led her father, Sir Bernard, and her brother, Sir Tirre,
and heartily she prayed her father that her brother might write a letter
like as she did indite it: and so her father granted her. And when the
letter was written word by word like as she devised, then she prayed her
father that she might be watched until she were dead. And while my body
is hot let this letter be put in 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 the richest clothes that I have about me, and so let my bed and
all my richest clothes be laid with me in a chariot unto the next place
where Thames is; and there let me be put within a barget, and but one
man with me, such as ye trust to steer me thither, and that my barget be
covered with black samite over and over: thus father I beseech you let
it be done. So her father granted it her faithfully, all things should
be done like as she had devised. Then her father and her brother made
great dole, for when this was done anon she died. And so when she was
dead the corpse and the bed all was led the next way unto Thames, and
there a man, and the corpse, and all, were put into Thames; and so the
man steered the barget unto Westminster, and there he rowed a great
while to and fro or any espied it.

CHAPTER XX. How the corpse of the Maid of Astolat arrived to-fore
King Arthur, and of the burying, and how Sir Launcelot offered the
mass-penny.

SO by fortune King Arthur and the Queen Guenever were speaking together
at a window, and so as they looked into Thames they espied this black
barget, and had marvel what it meant. Then the king called Sir Kay,
and showed it him. Sir, said Sir Kay, wit you well there is some new
tidings. Go thither, said the king to Sir Kay, and take with you Sir
Brandiles and Agravaine, and bring me ready word what is there. Then
these four knights departed and came to the barget and went in; and
there they found the fairest corpse lying in a rich bed, and a poor man
sitting in the barget's end, and no word would he speak. So these four
knights returned unto the king again, and told him what they found. That
fair corpse will I see, said the king. And so then the king took the
queen by the hand, and went thither.

Then the king made the barget to be holden fast, and then the king and
the queen entered with certain knights with them; and there he saw the
fairest woman lie in a rich bed, covered unto her middle