t, I perceive that he is every
whit as great a traitor and a coward as was his brother Sir Peris of the
Sauvage Forest. So I will spare him, but I will not trust him, lest he turn
against me ere I arm myself again. Wherefore give me hither the halter rein
of your mule." So the lady gave Sir Launcelot the halter rein, weeping
amain as she did so. And Sir Launcelot took the halter rein and he tied the
arms of Sir Phelot behind him. Then he bade the lady of Sir Phelot to help
him arm himself from head to foot, and she did so, trembling a very great
deal. Then, when she had done so, quoth Sir Launcelot: "Now I fear the
treachery of no man." Therewith he mounted his horse and rode away from
that place And he looked not behind him at all, but rode away as though he
held too much scorn of that knight and of that lady to give any more
thought to them.

So after that Sir Launcelot travelled for a while through the green fields
of that valley, till by and by he passed out of that valley, and came into
a forest through which he travelled for a very long time.

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot cometh to a marish country] For it was about the
slanting of the afternoon ere he came forth out of that forest and under
the open sky again. And when he came out of the forest he beheld before him
a country of perfectly level marish, very lush and green, with many ponds
of water and sluggish streams bordered by rushes and sedge, and with
pollard willows standing in rows beside the waters. In the midst of this
level plain of green (which was like to the surface of a table for
flatness) there stood a noble castle, part built of brick and part of
stone, and a town of no great size and a wall about the town. And this
castle and town stood upon an island surrounded by a lake of water, and a
long bridge, built upon stone buttresses, reached from the mainland to the
island. And this castle and town were a very long distance away, though
they appeared very clear and distinct to the sight across the level marish,
like, as it were, to a fine bit of very small and cunning carving.

Now the way that Sir Launcelot travelled, led somewhat toward that town,
wherefore he went along that way with intent to view the place more near
by. So he conveyed by that road for some time without meeting any soul upon
the way. But at last he came of a sudden upon an archer hiding behind an
osier tree with intent to shoot the water-fowl that came to a pond that was
there--for he