d, for an thou
slay that knight thou puttest this realm in the greatest damage that
ever was realm; for this knight is a man of more worship that thou
wotest of."

"Why, who is he?" said the knight.

"It is King Arthur."

Then would he have slain him for dread of his wrath, and heaved up his
sword, and therewith Merlin cast an enchantment to the knight, that he
fell to the earth in a great sleep. Then Merlin took up King Arthur, and
rode forth on the knight's horse.

"Alas!" said Arthur, "what hast thou done, Merlin? Hast thou slain this
good knight by thy crafts? There liveth not so worshipful a knight as he
was; I had liefer than the stint of my land a year that he were alive."

"Care ye not," said Merlin, "for he is wholer than ye; for he is but
asleep, and will awake within three hours. I told you," said Merlin,
"what a knight he was; here had ye been slain had I not been. Also there
liveth not a bigger knight than he is one, and he shall hereafter do you
right good service; and his name is Pellinore, and he shall have two
sons that shall be passing good men; save one they shall have no fellow
of prowess and of good living, and their names shall be Percivale of
Wales and Lamerake of Wales."

Right so the king and he departed and went unto an hermit that was a
good man and a great leech. So the hermit searched all his wounds and
gave him good salves; so the king was there three days, and then were
his wounds well amended that he might ride and go, and so departed.

And as they rode, Arthur said, "I have no sword."

"No force," said Merlin, "hereby is a sword that shall be yours, an I
may."

So they rode till they came to a lake, the which was a fair water and
broad, and in the midst of the lake Arthur was ware of an arm clothed in
white samite, that held a fair sword in that hand.

"Lo!" said Merlin, "yonder is that sword that I spake of."

With that they saw a damosel going upon the lake. "What damosel is
that?" said Arthur.

"That is the Lady of the Lake," said Merlin; "and within that lake is a
rock, and therein is as fair a place as any on earth, and richly beseen;
and this damosel will come to you anon, and then speak ye fair to her
that she will give you that sword."

Anon withal came the damosel unto Arthur and saluted him, and he her
again. "Damosel," said Arthur, "what sword is that, that yonder the arm
holdeth above the water? I would it were mine, for I have no sword."

"Sir Arthur, king,