it was had made him captive, he assumed all the
majesty of his high estate and he said: "Know ye what ye do? Wit ye that
he whom you have thus bound is a king's son and a knight of the Round
Table so that you have through me committed a very grievous offence."

Then several of those thieves were abashed at his words and at the great
nobility of his bearing, but the captain of the band who was a hardened
wretch, spake very boldly, saying: "It matters not who you are, only if
you be truly a king's son and a knight of such worship, then will your
ransom be all the greater." And he said: "First of all we will take this
rich golden bawble from about your neck, and then we will take the fair
golden ring from off your finger."

[Sidenote: _The thieves rob Sir Ewaine of the ring of forgetfulness._]

So the chief robber first took the chain from about Sir Ewaine's neck,
as he said, and then he drew the ring from his finger, and because Sir
Ewaine was bound he could in no wise prevent the robber chief from
taking those jewels from him in that way.

[Sidenote: _Sir Ewaine remembereth all._]

But lo! when the robber had plucked the ring from the finger of Sir
Ewaine, then in an instant the magic of forgetfulness departed from him,
and he remembered upon that instant all that had befallen him in the
Valley of the Fountain. And he remembered the Lady Lesolie of the
Fountain, and he remembered him of all the vows of faith he had plighted
to her. And he knew now of why Elose had come to him at the King's court
and had struck him in the face before them all; for he wist that the
damsel had come because she thought he had proved himself unfaithful and
false to her lady. So it was as though a sword of remembrance had been
struck through the heart of Sir Ewaine, wherefore he cried out in a loud
and piercing voice, "Betrayed! Betrayed! Betrayed!" saying that word
three times over. And the thieves wist not what he meant by those words,
but thought that he meant that he had been betrayed by the beldame, not
knowing that he meant that he had been betrayed by the Lady Vivien.

Then of a sudden in the fury of that remembrance of his own dishonor, it
was as though the strength of ten descended upon Sir Ewaine. Wherefore,
putting forth all his strength, he strained at his bonds so that they
cut into his flesh. And he strained even more and more violently at his
bonds until, of a sudden, they were burst and immediately he was free.

[Sidenot