en's chamber, and found her ladies
there ready clothed. Jesu mercy, said Sir Meliagrance, what aileth you,
madam, that ye sleep thus long? And right therewithal he opened the
curtain for to behold her; and then was he ware where she lay, and all
the sheet and pillow was bebled with the blood of Sir Launcelot and of
his hurt hand. When Sir Meliagrance espied that blood, then he deemed in
her that she was false to the king, and that some of the wounded knights
had lain by her all that night. Ah, madam, said Sir Meliagrance, now I
have found you a false traitress unto my lord Arthur; for now I prove
well it was not for nought that ye laid these wounded knights within the
bounds of your chamber; therefore I will call you of treason before my
lord, King Arthur. And now I have proved you, madam, with a shameful
deed; and that they be all false, or some of them, I will make good, for
a wounded knight this night hath lain by you. That is false, said
the queen, and that I will report me unto them all. Then when the ten
knights heard Sir Meliagrance's words, they spake all in one voice and
said to Sir Meliagrance: Thou sayest falsely, and wrongfully puttest
upon us such a deed, and that we will make good any of us; choose which
thou list of us when we are whole of our wounds. Ye shall not, said Sir
Meliagrance, away with your proud language, for here ye may all see,
said Sir Meliagrance, that by the queen this night a wounded knight hath
lain. Then were they all ashamed when they saw that blood; and wit you
well Sir Meliagrance was passing glad that he had the queen at such
an advantage, for he deemed by that to hide his treason. So with this
rumour came in Sir Launcelot, and found them all at a great array.

CHAPTER VII. How Sir Launcelot answered for the queen, and waged battle
against Sir Meliagrance; and how Sir Launcelot was taken in a trap

WHAT array is this? said Sir Launcelot. Then Sir Meliagrance told them
what he had found, and showed them the queen's bed. Truly, said Sir
Launcelot, ye did not your part nor knightly, to touch a queen's bed
while it was drawn, and she lying therein; for I dare say my lord Arthur
himself would not have displayed her curtains, she being within her bed,
unless that it had pleased him to have lain down by her; and therefore
ye have done unworshipfully and shamefully to yourself. I wot not what
ye mean, said Sir Meliagrance, but well I am sure there hath one of her
wounded knights lain