Chapter Launcelot to Lay of the Last Minstrel of L by Brewer's Readers Handbook

she called her brother, sir Tirre (not sir Lavaine, as Tennyson says, because sir Lavaine went with sir Launcelot as his ’squire), and dictated the letter her brother was to write, and spake thus—

“While my body is whole, let this letter be put into my right hand, and my hand bound fast with the letter until that I be cold, and let me be put in a fair bed, with all my richest clothes…and be laid in a chariot to the next place, whereas the Thames is, and there let me be put in a barge, and but one man with me…to steer me thither, and that my barge be covered with black samite.’ …So her father granted…that all this should be done,…and she died. And so, when she was dead, the corpse and the bed…were put in a barge,…and the man steered the barge to Westminster.—Pt. iii. 123.

The narrative then goes on to say that king Arthur had the letter read, and commanded the corpse to be buried right royally, and all the knights then present made offerings over her grave. Not only the tale, but much of the verbiage, has been appropriated by Tennyson.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur (1470).

Launcelot and Guenever. Sir Launcelot was chosen by king Arthur to conduct Guenever (his bride) to court; and then began that disloyalty between them which lasted to the end.

Gottfried, the German minnesinger (twelfth century) who wrote the tale of sir Tristan [our Tristram], makes king Mark send Tristan to Ireland, to conduct Yseult to Cornwall, and then commenced that disloyalty between sir Tristram and his uncle’s wife, which also lasted to the end, and was the death of both.

Launcelot Mad. Sir Launcelot, having offended the queen, was so vexed, that he went mad for two years, half raving and half melancholy. Being partly cured by a vision of the holy graal, he settled for a time in Joyous Isle, under the assumed name of Le Chevalier Mal-Fet. His deeds of prowess soon got blazed abroad, and brought about him certain knights of the Round Table, who prevailed on him to return to court. Then followed the famous quest of the holy graal. The quest of the graal is the subject of a minnesong by Wolfram (thirteenth century), entitled Parzival. (In the History of Prince Arthur, compiled by sir T. Malory, it is Galahad son of sir Launcelot, not Percival, who accomplished the quest.)

The madness of Orlando, by Ariosto, resembles that of sir Launcelot.

Launcelot a Monk. When sir Launcelot discovered that Guenever was resolved to remain a nun, he himself retired to a monastery, and was consecrated a hermit by the bishop of Canterbury. After twelve months, he was miraculously summoned to Almesbury, to remove to Glastonbury the queen, who was at the point of death. Guenever died half an hour before sir Launcelot arrived, and he himself died soon afterwards (pt. iii. 174). The bishop in attendance on the dying knight affirmed that “he saw angels heave sir Launcelot up to heaven, and the gates of paradise open to receive him” (pt. iii. 175). Sir Bors, his nephew, discovered the dead body in the cell, and had it buried with all honours at Joyous Guard (pt. iii. 175).—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur (1470); and also Walter Mapes.

When sir Bors and his fellows came to his (sir Launcelot’s) bed, they found him stark dead, and he lay as he had smiled, and the sweetest savour about him that ever they smelled.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, iii. 175 (1470).

N.B.—When sir Launcelot quitted the court of Arthur and retired to Benwick, he intended to found religious houses every ten miles between Sandwich and Carlisle, and to visit every one of them barefoot; but king Arthur made war upon him, and put an end to this intention.

Other particulars of sir Launcelot.

The tale of sir Launcelot was first composed in monkish Latin, and was translated by Walter Mapes (about 1180). Robert de Borron wrote a French version, and sir T. Malory took his History of Prince Arthur from the French, the third part being chiefly confined to the adventures and death of this favourite