as
courteous, true, and faithful to his friend was at that time cherished.

CHAPTER XXXV

QUEEN GUENEVER'S MAY-DAY RIDE AND WHAT CAME OF IT

Thus it passed on from Candlemas until after Easter, and soon the month
of May was come, when every manly heart begins to blossom and to bring
forth fruit. For as herbs and trees flourish in May, likewise every
lusty heart springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds, for more than any
other month May giveth unto all men renewed courage, and calleth again
to their mind old gentleness and old service, and many kind deeds that
were forgotten by negligence. Therefore, as the month of May flowereth
and flourisheth in many gardens, so let every man of honour bring forth
fruit in his heart, first unto God, and next unto the joy of them to
whom he has promised his faith.

So it befell in the month of May that Queen Guenever called unto her
ten knights of the Table Round, and she bade them ride with her
a-Maying on the morrow into the woods and fields near Westminster. And
"I bid you," said she, "that ye all be well horsed, and that ye all be
clothed in green, either silk or woollen, and I shall bring with me ten
ladies, and every knight shall have a lady behind him, and every knight
shall have a squire and two yeomen."

So they made themselves ready in the freshest manner, and in the
morning rode with the Queen a-Maying in woods and meadows as it pleased
them in great joy and delight. The Queen purposed to be again with
King Arthur at the furthest by ten of the clock.

Now there was a knight called Meliagrance, who had at that time a
castle, the gift of King Arthur, within seven miles of Westminster. He
had long lain in wait to steal away the Queen, but had feared to do the
base deed when Sir Launcelot was in her company. It was her custom at
that time never to ride without a great fellowship of men of arms about
her, for the most part young men eager for honour, and called the
Queen's knights. But this knight, Sir Meliagrance, had espied the
Queen well and her purpose on this May morning, and had seen how Sir
Launcelot was not with her, and how she had for this once no men of
arms with her but the ten noble knights all arrayed in green for
Maying. Then he provided him twenty men of arms and a hundred archers,
to destroy the Queen's knights, for he thought that time was the best
season to take the Queen prisoner.

So while the Queen and all her knights were gathering her