"He kill me! Rather would I soon defeat and kill him,
if you would leave us alone and let us fight." Then the king
says: "So help me God, all that thou sayest is of no avail."
"Why is that?" he asks. "Because I will not consent. I will not
so trust in thy folly and pride as to allow thee to be killed. A
man is a fool to court death, as thou dost in thy ignorance. I
know well that thou hatest me because I wish to save thy life.
God will not let me see and witness thy death, if I can help it,
for it would cause me too much grief." He talks to him and
reproves him until finally peace and good-will are restored. The
terms of the peace are these: he will surrender the Queen to
Lancelot, provided that the latter without reluctance will fight
them again within a year of such time as he shall choose to
summon him: this is no trial to Lancelot. When peace is made,
all the people press about, and it is decided that the battle
shall be fought at the court of King Arthur, who holds Britain
and Cornwall in his sway: there they decide that it shall be.
And the Queen has to consent, and Lancelot has to promise, that
if Meleagant can prove him recreant, she shall come back with him
again without the interference of any one. When the Queen and
Lancelot had both agreed to this, the arrangement was concluded,
and they both retired and removed their arms.
Pages:
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694