FWIW, I hated Lancelot's insouciance in LoS long before this thread cropped up. Anyway, what he says doesn't sound that heartfelt to me: translated, all he says is "She's pretty, hope she goes to heaven."
Fiona
Okay, that's also a valid interpretation. Mine was based on the knowlege, as a poet, that it can be very difficult to convey everything intended with the brevity required in the form. In this case "God in his mercy lend her grace" is indeed a hope she goes to heaven-- and given that Lancelot is usually considered quite devout, is meaningful. He would not take the name of God in vain, therefore it is a form of prayer. As for being a Lancelot apologist-- in everything but this poem, I detest the character. He's full of himself and ruined several women's lives, not just Gweneviere's, because he had a marriage that he abandoned when the amnesia that made him forget Gwenwviere wore off. I believe he ran off from an engagement as well. However, in this context he was no more responisble for the Ladu of Shallott's death than I would be responsible for a man spotting me from across a street, who wanted to come over and hit on me and stepped out in front of a truck while my back was turned. I'd never seen the man before in my life, I didn't know he was going toward me and I didn't know he was in danger. I *do* have the responsibility of calling 911 and administering first aid, as I would for anyone nearby who was hurt. But I am not to blame for his death and if he dies before I can help him, I will never know there was a connection between my being where I was and him getting killed. Even if he were to live long enough to say he wanted to meet me, I should hope you wouldn't want me to feel guilty for unknowingly inspiring him to do something foolish. So what do you want Lancelot to do? Haul her ashore and give her a proper funeral? I assumed the boat indicated she was deliberately sending her body out to sea, after the fashion of ancient kings set down the river on boat aflame. Therefore, if you pulled the boat ashore, you'd be violating her own choice of death ceremony.