Foreword

WITH this begins the third of those books which I have set myself to write concerning the history of King Arthur of Britain and of those puissant knights who were of his Court and of his Round Table.

In the Book which was written before this book you may there read the Story of that very noble and worthy knight, Sir Launcelot of the Lake; of how he dwelt within a magic lake which was the enchanted habitation of the Lady Nymue of the Lake; of how he was there trained in all the most excellent arts of chivalry by Sir Pellias, the Gentle Knight—whilom a companion of the Round Table, but afterward the Lord of the Lake; of how he came forth out of the Lake and became after that the chiefest knight of the Round Table of King Arthur. All of this was told in that book and many other things concerning Sir Launcelot and several other worthies who were Companions of the Round Table and who were very noble and excellent knights both in battle and in court.

So here followeth a further history of Sir Launcelot of the Lake and the narrative of several of the notable adventures that he performed at this time of his life.

Wherefore if it will please you to read that which is hereinafter set forth, you will be told of how Sir Launcelot slew the great Worm of Corbin; of the madness that afterward fell upon him, and of how a most noble, gentle, and beautiful lady, hight the Lady Elaine the Fair, lent him aid and succor at a time of utmost affliction to him, and so brought him back to health again. And you may herein further find it told how Sir Launcelot was afterward wedded to that fair and gentle dame, and of how was born of that couple a child of whom it was prophesied by Merlin (in a certain miraculous manner fully set forth in this book) that he should become the most perfect knight that ever lived and he who should bring back the Holy Grail to the Earth.

For that child was Galahad whom the world knoweth to be the flower of all chivalry; a knight altogether without fear or reproach of any kind, yet, withal, the most glorious and puissant knight-champion who ever lived.

So if the perusal of these things may give you pleasure, I pray you to read that which followeth, for in this book all these and several other histories are set forth in full.

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Part I. The Chevalier of the Cart.

• Prologue.
• Chapter First
  How Denneys Found Sir Launcelot, and How Sir Launcelot Rode Forth for to Rescue Queen Guinevere From the Castle of Sir Mellegrans, and of What Befell Him Upon the Assaying of that Adventure.
• Chapter Second
  How Sir Launcelot Rode in a Cart to Rescue Queen Guinevere and How He Came in that Way to the Castle of Sir Mellegrans.
• Chapter Third
  How Sir Launcelot was Rescued From the Pit and How He Overcame Sir Mellegrans and Set Free the Queen and Her Court From the Duress They Were in.

Part II. The Story of Sir Gareth of Orkney.

• Chapter First
  How Gareth of Orkney Came to the Castle of Kynkennedon Where King Arthur was Holding Court, and How it Fared With Him at that Place.
• Chapter Second
  How Gareth set Forth Upon an Adventure with a Young Damsel Hight Lynette; how he Fought with Sir Kay, and How Sir Launcelot Made him a Knight. Also in this it is Told of Several Other Happenings that Befell Gareth, Called Beaumains, at this Time.
• Chapter Third
  How Sir Gareth and Lynette Travelled Farther Upon Their way; how Sir Gareth Won the Pass of the River against Two Strong Knights, and How he Overcame the Black Knight of the Black Lands. Also How He Saved a Good Worthy Knight From Six Thieves who Held Him in Duress.
• Chapter Fourth
  How Sir Gareth Met Sir Percevant of Hind, and How He Came to Castle Dangerous and Had Speech with the Lady Layonnesse. Also How the Lady Layonnesse Accepted Him for Her Champion.
• Chapter Fifth
  How Sir Gareth Fought with the Red Knight of the Red Lands and How it Fared with Him in that Battle. Also How His Dwarf was Stolen, and How His Name and Estate Became Known and Were Made Manifest.

Part III. The Story of Sir Launcelot and Elaine the Fair.

• Chapter First
  How Sir Launcelot Rode Errant and How He Assumed to Undertake the Adventure of the Worm of Corbin.
• Chapter Second
  How Sir Launcelot Slew the Worm of Corbin, and How He was Carried Thereafter to the Castle of Corbin and to King Pelles and to the Lady Elaine the Fair.
• Chapter Third
  How King Arthur Proclaimed a Tournament at Astolat, and How King Pelles of Corbin Went With His Court Thither to that Place. Also How Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine had Encounter with two Knights in the Highway Thitherward.
• Chapter Fourth
  How Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine Fought in the Tournament at Astolat. How Sir Launcelot was Wounded in that Affair, and How Sir Lavaine Brought Him Unto a Place of Safety.
• Chapter Fifth
  How Sir Launcelot Escaped Wounded into the Forest, and How Sir Gawaine Discovered to the Court of King Pelles who was le Chevalier Malfait.
• Chapter Sixth
  How the Lady Elaine Went to Seek Sir Launcelot and How Sir Launcelot Afterwards Returned to the Court of King Arthur.

Part IV. The Madness of Sir Launcelot.

• Chapter First
  How Sir Launcelot Became a Madman of the Forest and How He Was Brought to the Castle of Sir Blyant.
• Chapter Second
  How Sir Launcelot Saved the Life of Sir Blyant. How He Escaped From the Castle of Sir Blyant, and How He Slew the Great Wild Boar of Lystenesse and Saved the Life of King Arthur, His Liege Lord.
• Chapter Third
  How Sir Launcelot Returned to Corbin Again and How the Lady Elaine the Fair Cherished Him and Brought Him Back to Health. Also How Sir Launcelot with the Lady Elaine Withdrew to Joyous Isle.

Part V. The Story of Sir Ewaine and the Lady of the Fountain.

• Chapter First
  How Sir Ewaine and Sir Percival Departed Together in Quest of Sir Launcelot, and How They Met Sir Sagramore, Who Had Failed in a Certain Adventure. Also How Sir Sagramore Told His Story Concerning That Adventure.
• Chapter Second
  How Sir Ewaine Undertook That Adventure in Which Sir Sagramore Had Failed, and How it Sped with Him Thereafter.
• Chapter Third
  How a Damsel, Hight Elose, Who Was in Service With the Lady Lesolie of the Fountain, Brought Succor to Sir Ewaine in His Captivity.
• Chapter Fourth
  How Sir Ewaine Returned to the Court of King Arthur, and How he Forgot the Lady Lesolie and His Duty to the Fountain.
• Chapter Fifth
  How Sir Ewaine was Succored and Brought Back to Life by a Certain Noble Lady, How He Brought Aid to that Lady in a Time of Great Trouble, and How He Returned Once Again to the Lady Lesolie of the Fountain.

Part VI. The Return of Sir Launcelot.

• Chapter First
  How Sir Percival Met His Brother, and How They Two Journeyed to the Priory where their Mother Dwelt and What Befell Them Thereafter.
• Chapter Second
  How Sir Percival and Sir Ector de Maris Came to a Very Wonderful Place Where was a Castle in the Midst of a Lake.
• Chapter Third
  How Sir Launcelot and Sir Percival and Sir Ector and the Lady Elaine Progressed to the Court of King Arthur, and How a Very Good Adventure Befell Them Upon Their Way.
• Conclusion.

Part VII. The Nativity of Galahad.

• Chapter First
  How Sir Bors de Ganis and Sir Gawaine Went Forth in Search of Sir Launcelot. How They Parted Company, and What Befell Sir Gawaine Thereafter.
• Chapter Second
  How Sir Bors and Sir Gawaine Came to a Priory in the Forest, and How Galahad Was Born at That Place.
• Conclusion.

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