vanities of the world had not your lord
been. And if I had done so at that time, with my heart, will, and
thought, I had passed all the knights that were in the Sangreal except
Sir Galahad, my son. And therefore, lady, sithen ye have taken you to
perfection, I must needs take me to perfection, of right. For I take
record of God, in you I have had mine earthly joy; and if I had found
you now so disposed, I had cast me to have had you into mine own realm.

CHAPTER X. How Sir Launcelot came to the hermitage where the Archbishop
of Canterbury was, and how he took the habit on him.

BUT sithen I find you thus disposed, I ensure you faithfully, I will
ever take me to penance, and pray while my life lasteth, if I may find
any hermit, either gray or white, that will receive me. Wherefore,
madam, I pray you kiss me and never no more. Nay, said the queen, that
shall I never do, but abstain you from such works: and they departed.
But there was never so hard an hearted man but he would have wept to see
the dolour that they made; for there was lamentation as they had been
stung with spears; and many times they swooned, and the ladies bare the
queen to her chamber.

And Sir Launcelot awoke, and went and took his horse, and rode all that
day and all night in a forest, weeping. And at the last he was ware of
an hermitage and a chapel stood betwixt two cliffs; and then he heard a
little bell ring to mass, and thither he rode and alighted, and tied his
horse to the gate, and heard mass. And he that sang mass was the Bishop
of Canterbury. Both the Bishop and Sir Bedivere knew Sir Launcelot, and
they spake together after mass. But when Sir Bedivere had told his
tale all whole, Sir Launcelot's heart almost brast for sorrow, and Sir
Launcelot threw his arms abroad, and said: Alas, who may trust this
world. And then he kneeled down on his knee, and prayed the Bishop to
shrive him and assoil him. And then he besought the Bishop that he might
be his brother. Then the Bishop said: I will gladly; and there he put
an habit upon Sir Launcelot, and there he served God day and night with
prayers and fastings.

Thus the great host abode at Dover. And then Sir Lionel took fifteen
lords with him, and rode to London to seek Sir Launcelot; and there Sir
Lionel was slain and many of his lords. Then Sir Bors de Ganis made the
great host for to go home again; and Sir Bors, Sir Ector de Maris, Sir
Blamore, Sir Bleoberis, with more other of Sir Launce