t this lady's life. Madam, said Pellinore, ye were greatly
to blame an ye would not save your own life an ye might, but, save your
pleasure, I was so furious in my quest that I would not abide, and that
repenteth me, and shall the days of my life. Truly, said Merlin, ye
ought sore to repent it, for that lady was your own daughter begotten
on the lady of the Rule, and that knight that was dead was her love, and
should have wedded her, and he was a right good knight of a young man,
and would have proved a good man, and to this court was he coming, and
his name was Sir Miles of the Launds, and a knight came behind him and
slew him with a spear, and his name is Loraine le Savage, a false knight
and a coward; and she for great sorrow and dole slew herself with his
sword, and her name was Eleine. And because ye would not abide and help
her, ye shall see your best friend fail you when ye be in the greatest
distress that ever ye were or shall be. And that penance God hath
ordained you for that deed, that he that ye shall most trust to of any
man alive, he shall leave you there ye shall be slain. Me forthinketh,
said King Pellinore, that this shall me betide, but God may fordo well
destiny.

Thus, when the quest was done of the white hart, the which followed Sir
Gawaine; and the quest of the brachet, followed of Sir Tor, Pellinore's
son; and the quest of the lady that the knight took away, the which
King Pellinore at that time followed; then the king stablished all his
knights, and them that were of lands not rich he gave them lands, and
charged them never to do outrageousity nor murder, and always to flee
treason; also, by no means to be cruel, but to give mercy unto him that
asketh mercy, upon pain of forfeiture of their worship and lordship
of King Arthur for evermore; and always to do ladies, damosels, and
gentlewomen succour, upon pain of death. Also, that no man take no
battles in a wrongful quarrel for no law, nor for no world's goods. Unto
this were all the knights sworn of the Table Round, both old and young.
And every year were they sworn at the high feast of Pentecost.

Explicit the Wedding of King Arthur. Sequitur quartus liber.

BOOK IV.

CHAPTER I. How Merlin was assotted and doted on one of the ladies of the
lake, and how he was shut in a rock under a stone and there died.

SO after these quests of Sir Gawaine, Sir Tor, and King Pellinore, it
fell so that Merlin fell in a dotage on the damosel that K