ye shall understand, such livelihood and lands as
I am born unto I shall freely share among you, and I myself will have
as little as any of you, for if I have sufficient for my personal
needs, I will ask none other rich array; and I trust to God to maintain
you on my lands as well as ever were maintained any knights."

Then spake all the knights at once: "He have shame that will leave you.
We all understand in this realm will be now no quiet, but ever strife
and debate, now the fellowship of the Round Table is broken; for by the
noble fellowship of the Round Table was King Arthur upborne, and by
their nobleness the King and all his realm was in quiet and in rest.
And a great part," they said all, "was because of your nobleness."

So, to make short tale, they packed up, and paid all that would ask
them, and wholly an hundred knights departed with Sir Launcelot at
once, and made avows they would never leave him for weal nor for woe.
They shipped at Cardiff, and sailed unto Benwick. But to say the
sooth, Sir Launcelot and his nephews were lords of all France, and of
all the lands that belong unto France through Sir Launcelot's noble
prowess. When he had established all these countries, he shortly
called a parliament, and appointed officers for his realm. Thus Sir
Launcelot rewarded his noble knights and many more, that me seemeth it
were too long to rehearse.

Now leave we Sir Launcelot in his lands, and his noble knights with
him, and return we again unto King Arthur and to Sir Gawaine, that made
a great host ready, to the number of three-score thousand. All things
were made ready for their shipping to pass over the sea, and so they
shipped at Cardiff. And there King Arthur made Sir Mordred chief ruler
of all England, and also he put Queen Guenever under his governance.

So King Arthur passed over the sea, and landed upon Sir Launcelot's
lands, and there burned and wasted, through the vengeance of Sir
Gawaine, all that they might overrun.

When this word came to Sir Launcelot, that King Arthur and Sir Gawaine
were landed upon his lands, and made a full destruction and waste, then
said Sir Lionel, that was ware and wise: "My Lord, Sir Launcelot, I
will give you this counsel: Let us keep our strong walled towns until
they have hunger and cold, and blow upon their nails, and then let us
freshly set upon them, and shred them down as sheep in a field, that
aliens may take ensample for ever how they set foot upon our