The Story of the Champions of the Round Table | Page 8

of the
Round Table of Arthur-Pendragon.
[Illustration: Sir Launcelot greets Queen Guinevere]
Chapter First
How Sir Launcelot Came Forth From the Enchanted Castle of the Lake
and Entered Into the World Again, and How King Arthur Made Him

Knight.
[Sidenote: Of the springtime of long ago] I know not any time of the
year that is more full of joyfulness than the early summer season; for
that time the sun is wonderfully lusty and strong, yet not so very hot;
that time the trees and shrubs are very full of life and very abundant of
shade and yet have not grown dry with the heats and droughts of later
days; that time the grass is young and lush and green, so that when you
walk athwart the meadow-lands it is as though you walked through a
fair billowy lake of magical verdure, sprinkled over with a great
multitude of little flowers; that time the roses are everywhere a-bloom,
both the white rose and the red, and the eglantine is abundant; that time
the nests are brimful of well-fledged nestlings, and the little hearts of
the small parent fowls are so exalted with gladness that they sing with
all their mights and mains, so that the early daytime is filled full of the
sweet jargon and the jubilant medley of their voices. Yea; that is a
goodly season of the year, for though, haply, the spirit may not be so
hilarious as in the young and golden springtime, yet doth the soul take
to itself so great a content in the fulness of the beauty of the world, that
the heart is elated with a great and abundant joy that it is not apt to feel
at another season.
[Sidenote: King Arthur and two knights ride a-hunting] Now it chanced
upon the day before Saint John's day in the fulness of a summer-time
such as this, that King Arthur looked forth from his chamber very early
in the morning and beheld how exceedingly fair and very lusty was the
world out-of-doors--all in the freshness of the young daylight. For the
sun had not yet risen, though he was about to rise, and the sky was like
to pure gold for brightness; all the grass and leaves and flowers were
drenched with sweet and fragrant dew, and the birds were singing so
vehemently that the heart of any man could not but rejoice in the
fulness of life that lay all around about him.
There were two knights with King Arthur at that time, one was Sir
Ewain, the son of Morgana le Fay (and he was King Arthur's nephew),
and the other was Sir Ector de Maris, the son of King Ban of Benwick
and of Queen Helen--this latter a very noble, youthful knight, and the

youngest of all the Knights of the Round Table who were at that time
elected. These stood by King Arthur and looked forth out of the
window with him and they also took joy with him in the sweetness of
the summer season. Unto them, after a while, King Arthur spake,
saying: "Messires, meseems this is too fair a day to stay within doors.
For, certes, it is a shame that I who am a king should be prisoner within
mine own castle, whilst any ploughman may be free of the wold and
the green woods and the bright sun and the blue sky and the wind that
blows over hill and dale. Now, I too would fain go forth out of doors
and enjoy these things; wherefore I ordain that we shall go a-hunting
this day and that ye and I shall start before any others of the lords and
the ladies that dwell herein are awake. So let us take our horses and our
hounds and let us take certain foresters and huntsmen, and let us go
forth a-hunting into the green forest; for this day shall be holiday for
me and for you and we shall leave care behind us, and for a while we
shall disport ourselves in pleasant places."
So they all did as King Arthur bade; they made them each man ready
with his own hands, and they bade the huntsmen and the foresters to
attend thereupon as the King had ordained. Then they rode forth from
the castle and out into the wide world that lay beyond, and it was yet so
early in the morning that none of the castle folk were astir to know of
their departure.
All that day they hunted in the forest with much joy and with great
sport, nor did they turn their faces toward home again until the day was
so far spent that the sun had sunk behind the tops of the tall leafy trees.
Then, at that time, King Arthur gave