you.' 'Why say ye so?' said the Queen, 'do ye forthink yourself of your good deeds? Wit you well' (said the Queen), 'I accorded never unto him for favour nor love that I had unto him, but for to lay down every shameful noise.' 'Madam,' said Sir Launcelot, 'ye understand full well I was never willing nor glad of shameful slander, nor noise; and there is neither king, queen, nor knight, that beareth the life, except my lord King Arthur, and you, madam, that should let me, but I should make Sir Meliagrance's heart full cold or ever I departed from hence.' 'That I wot well,' said the Queen, 'but what will ye more? ye shall have all thing ruled as ye list to have it.' 'Madam,' said Sir Launcelot, 'so ye be pleased I care not, as for my part ye shall soon please.' Right so the Queen took Sir Launcelot by the bare hand, for he had put off his gauntlet, and so she went with him till her chamber; and then she commanded him to be unarmed, and then Sir Launcelot asked where the ten knights were that were wounded sore. So she showed them unto Sir Launcelot, and there they made great joy of the coming of him, and Sir Launcelot made great dole2 of their hurts, and bewailed them greatly; and there Sir Launcelot told them how cowardly and traitorly Meliagrance set archers to slay his horse, and how he was fain to put himself in a chariot. Thus they complained every each to other, and full fain they would have been revenged, but they peaced themselves because of the Queen. Then, as the French book saith, Sir Launcelot was called many a day after, Le Chevaler du Chariot, and did many deeds, and great adventures he had. Sir Thomas Malory. Malory 1485 Fisher 1505 SHE same. A MOURNING REMEMBRANCE HE came of noble blood, lineally descending of King Edward the Third, within the fourth degree of the Her father was John, Duke of Somerset ; her mother was called Margaret, right noble as well in manners as in blood, to whom she was a very daughter in all noble manners, for she was bounteous and liberal to every person of her knowledge or acquaintance. Avarice and covetousness she most hated, and sorrowed it full much in all persons, but specially in any that belonged unto her. She was also of singular easiness to be spoken unto, and full courteous answer she would make to all that came unto her. Of marvellous gentleness she was unto all folks, but specially unto her own, whom she trusted and loved right tenderly. Unkind she would not be unto no creature, nor forgetful of any kindness or service done to her before, which is no little part of very nobleness. She was not vengeable, nor cruel, but ready anon to forget and to forgive injuries done unto her at the least desire or motion made unto her for the same. Merciful also and piteous she was unto such as were grieved and wrongfully troubled, and to them that were in poverty or sickness or any other misery. To God and to the Church full obedient and tractable, searching His honour and pleasure full busily. A wariness of herself she had alway to eschew everything that might dishonest any noble woman, or distain her honour in any condition. Frivolous things, that were little to be regarded, she would let pass by, but the other, that were of weight and substance, wherein she might profit, she would not let for any pain or labour to take upon hand. These and many other such noble conditions, left unto her by her ancestors, she kept and increased therein with a great Fisher diligence. 1505 Also she wanted not the nobleness of Nature. She had in manner all that was praiseable in a woman, either in soul or in body. First, she was of singular wisdom, far passing the common rate of women. She was good in remembrance, and of holding memory; a ready wit she had also to conceive all things, albeit they were right dark. Right studious she was in books, which she had in great number, both in English and in French, and for her exercise and for the profits of others, she did translate divers matters of devotion out of the French into English. Full often she complained that in her youth she had not given her to the understanding of Latin, wherein she had a little perceiving, specially of the rubric of the ordinal, for the saying of her service, which she did well understand. Hereunto in favour, in words, in gesture, in every demeanour of herself, so great nobleness did appear, that what she spake or did it marvellously became her. . . . A nobleness gotten or increased, she had also. For albeit she of her lineage was right noble, yet, nevertheless, by marriage and adjoining of other blood, it took some increasement. For in her tender age, she being endued with so great towardness of nature, and likelihood of inheritance, many sued to have had her to marriage. The Duke of Suffolk, which then was a man of great experience, most diligently procured to have had her for his son and heir. Of the contrary part, King Henry the Sixth did make means for Edmond, his brother, then the Earl of Richmond. She, which as then was not fully nine years old, doubtful in her mind, what she were best to do, asked counsel of an old gentlewoman, whom she much loved and trusted, which did advise her to commend herself to St. Nicholas, the patron and helper of all true maidens; and to beseech him to put in her mind what she were best to do. This counsel she Fisher followed, and made her prayer so full often, but specially 1505 that night, when she should the morrow after make answer of her mind determinately. A marvellous thing! the same night, as I have heard her tell many a time, as she lay in prayer, calling upon St. Nicholas, whether sleeping or waking she could not assure, but about four of the clock in the morning, one appeared unto her arrayed like a bishop, and naming unto her Edmond, bade take him unto her husband. And so by this mean she did incline her mind unto Edmond, the King's brother, and Earl of Richmond, by whom she was made mother of the King that dead is (whose soul God pardon) and grandam to our sovereign lord, King Henry the Eighth; which now, by the grace of God, governeth the realm. So, what by lineage, what by affinity, she had thirty Kings and Queens within the fourth degree of marriage unto her, beside Earls, Marquises, Dukes, and Princes. And thus much we have spoken of her nobleness. Her sober temperance in meats and drinks was known to all them that were conversant with her, wherein she lay in as great weight of herself as any person might, keeping alway her straight measure, and offending as little as any creature might: eschewing banquets, rere-suppers,1 joucries 2 betwixt meals. As for fasting, for age and feebleness, albeit she were not bound, yet those days, that by the Church were appointed, she kept them diligently and seriously, and in especial the holy Lent, throughout that she restrained her appetite till one meal and till one fish on the day; besides her other peculiar fasts of devotion, as St. Anthony, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Catherine, with other; and throughout all the year, the Friday and Saturday she full truly observed. As to hard clothes' wearing, she had her shirts and girdles of hair, which, when she was in health, every week she failed not certain days to wear, sometime the one, sometime the other, that full often her skin, as I heard her say, was Fisher pierced therewith. . . . Her own household, with marvellous diligence and wisdom, this noble Princess ordered, providing reasonable statutes and ordinances for them, which by her officers she commanded to be read four times a year. And oftentimes by herself she would so lovingly courage every of them to do well, and sometime by other mean persons.1 If any factions or bonds were made secretly amongst her head officers, she with great policy did bolt it out, and likewise if any strife or controversy, she would with great discretion study the reformation thereof. For the strangers, O marvellous God! what pain, what labour she of her very gentleness would take with them, to bear them manner and company and entreat every person, and entertain them, according to their degree and honour, and provide by her own commandment, that nothing should lack that might be convenient for them, wherein she had a wonderful ready remembrance and perfect knowledge. For the suitors, it is not unknown how studiously she procured justice to be administered by a long season, so long as she was suffered, and of her own charges provided men learned for the same purpose, evenly and indifferently to hear all causes, and administer right and justice to every party, which was in no small number; and yet meat and drink was denied to none of them... But specially, when they saw the death so haste upon her, and that she must needs depart from them, and that they should forego so gentle a mistress, so tender a lady; then wept they marvellously, wept her ladies and kinswomen, to whom she was full kind; wept her poor gentlewomen, whom she had loved so tenderly before; wept her chamberers,2 to whom she was full dear; wept her chaplains and priests, wept her true and faithful servants. And who would not have 1 Go-betweens. 2 Gentlemen of the Household. 1505 |