was come to Almesbury
within the nunnery, Queen Guenever died but half an hour afore. And
the ladies told Sir Launcelot that Queen Guenever told them all or
she passed, that Sir Launcelot had been priest near a twelvemonth, And
hither he cometh as fast as he may to fetch my corpse; and beside my
lord, King Arthur, he shall bury me. Wherefore the queen said in hearing
of them all: I beseech Almighty God that I may never have power to see
Sir Launcelot with my worldly eyen; and thus, said all the ladies, was
ever her prayer these two days, till she was dead. Then Sir Launcelot
saw her visage, but he wept not greatly, but sighed. And so he did all
the observance of the service himself, both the dirige, and on the
morn he sang mass. And there was ordained an horse bier; and so with an
hundred torches ever brenning about the corpse of the queen, and ever
Sir Launcelot with his eight fellows went about the horse bier, singing
and reading many an holy orison, and frankincense upon the corpse
incensed. Thus Sir Launcelot and his eight fellows went on foot from
Almesbury unto Glastonbury.

And when they were come to the chapel and the hermitage, there she had
a dirige, with great devotion. And on the morn the hermit that sometime
was Bishop of Canterbury sang the mass of Requiem with great devotion.
And Sir Launcelot was the first that offered, and then also his eight
fellows. And then she was wrapped in cered cloth of Raines, from the top
to the toe, in thirtyfold, and after she was put in a web of lead,
and then in a coffin of marble. And when she was put in the earth Sir
Launcelot swooned, and lay long still, while the hermit came and awaked
him, and said: Ye be to blame, for ye displease God with such manner
of sorrow-making. Truly, said Sir Launcelot, I trust I do not displease
God, for He knoweth mine intent. For my sorrow was not, nor is not
for any rejoicing of sin, but my sorrow may never have end. For when I
remember of her beauty, and of her noblesse, that was both with her king
and with her, so when I saw his corpse and her corpse so lie together,
truly mine heart would not serve to sustain my careful body. Also when I
remember me how by my default, mine orgule and my pride, that they were
both laid full low, that were peerless that ever was living of Christian
people, wit you well, said Sir Launcelot, this remembered, of their
kindness and mine unkindness, sank so to mine heart, that I might not
sustain myself. So