188

_The Lady Elaine the Fair knoweth Sir Launcelot_ 190

_Sir Gawaine, Knight of the Fountain_ 200

_Head Piece_ 201

_Sir Ewaine poureth water on the slab_ 212

_The Damsel Elose giveth a ring to Sir Ewaine_ 222

_The Lady of the Fountain_ 236

_A Damsel bringeth aid unto Sir Ewaine_ 248

_Sir Lamorack and Sir Percival receive their Mother's Blessing_262

_Head Piece_ 263

_Sir Percival and Sir Ector look upon the Isle of Joy_ 278

_Sir Lavaine the Son of Pelles_ 292

_Merlin Prophesieth from a Cloud of Mist_ 310

_Head Piece_ 311

_Tail Piece_ 322

_Sir Bors de Ganis, the good_ 324

_The Barge of the Dead_ 334

[Illustration]

_The Story of_

Sir

LAUNCELOT

and his

_Companions_

[Illustration: Sir Mellegrans interrupts the sport of the Queen.]

[Illustration]

Prologue.

It befel upon a very joyous season in the month of May that Queen
Guinevere was of a mind to take gentle sport as folk do at that time of
the year; wherefore on a day she ordained it in a court of pleasure that
on the next morning certain knights and ladies of the court at Camelot
should ride with her a-maying into the woods and fields, there to
disport themselves amid the flowers and blossoms that grew in great
multitudes beside the river.

[Sidenote: _How the Lady Guinevere rode a-maying._]

Of this May-party it stands recorded several times in the various
histories of chivalry that the knights she chose were ten in all and
that they were all Knights of the Round Table, to wit, as followeth:
there was Sir Kay the Seneschal, and Sir Agravaine, and Sir Brandiles,
and Sir Sagramour the Desirous, and Sir Dodinas, and Sir Osanna, and Sir
Ladynas of the Forest Sauvage, and Sir Persavant of India, and Sir
Ironside and Sir Percydes, who was cousin to Sir Percival of Gales.
These were the ten (so sayeth those histories aforesaid) whom the Lady
Guinevere c