Chapter 8 - Page 2

him to the castle of a lady,
sister to the lord of Shalott, by whom they were hospitably
entertained. The next day they put on their armor, which was perfectly
plain, and without any device, as was usual to youths during the first
year of knighthood, their shields being only painted red, as some
color was necessary to enable them to be recognized by their
attendants. Launcelot wore on his crest the scarf of the maid of
Shalott, and, thus equipped, proceeded to the tournament, where the
knights were divided into two companies, the one commanded by Sir
Galehaut, the other by King Arthur. Having surveyed the combat for a
short time from without the lists, and observed that Sir Galehaut's
party began to give way, they joined the press and attacked the
royal knights, the young man choosing such adversaries as were
suited to his strength, while his companion selected the principal
champions of the Round Table, and successively overthrew Gawain,
Bohort, and Lionel. The astonishment of the spectators was extreme,
for it was thought that no one but Launcelot could possess such
invincible force; yet the favor on his crest seemed to preclude the
possibility of his being thus disguised, for Launcelot had never
been known to wear the badge of any but his sovereign lady. At
length Sir Hector, Launcelot's brother, engaged him, and, after a
dreadful combat, wounded him dangerously in the head, but was
himself completely stunned by a blow on the helmet, and felled to
the ground; after which the conqueror rode off at full speed, attended
by his companion.
They returned to the castle of Shalott, where Launcelot was attended
with the greatest care by the good earl, by his two sons, and, above
all, by his fair daughter, whose medical skill probably much
hastened the period of his recovery. His health was almost
completely restored, when Sir Hector, Sir Bohort, and Sir Lionel, who,
after the return of the court to Camelot, had undertaken the quest
of their relation, discovered him walking on the walls of the
castle. Their meeting was very joyful; they passed three days in the
castle amidst constant festivities, and bantered each other on the
events of the tournament. Launcelot, though he began by vowing
vengeance against the author of his wound, yet ended by declaring that
he felt rewarded for the pain by the pride he took in witnessing his
brother's extraordinary prowess. He then dismissed them with a message
to the queen, promising to follow immediately, it being necessary that
he should first take a formal leave of his kind hosts, as well as of
the fair maid of Shalott.
The young lady, after vainly attempting to detain him by her tears
and solicitations, saw him depart without leaving her any ground for
hope.