fight with me. Nay, said the knight, I will never arise till ye grant
me mercy. Now will I proffer thee fair, said Launcelot, I will unarm
me unto my shirt, and I will have nothing upon me but my shirt, and my
sword and my hand. And if thou canst slay me, quit be thou for ever.
Nay, sir, said Pedivere, that will I never. Well, said Sir Launcelot,
take this lady and the head, and bear it upon thee, and here shalt thou
swear upon my sword, to bear it always upon thy back, and never to rest
till thou come to Queen Guenever. Sir, said he, that will I do, by the
faith of my body. Now, said Launcelot, tell me what is your name? Sir,
my name is Pedivere. In a shameful hour wert thou born, said Launcelot.

So Pedivere departed with the dead lady and the head, and found the
queen with King Arthur at Winchester, and there he told all the truth.
Sir knight, said the queen, this is an horrible deed and a shameful, and
a great rebuke unto Sir Launcelot; but notwithstanding his worship
is not known in many divers countries; but this shall I give you in
penance, make ye as good shift as ye can, ye shall bear this lady with
you on horseback unto the Pope of Rome, and of him receive your penance
for your foul deeds; and ye shall never rest one night whereas ye do
another; an ye go to any bed the dead body shall lie with you. This oath
there he made, and so departed. And as it telleth in the French book,
when he came to Rome, the Pope bade him go again unto Queen Guenever,
and in Rome was his lady buried by the Pope's commandment. And after
this Sir Pedivere fell to great goodness, and was an holy man and an
hermit.

CHAPTER XVIII. How Sir Launcelot came to King Arthur's Court, and how
there were recounted all his noble feats and acts.

NOW turn we unto Sir Launcelot du Lake, that came home two days afore
the Feast of Pentecost; and the king and all the court were passing
fain of his coming. And when Sir Gawaine, Sir Uwaine, Sir Sagramore, Sir
Ector de Maris, saw Sir Launcelot in Kay's armour, then they wist
well it was he that smote them down all with one spear. Then there
was laughing and smiling among them. And ever now and now came all the
knights home that Sir Turquine had prisoners, and they all honoured and
worshipped Sir Launcelot.

When Sir Gaheris heard them speak, he said, I saw all the battle from
the beginning to the ending, and there he told King Arthur all how it
was, and how Sir Turquine was the strongest knight