ents, of which every blow and every
fall are chronicled. He becomes familiar with the respective merits and
prowess of a hundred different champions. He learns the laws of
judicial combat, and the intricate rules of the chivalric code. With
imagination aroused and sympathies excited he enters a life of
alternate combat and love, almost real in the consistency of its
improbability. Three gallant knights, Sir Gawaine, Sir Marhaus, and Sir
Uwaine set out together in search of adventures.

At the last they cam in to a grete forest that was named the
countreye and foreste of Arroy and the countrey of straunge
auentures. In this countrey, said syr Marhaus cam neuer knyghte syn
it was crystened, but he fonde straunge auentures, and soo they
rode, and cam in to a depe valey ful of stones, and ther by they
sawe a fayr streme of water, aboue ther by was the hede of the
streme, a fayr fontayne, & thre damoysels syttynge therby. And
thenne they rode to them, and eyther salewed other, and the eldest
had a garland of gold aboute her hede, and she was thre score
wynter of age, or more, and her here[13] was whyte under the
garland. The second damoysel was of thirty wynter of age, with a
serkelet of gold aboute her hede. The thyrd damoysel was but xv
year of age, and a garland of floures aboute her hede. When these
knyghtes had soo beholde them, they asked hem the cause why they
sat at that fontayne; we be here, sayd the damoysels for thys
cause, yf we may see ony erraunt knyghtes to teche hem unto
straunge auentures, and ye be thre knyghtes that seken auentures,
and we be thre damoysels, and therfore eche one of yow must chose
one of us. And whan ye haue done soo, we wylle lede yow vnto thre
hyhe wayes, and there eche of yow shall chese a wey and his
damoysel wyth hym. And this day twelue monethe ye must mete here
ageyn and god sende yow your lyues, and ther to ye must plyzte your
trouthe. This is wel said, sayd Syr Marhaus. * * * Thenne euery
damoysel took her knyght by the raynes of his brydel, and broughte
him to the thre wayes, and there was their othe made to mete at the
fontayne that day twelue moneth and they were lyvynge, and soo they
kyst and departed, and eueryche knyghte sette his lady behynde
him.[14]

Sir Alysandre le Orphelin holds a piece of ground against all comers. A
damsel called La Belle Alice proclaims