir Launcelot holdeth him ever
behind the king, and so doth the queen, for that they
would have their pleasure together.  And thus will they
say, said the queen to Sir Launcelot, have ye no doubt
thereof.