ellowship
and the truest of knighthood that ever were seen together in any realm
of the world; for when they depart from hence I am sure they all shall
never meet more in this world, for they shall die many in the quest.
And so it forthinketh me a little, for I have loved them as well as my
life, wherefore it shall grieve me right sore, the departition of this
fellowship: for I have had an old custom to have them in my
fellowship.

CHAPTER VIII

HOW GREAT SORROW WAS MADE OF THE KING AND THE QUEEN AND LADIES FOR THE
DEPARTING OF THE KNIGHTS, AND HOW THEY DEPARTED

And therewith the tears filled in his eyes. And then he said: Gawaine,
Gawaine, ye have set me in great sorrow, for I have great doubt that
my true fellowship shall never meet here more again. Ah, said Sir
Launcelot, comfort yourself; for it shall be unto us a great honour
and much more than if we died in any other places, for of death we be
siccar. Ah, Launcelot, said the king, the great love that I have had
unto you all the days of my life maketh me to say such doleful words;
for never Christian king had never so many worthy men at his table as
I have had this day at the Round Table, and that is my great sorrow.
When the queen, ladies, and gentlewomen, wist these tidings, they had
such sorrow and heaviness that there might no tongue tell it, for
those knights had held them in honour and charity. But among all other
Queen Guenever made great sorrow. I marvel, said she, my lord would
suffer them to depart from him. Thus was all the court troubled for
the love of the departition of those knights. And many of those ladies
that loved knights would have gone with their lovers; and so had they
done, had not an old knight come among them in religious clothing; and
then he spake all on high and said: Fair lords, which have sworn in
the quest of the Sangreal, thus sendeth you Nacien, the hermit, word,
that none in this quest lead lady nor gentlewoman with him, for it is
not to do in so high a service as they labour in; for I warn you
plain, he that is not clean of his sins he shall not see the mysteries
of our Lord Jesu Christ. And for this cause they left these ladies and
gentlewomen. After this the queen came unto Galahad and asked him of
whence he was, and of what country. He told her of whence he was. And
son unto Launcelot, she said he was. As to that, he said neither yea
or nay. So God me help, said the queen, of your father ye need not to
shame you,