CHAPTER XVII
 
 How Sir Launcelot overtook a knight which chased his wife
 to have slain her, and how he said to him.
 
 SO Sir Launcelot rode many wild ways, throughout marches and many
 wild ways.  And as he rode in a valley he saw a knight chasing a
 lady, with a naked sword, to have slain her.  And by fortune as
 this knight should have slain this lady, she cried on Sir
 Launcelot and prayed him to rescue her.  When Sir Launcelot saw
 that mischief, he took his horse and rode between them, saying,
 Knight, fie for shame, why wilt thou slay this lady? thou dost
 shame unto thee and all knights.  What hast thou to do betwixt me
 and my wife? said the knight.  I will slay her maugre thy head. 
 That shall ye not, said Sir Launcelot, for rather we two will
 have ado together.  Sir Launcelot, said the knight, thou dost not
 thy part, for this lady hath betrayed me.  It is not so, said the
 lady, truly he saith wrong on me.  And for because I love and
 cherish my cousin germain, he is jealous betwixt him and me; and
 as I shall answer to God there was never sin betwixt us.  But,
 sir, said the lady, as thou art called the worshipfullest knight
 of the world, I require thee of true knighthood, keep me and save
 me.  For whatsomever ye say he will slay me, for he is without
 mercy.  Have ye no doubt, said Launcelot, it shall not lie in his
 power.  Sir, said the knight, in your sight I will be ruled as ye
 will have me.  And so Sir Launcelot rode on the one side and she
 on the other: he had not ridden but a while, but the knight bade
 Sir Launcelot turn him and <206>look behind him, and said, Sir,
 yonder come men of arms after us riding.  And so Sir Launcelot
 turned him and thought no treason, and therewith was the knight
 and the lady on one side, and suddenly he swapped off his lady's
 head.
 
 And when Sir Launcelot had espied him what he had done, he said,
 and called him, Traitor, thou hast shamed me for ever.  And
 suddenly Sir Launcelot alighted off his horse, and pulled out his
 sword to slay him, and therewithal he fell flat to the earth, and
 gripped Sir Launcelot by the thighs, and cried mercy.  Fie on
 thee, said Sir Launcelot, thou shameful knight, thou mayest have
 no mercy, and therefore arise and fight with me.  Nay, said the
 knight, I will never arise till ye grant me mercy.  Now will I
 proffer thee fair, said Launcelot, I will unarm me unto my shirt,
 and I will have nothing upon me but my shirt, and my sword and my
 hand.  And if thou canst slay me, quit be thou for ever.  Nay,
 sir, said Pedivere, that will I never.  Well, said Sir Launcelot,
 take this lady and the head, and bear it upon thee, and here
 shalt thou swear upon my sword, to bear it always upon thy back,
 and never to rest till thou come to Queen Guenever.  Sir, said
 he, that will I do, by the faith of my body.  Now, said
 Launcelot, tell me what is your name?  Sir, my name is Pedivere. 
 In a shameful hour wert thou born, said Launcelot.
 
 So Pedivere departed with the dead lady and the head, and found
 the queen with King Arthur at Winchester, and there he told all
 the truth.  Sir knight, said the queen, this is an horrible deed
 and a shameful, and a great rebuke unto Sir Launcelot; but
 notwithstanding his worship is not known in many divers
 countries; but this shall I give you in penance, make ye as good
 shift as ye can, ye shall bear this lady with you on horseback
 unto the Pope of Rome, and of him receive your penance for your
 foul deeds; and ye shall never rest one night whereas ye do
 another; an ye go to any bed the dead body shall lie with you. 
 This oath there he made, and so departed.  And as it telleth in
 the French book, when he came to Rome, <207>the Pope bade him go
 again unto Queen Guenever, and in Rome was his lady buried by the
 Pope's commandment.  And after this Sir Pedivere fell to great
 goodness, and was an holy man and an hermit.