e commands of love, and
whatever he does is pardonable, but he is the coward who does not dare."

(Vv. 4415-4440.) Thus Lancelot makes his lament, and his men stand
grieving by his side, keeping hold of him and guarding him. Then the
news comes that the Queen is not dead. Thereupon Lancelot at once takes
comfort, and if his grief for her death had before been intense and
deep, now his joy for her life was a hundred thousand times as great.
And when they arrived within six or seven leagues of the castle where
King Bademagu was, grateful news of Lancelot was told him, how he was
alive and was coming hale and hearty, and this news the king was glad
to hear. He did a very courteous thing in going at once to appraise the
Queen. And she replies: "Fair sire, since you say so, I believe it is
true, but I assure you that, if he were dead, I should never be happy
again. All my joy would be cut off, if a knight had been killed in my
service."

(Vv. 4441-4530.) Then the king leaves her, and the Queen yearns ardently
for the arrival of her lover and her joy. She has no desire this time
to bear him any grudge. But rumour, which never rests but runs always
unceasingly, again reaches the Queen to the effect that Lancelot would
have killed himself for her sake, if he had had the chance. She is happy
at the thought that this is true, but she would not have had it happen
so for anything, for her sorrow would have been too great. Thereupon
Lancelot arrived in haste. [422] As soon as the king sees him, he runs
to kiss and embrace him. He feels as if he ought to fly, borne along by
the buoyancy of his joy. But his satisfaction is cut short by those who
had taken and bound his guest, and the king tells them they have come
in an evil hour, for they shall all be killed and confounded. Then they
made answer that they thought he would have it so. "It is I whom you
have insulted in doing your pleasure. He has no reason to complain,"
the king replies; "you have not shamed him at all, but only me who was
protecting him. However you look at it, the shame is mine. But if you
escape me now, you will see no joke in this." When Lancelot hears his
wrath, he puts forth every effort to make peace and adjust matters; when
his efforts have met with success, the king takes him away to see the
Queen. This time the Queen did not lower her eyes to the ground, but she
went to meet him cheerfully, honouring him all she could, and making him
sit down by her side. T