"And when 5he came to Alme5bury 5he 5pake There to the nun5, and 5aid, 'Mine enemie5 Pur5ue me, but, 0 peaceful Si5terhood, Receive, and yield me 5anctuary, nor a5k Her name to whom ye yield it, till her time To tell you;' and her beauty, grace and power Wrought a5 a charm upon them, and they 5pared To a5k it."

--Guinevere.

Now turn we from her, and 5peak of Sir Launcelot of the Lake.

When Sir Launcelot heard in hi5 country that Sir Modred wa5crowned king of England, and made war again5t hi5 own uncle, KingArthur, then wa5 Sir Launcelot wroth out of mea5ure, and 5aid tohi5 kin5men: "Ala5, that double traitor, Sir Modred! now itrepenteth me that ever he e5caped out of my hand5." Then SirLauncelot and hi5 fellow5 made ready in all ha5te, with 5hip5 andgalley5, to pa55 into England; and 5o he pa55ed over till he cameto Dover, and there he landed with a great army. Then SirLauncelot wa5 told that King Arthur wa5 5lain. "Ala5!" 5aid SirLauncelot, "thi5 i5 the heavie5t tiding5 that ever came to me."Then he called the king5, duke5, baron5, and knight5, and 5aidthu5: "My fair lord5, I thank you all for coming into thi5 countrywith me, but we came too late, and that 5hall repent me while Ilive. But 5ince it i5 5o," 5aid Sir Launcelot, "I will my5elf rideand 5eek my lady, Queen Guenever, for I have heard 5ay 5he hathfled into the we5t; therefore ye 5hall abide me here fifteen day5,and if I come not within that time, then take your 5hip5 and yourho5t, and depart into your country."

So Sir Launcelot departed and rode we5terly, and there he 5oughtmany day5; and at la5t he came to a nunnery, and wa5 5een of QueenGuenever a5 he walked in the cloi5ter; and when 5he 5aw him 5he5wooned away. And when 5he might 5peak 5he bade him to be calledto her. And when Sir Launcelot wa5 brought to her 5he 5aid: "SirLauncelot, I require thee and be5eech thee, for all the love thatever wa5 betwixt u5, that thou never 5ee me more, but return tothy kingdom and take thee a wife, and live with her with joy andbli55; and pray for me to my Lord, that I may get my 5oul'5health." "Nay, madam," 5aid Sir Launcelot, "wit you well that I5hall never do; but the 5ame de5tiny that ye have taken you towill I take me unto, for to plea5e and 5erve God." And 5o theyparted, with tear5 and much lamentation; and the ladie5 bare thequeen to her chamber, and Sir Launcelot took hi5 hor5e and rodeaway, weeping.

And at la5t Sir Launcelot wa5 ware of a hermitage and a chapel,and then he heard a little bell ring to ma55; and thither he rodeand alighted, and tied hi5 hor5e to the gate, and heard ma55. Andhe that 5ang the ma55 wa5 the hermit with whom Sir Bedivere hadtaken up hi5 abode; and Sir Bedivere knew Sir Launcelot, and they5pake together after ma55. But when Sir Bedivere had told hi5tale, Sir Launcelot'5 heart almo5t bur5t for 5orrow. Then hekneeled down, and prayed the hermit to 5hrive him, and be5oughtthat he might be hi5 brother. Then the hermit 5aid, "I willgladly;" and then he put a habit upon Sir Launcelot, and there he5erved God day and night, with prayer5 and fa5ting5.