ly worship than any knight that now liveth. And
for your presumption to take upon you in deadly sin for to be in His
presence, where His flesh and His blood was, that caused you ye might
not see it with worldly eyes; for He will not appear where such sinners
be, but if it be unto their great hurt and unto their great shame; and
there is no knight living now that ought to give God so great thank as
ye, for He hath given you beauty, seemliness, and great strength above
all other knights; and therefore ye are the more beholding unto God than
any other man, to love Him and dread Him, for your strength and manhood
will little avail you an God be against you.

CHAPTER XX. How Sir Launcelot was shriven, and what sorrow he made and
of the good ensamples which were shewed him.

THEN Sir Launcelot wept with heavy cheer, and said: Now I know well ye
say me sooth. Sir, said the good man, hide none old sin from me. Truly,
said Sir Launcelot, that were me full loath to discover. For this
fourteen year I never discovered one thing that I have used, and that
may I now wite my shame and my disadventure. And then he told there that
good man all his life. And how he had loved a queen unmeasurably and out
of measure long. And all my great deeds of arms that I have done, I
did for the most part for the queen's sake, and for her sake would I do
battle were it right or wrong, and never did I battle all only for God's
sake, but for to win worship and to cause me to be the better beloved
and little or nought I thanked God of it. Then Sir Launcelot said: I
pray you counsel me. I will counsel you, said the hermit, if ye will
ensure me that ye will never come in that queen's fellowship as much
as ye may forbear. And then Sir Launcelot promised him he nold, by the
faith of his body. Look that your heart and your mouth accord, said the
good man, and I shall ensure you ye shall have more worship than ever ye
had.

Holy father, said Sir Launcelot, I marvel of the voice that said to me
marvellous words, as ye have heard to-forehand. Have ye no marvel, said
the good man thereof, for it seemeth well God loveth you; for men may
understand a stone is hard of kind, and namely one more than another;
and that is to understand by thee, Sir Launcelot, for thou wilt not
leave thy sin for no goodness that God hath sent thee; therefore thou
art more than any stone, and never wouldst thou be made nesh nor by
water nor by fire, and that is the heat of the Ho