and left Sir Kay
still sleeping. And he took Sir Kay's horse and mounted upon it and rode
away; and all that while Sir Kay knew not what had befallen, but slept very
deeply.

Now after a while Sir Kay awoke, and he found that Sir Launcelot was gone,
and when he looked he found that his own armor was gone and that Sir
Launcelot's armor was left. Then he wist what Sir Launcelot had done, and
he said: "Ha! what a noble, courteous knight is the gentleman. For he hath
left me his armor for my protection, and whilst I wear it and carry his
shield and ride his horse, it is not likely that anyone will assail me upon
my way. As for those who assail him, I do not believe that they will be
likely to find great pleasure in their battle."

Therewith he arose and clad himself in Sir Launcelot's armor, and after he
had broken his fast he thanked his hostess for what she had given him, and
rode upon his way with great content of spirit.

(And it was as Sir Kay had said, for when he met other knights upon the
road, and when they beheld the figure upon his shield, they all said: "It
is not well to meddle with that knight, for that is Sir Launcelot." And so
he came to Camelot without having to do battle with any man.)

[Sidenote: How Sir Launcelot travels toward Camelot] As for Sir Launcelot,
he rode upon his way with great cheerfulness of spirit, taking no heed at
all of any trouble in the world, but chanting to himself as he rode in the
pleasant weather. But ever he made his way toward Camelot, for he said: "I
will return to Camelot for a little, and see how it fares with my friends
at the court of the King."

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot perceives three knights at feast] So by and by he
entered into the country around about Camelot, which is a very smooth and
fertile country, full of fair rivers and meadows with many cots and
hamlets, and with fair hedge-bordered highways, wonderfully pleasant to
journey in. So travelling he came to a very large meadow where were several
groves of trees standing here and there along by a river. And as he went
through this meadow he saw before him a long bridge, and at the farther
side of the bridge were three pavilions of silk of divers colors, which
pavilions had been cast in the shade of a grove of beech-trees. In front of
each pavilion stood a great spear thrust in the earth, and from the spear
hung the shield of the knight to whom the pavilion belonged. These shields
Sir Launcelot read very easily