Kabanata Kabanata 455 · How Queen Guenever rode a-Maying with certain knights of the

. How Queen Guenever rode a-Maying with certain knights of the

Round Table and clad all in green.

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 a-Maying into woods and fields beside

Westminster. And I warn you that there be none of you but that he be

well horsed, and that ye all be clothed in green, outher in silk outher

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 le Seneschal, Sir Agravaine, Sir Brandiles, Sir Sagramore le

Desirous, Sir Dodinas le Savage, Sir Ozanna le Cure Hardy, Sir Ladinas

of the Forest Savage, Sir Persant of Inde, Sir Ironside, that was

called the Knight of the Red Launds, 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 a-Maying in woods and meadows as it pleased them, in great joy

and delights; 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 hight Meliagrance, and he was son unto

King Bagdemagus, and this knight had at that time a castle of the gift

of King Arthur within seven mile of Westminster. And this knight, Sir

Meliagrance, loved passing well Queen Guenever, and so had he done long

and many years. And the book saith he had lain in await for to steal

away the queen, but evermore he forbare for because of Sir Launcelot;

for in no wise he would meddle with the queen an Sir Launcelot were in

her company, outher else an he were near-hand her. And 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 jousts, they

bare none of them no manner of knowledging 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 none year that there failed but some were dead, then

was there chosen in his stead that was dead 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 all the

remnant of them.

But this knight, Sir Meliagrance, had espied the queen well and her

purpose, and how Sir Launcelot was not with her, and how she had no men

of arms with her but the ten noble knights all arrayed in green for

Maying. Then he purveyed him a twenty men of arms and an hundred

archers for to destroy the queen and her knights, for he thought that

time was best season to take the queen.