lewoman of very good breeding
and address. She made Sir Launcelot right welcome and gave such cheer as
she could, setting before him a very good supper, hot and savory, and a
great beaker of humming mead wherewith to wash it down. Whilst Sir
Launcelot ate, the gentlewoman inquired of him his name and he told her it
was Sir Launcelot of the Lake. "Ha!" quoth she, "I never heard that name
before, but it is a very good name."

At this Sir Launcelot laughed: "I am glad," said he, "that my name belikes
thee. As for thy not having heard of it--well, I am a young knight as yet,
having had but three years of service. Yet I have hopes that by and by it
may be better known than it is at this present."

"Thou sayest well," quoth she, "for thou art very young yet, wherefore thou
mayst not know what thou canst do till thou hast tried." And therewith Sir
Launcelot laughed again, and said: "Yea, that is very true."

Now after Sir Launcelot had supped, his hostess showed him to the lodging
she had provided for him wherein to sleep, and the lodging was in a fair
garret over the gateway of the court. So Sir Launcelot went to his bed and,
being weary with journeying, he presently fell into a deep and gentle
sleep.

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot is aroused from sleep] Now about the middle of
the night there fell of a sudden the noise of someone beating upon the gate
and calling in a loud voice and demanding immediate admittance thereat.
This noise awoke Sir Launcelot, and he arose from his couch and went to the
window and looked out to see who it was that shouted so loudly and made
such uproar.

The moon was shining at that time, very bright and still, and by the light
thereof Sir Launcelot beheld that there was a knight in full armor seated
upon horseback without the gate, and that the knight beat upon the gate
with the pommel of his sword, and shouted that they should let him in.

But ere anyone could run to answer his call there came a great noise of
horses upon the highroad, and immediately after there appeared three
knights riding very fiercely that way, and these three knights were plainly
pursuing that one knight. For, when they perceived him, they rode very
violently to where he was, and fell upon him fiercely, all three at one
time; wherefore, though that one knight defended himself as well as he
could, yet was he in a very sorry way, and altogether likely to be
overborne. For those three surrounded him so close to the gate that h