how sir agravaine disclosed their love to king arthur, and how king arthur gave them licence to take him.

and then sir arthur asked them what noise they made. my lord, said agravaine, i shall tell you that i may keep no longer. here is i, and my brother sir mordred, brake unto my brothers sir gawaine, sir gaheris, and to sir gareth, how this we know all, that sir launcelot holdeth your queen, and hath done long; and we be your sister’s sons, and we may suffer it no longer, and all we wot that ye should be above sir launcelot; and ye are the king that made him knight, and therefore we will prove it, that he is a traitor to your person.

if it be so, said sir arthur, wit you well he is none other, but i would be loath to begin such a thing but i might have proofs upon it; for sir launcelot is an hardy knight, and all ye know he is the best knight among us all; and but if he be taken with the deed, he will fight with him that bringeth up the noise, and i know no knight that is able to match him. therefore an it be sooth as ye say, i would he were taken with the deed. for as the french book saith, the king was full loath thereto, that any noise should be upon sir launcelot and his queen; for the king had a deeming, but he would not hear of it, for sir launcelot had done so much for him and the queen so many times, that wit ye well the king loved him passingly well. my lord, said sir agravaine, ye shall ride to-morn a-hunting, and doubt ye not sir launcelot will not go with you. then when it draweth toward night, ye may send the queen word that ye will lie out all that night, and so may ye send for your cooks, and then upon pain of death we shall take him that night with the queen, and outher we shall bring him to you dead or quick. i will well, said the king; then i counsel you, said the king, take with you sure fellowship. sir, said agravaine, my brother, sir mordred, and i, will take with us twelve knights of the round table. beware, said king arthur, for i warn you ye shall find him wight. let us deal, said sir agravaine and sir mordred.

so on the morn king arthur rode a-hunting, and sent word to the queen that he would be out all that night. then sir agravaine and sir mordred gat to them twelve knights, and hid themself in a chamber in the castle of carlisle, and these were their names: sir colgrevance, sir mador de la porte, sir gingaline, sir meliot de logris, sir petipase of winchelsea, sir galleron of galway, sir melion of the mountain, sir astamore, sir gromore somir joure, sir curselaine, sir florence, sir lovel. so these twelve knights were with sir mordred and sir agravaine, and all they were of scotland, outher of sir gawaine’s kin, either well-willers to his brethren.

so when the night came, sir launcelot told sir bors how he would go that night and speak with the queen. sir, said sir bors, ye shall not go this night by my counsel. why? said sir launcelot. sir, said sir bors, i dread me ever of sir agravaine, that waiteth you daily to do you shame and us all; and never gave my heart against no going, that ever ye went to the queen, so much as now; for i mistrust that the king is out this night from the queen because peradventure he hath lain some watch for you and the queen, and therefore i dread me sore of treason. have ye no dread, said sir launcelot, for i shall go and come again, and make no tarrying. sir, said sir bors, that me repenteth, for i dread me sore that your going out this night shall wrath us all. fair nephew, said sir launcelot, i marvel much why ye say thus, sithen the queen hath sent for me; and wit ye well i will not be so much a coward, but she shall understand i will see her good grace. god speed you well, said sir bors, and send you sound and safe again.