Then Sir Launcelot raised his head and looked and he beheld that the Knights of King Arthur were coming in that direction. So he turned and mounted his horse and rode away at a hard gallop toward the castle, and he entered the castle and the gates thereof were closed behind him.
Sir Launcelot grieveth.
Then many of those knights who were dearest to Sir Launcelot came about him to give him praise for overthrowing Sir Gawaine. But Sir Launcelot would not look at them. Otherwise, he turned away his head from them and withdrew to his own inn. For wit you that Sir Launcelot loved Sir Gawaine better than any man in all of the world; yea, better than his own blood and kindred. And now he knew that he had slain that one whom he loved the best of all; wherefore he lay with his face turned to the wall and melancholy enclosed him all over, like to a cloak of black.
But meanwhile Sir Gawaine had swooned so that when those knights and gentlemen, his friends, came to him, he lay on the ground like one who was dead. Those gathered him up and laid him upon a litter, and they bore him away in that litter to his tent. There they unlaced the armor and removed it, and anon the chirurgeon came to him to search his wounds. But when the chirurgeon beheld that great wound in his neck, he wit that Sir Gawaine could not live. So the chirurgeon sent for King Arthur to come hither, and he said to the King, “This man cannot live, but must die.” King Arthur wept, and he said to the chirurgeon, “How know ye that he must die?” To which the chirurgeon replied, “Lord, when I looked in at that wound in the lower part of his neck, methought I could see his heart beating beneath it. Wherefore, I know that if the heart groweth cold through his wound, then he must die.”
Then King Arthur hid his face and for awhile he said nothing. Then he went to the bedside of Sir Gawaine, and he said to him, “Messire, how is it with you?”
Sir Gawaine advises the King.
Sir Gawaine smiled at him and said to him, “Sir, wit you that I must die of this hurt.” King Arthur said, “I trow not.” Sir Gawaine said, “In that you are mistook, for here have I my death-wound, and in a little while I must die.” King Arthur said, “Sir, keep up your heart.” To this Sir Gawaine made answer, “My heart faileth not, but my life hangeth fluttering upon my lips, and soon it must pass away from me.” And Sir Gawaine said, “Sir, wit ye of this, your own case is as bad as mine. Return you again to Britain as fast as you are able, for I trust not more than need be to Sir Mordred’s truth, albeit he is my brother. For he hath ever had a dark and gloomy spirit. And he hath ambition for the throne, and now that he hath the power behind that ambition, and now that you have lost so many good and worthy knights at this castle, he will certes seize upon your throne unless you are by to wrest it out of his hands. Wherefore I pray you to return to Britain as soon as may be.”
King Arthur said, “Sir, these are imaginings upon your part. For Sir Mordred is a Knight of the Round Table, and is bound to me in fealty. Why, therefore, think you he would be treacherous to me?”
Sir Gawaine said, “Lord, I lie now very close to the edge of death and all things appear extraordinarily clear and distinct to mine eyes. Sir Mordred hath no love for any soul save only for himself. Wherefore, I fear me he will sacrifice you to his desires, and will seize upon your throne. Lord, I shall not live until to-morrow morning, wherefore, I charge you that when I am dead, you shall bury me here in haste, and depart straightway for England, for I fear me for your kingdom in Britain.”
Sir Gawaine dieth.