Chapter Chapter 450 · Of great jousts done all a Christmas, and of a great

. Of great jousts done all a Christmas, and of a great

jousts and tourney ordained by King Arthur, and of Sir Launcelot.

Thus it passed on till Christmas, and then every day there was jousts

made for a diamond, who that jousted best should have a diamond. But

Sir Launcelot would not joust but if it were at a great jousts cried.

But Sir Lavaine jousted there all that Christmas passingly well, and

best was praised, for there were but few that did so well. Wherefore

all manner of knights deemed that Sir Lavaine should be made knight of

the Table Round at the next feast of Pentecost. So at-after Christmas

King Arthur let call unto him many knights, and there they advised

together to make a party and a great tournament and jousts. And the

King of Northgalis said to Arthur, he would have on his party King

Anguish of Ireland, and the King with the Hundred Knights, and the King

of Northumberland, and Sir Galahad, the haut prince. And so these four

kings and this mighty duke took part against King Arthur and the

knights of the Table Round. And the cry was made that the day of the

jousts should be beside Westminster upon Candlemas Day, whereof many

knights were glad, and made them ready to be at that jousts in the

freshest manner.

Then Queen Guenever sent for Sir Launcelot, and said thus: I warn you

that ye ride no more in no jousts nor tournaments but that your kinsmen

may know you. And at these jousts that shall be ye shall have of me a

sleeve of gold; and I pray you for my sake enforce yourself there, that

men may speak of you worship; but I charge you as ye will have my love,

that ye warn your kinsmen that ye will bear that day the sleeve of gold

upon your helmet. Madam, said Sir Launcelot, it shall be done. And so

either made great joy of other. And when Sir Launcelot saw his time he

told Sir Bors that he would depart, and have no more with him but Sir

Lavaine, unto the good hermit that dwelt in that forest of Windsor; his

name was Sir Brasias; and there he thought to repose him, and take all

the rest that he might, because he would be fresh at that day of

jousts.

So Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine departed, that no creature wist where

he was become, but the noble men of his blood. And when he was come to

the hermitage, wit ye well he had good cheer. And so daily Sir

Launcelot would go to a well fast by the hermitage, and there he would

lie down, and see the well spring and burble, and sometime he slept

there. So at that time there was a lady dwelt in that forest, and she

was a great huntress, and daily she used to hunt, and ever she bare her

bow with her; and no men went never with her, but always women, and

they were shooters, and could well kill a deer, both at the stalk and

at the trest; and they daily bare bows and arrows, horns and

wood-knives, and many good dogs they had, both for the string and for a

bait. So it happed this lady the huntress had abated her dog for the

bow at a barren hind, and so this barren hind took the flight over

hedges and woods. And ever this lady and part of her women costed the

hind, and checked it by the noise of the hounds, to have met with the

hind at some water; and so it happed, the hind came to the well whereas

Sir Launcelot was sleeping and slumbering. And so when the hind came to

the well, for heat she went to soil, and there she lay a great while;

and the dog came after, and umbecast about, for she had lost the very

perfect feute of the hind. Right so came that lady the huntress, that

knew by the dog that she had, that the hind was at the soil in that

well; and there she came stiffly and found the hind, and she put a

broad arrow in her bow, and shot at the hind, and over-shot the hind;

and so by misfortune the arrow smote Sir Launcelot in the thick of the

buttock, over the barbs. When Sir Launcelot felt himself so hurt, he

hurled up woodly, and saw the lady that had smitten him. And when he

saw she was a woman, he said thus: Lady or damosel, what that thou be,

in an evil time bear ye a bow; the devil made you a shooter.