After King Arthur had so dubbed Sir Launcelot knight, it was time that those two parties should part company—­to wit, the party of the Lady of the Lake and the party of King Arthur.  But when they were about to leave one another the Lady of the Lake took Sir Launcelot aside, and she spake to him after this manner: 

[Sidenote:  The Lady of the Lake gives Sir Launcelot good advice] “Launcelot, forget not that you are a king’s son, and that your lineage is as noble as that of anyone upon earth—­for so I have often told you aforetime.  Wherefore, see to it that your worthiness shall be as great as your beauty, and that your courtesy and gentleness shall be as great as your prowess.  To-day you shall go unto Camelot with King Arthur to make yourself known unto that famous Court of Chivalry.  But do not tarry there, but, ere the night cometh, depart and go forth into the world to prove your knighthood as worthily as God shall give you grace to do.  For I would not have you declare yourself to the world until you have proved your worthiness by your deeds.  Wherefore, do not yourself proclaim your name, but wait until the world proclaimeth it; for it is better for the world to proclaim the worthiness of a man than that the man should proclaim his own worthiness.  So hold yourself ready to undertake any adventure whatsoever that God sendeth to you to do, but never let any other man complete a task unto which you yourself have set your hand.”  Then, after the Lady of the Lake had so advised Sir Launcelot, she kissed him upon the face, and therewith gave him a ring curiously wrought and set with a wonderful purple stone, which ring had such power that it would dissolve every enchantment.  Then she said:  “Launcelot, wear this ring and never let it be from off your finger.”  And Launcelot said:  “I will do so.”  So Sir Launcelot set the ring upon his finger and it was so that it never left his finger whilst he drew the breath of life.

Then King Arthur and Sir Ewain and Sir Ector de Maris and the young Sir Launcelot laid their ways toward Camelot.  And, as they journeyed so together, Sir Ewain communicated privily to Sir Ector de Maris how that the youth had a mark as of a golden star upon the skin of his shoulder, and upon this news Sir Ector fell very silent.  For Sir Ector knew that that sign was upon his own brother’s shoulder, and he did not know how it could be upon the shoulder of any other man.  Wherefore, he wist not what to think that it should be upon the shoulder of this youth.  But he said naught of these thoughts to Sir Ewain, but held his peace.

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot cometh to Camelot] So they reached Camelot whilst it was still quite early in the morning and all they who were there made great joy at the coming of so wonderfully fair and noble a young knight as Sir Launcelot appeared to be.  Wherefore, there was great sound of rejoicing at his coming.

Then, after a while, King Arthur said:  “Let us go and see if, haply, this youth’s name is marked upon any of the seats of the Round Table, for I think it should be there.”  So all they of the court went to that pavilion afore described, where the Round Table was established, and they looked; and lo! upon the seat that King Pellinore had one time occupied was this name: