, and so knew the knights who were there. To
wit: that they were Sir Gunther, Sir Gylmere, and Sir Raynold, who were
three brothers of the Court of King Arthur. As Sir Launcelot passed their
pavilions, he saw that the three knights sat at feast in the midmost
pavilion of the three, and that a number of esquires and pages waited upon
them and served them, for those knights were of very high estate, and so
they were established as high lords should be.

[Sidenote: The three knights bid Sir Launcelot come to feast with them]
[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot overthrows Sir Gunther] Now when those knights
perceived Sir Launcelot they thought it was Sir Kay because of the armor he
wore, and Sir Gunther, who was the eldest of the three brothers, cried out:
"Come hither, Sir Kay, and eat with us!" But to this Sir Launcelot made no
reply, but rode on his way. Then said Sir Gunther: "Meseems Sir Kay hath
grown very proud this morning. Now I will go and bring him back with me, or
else I will bring down his pride to earth." So he made haste and donned his
helmet and ran and took his shield and his spear, and mounted his horse and
rode after Sir Launcelot at a hard gallop. As he drew nigh to Sir Launcelot
he cried out: "Stay, Sir Knight! Turn again, and go with me!" "Why should I
go with you?" said Sir Launcelot. Quoth Sir Gunther: "Because you must
either return with me or do battle with me." "Well," said Sir Launcelot, "I
would rather do battle than return against my will." And at that Sir
Gunther was astonished, for Sir Kay was not wont to be so ready for a
battle. So Sir Launcelot set his shield and spear and took his stand, and
Sir Gunther took his stand. Then, when they were in all ways prepared, each
set spur to his horse and rushed together with terrible speed. So each
knight struck the other in the midst of his shield, but the onset of Sir
Launcelot was so terrible that it was not to be withstood, wherefore both
Sir Gunther and his horse were overthrown in such a cloud of dust that
nothing at all was to be seen of them until that cloud lifted.

At this both Sir Raynold and Sir Gylmere were astonished beyond measure,
for Sir Gunther was reckoned to be a much better knight than Sir Kay,
wherefore they wist not how it was that Sir Kay should have overthrown him
in that fashion.

So straightway Sir Gylmere, who was the second of those brothers, called
out to Sir Launcelot to tarry and do battle. "Very well," said Sir
Launcelot, "if I