Chapter 7

CHAPTER VII.
THE STORY OF LAUNCELOT.- THE ADVENTURE OF THE CART. SO it befell in the month of May, Queen Guenever called unto her
knights of the Table Round, and she gave them warning that early
upon the morrow she would ride on maying into the woods and fields
beside Westminster. "And I warn you that there be none of you but that
he be well horsed, and that ye be all clothed in green, either in
silk, either in cloth, and I shall bring with me ten ladies, and every
knight shall have a lady behind him, and every knight shall have a
squire and two yeomen, and I will that ye all be well horsed." So they
made them ready in the freshest manner, and these were the names of
the knights: Sir Kay the seneschal, Sir Agravaine, Sir Brandeles,
Sir Sagramour le Desirus, Sir Dodynas le Sauvage, Sir Ozanna le Cure
Hardy, Sir Ladynas of the Forest Savage, Sir Perseant of Inde, Sir
Ironside that was called the knight of the red lawns, and Sir
Pelleas the lover; and these ten knights made them ready in the
freshest manner to ride with the queen. And so upon the morn they took
their horses, with the queen, and rode on maying in woods and meadows,
as it pleased them, in great joy and delight; for the queen had cast
to have been again with King Arthur at the furthest by ten of the
clock, and so was that time her purpose. Then there was a knight, that
knight Meleagans, and he was son unto King Bagdemagus, and this knight
had at that time a castle, of the gift of King Arthur, within seven
miles of Westminster; and this knight Sir Meleagans loved passing well
Queen Guenever, and so had he done long and many years. And he had
lain in a wait for to steal away the queen, but evermore he forbore,
because of Sir Launcelot, for in no wise would he meddle with the
queen if Sir Launcelot were in her company, or else if he were near at
hand to her. And at that time was such a custom the queen rode never
without a great fellowship of men of arms about her; and they were
many good knights, and the most part were young men that would have
worship, and they were called the queen's knights, and never in no
battle, tournament, nor joust, they bare none of them no manner of
acknowledging of their own arms, but plain white shields, and
thereby they were called the queen's knights. And then when it
happed any of them to be of great worship by his noble deeds, then
at the next feast of Pentecost, if there were any slain or dead, as
there was no year that these failed, but some were dead, then was
there chosen in his stead the most men of worship that were called the
queen's knights. And thus they came up all first, or they were
renowned men of worship, both Sir Launcelot and the remnant of them.
But this knight, Sir Meleagans, had espied the queen