When King Bagdemagus came, Elouise took him by the hand and led him to Sir Launcelot, and she said:  “Sire, here is a knight who, for my sake, is come to help you in this tournament upon Tuesday.”

Now King Bagdemagus had never before seen Sir Launcelot, so he knew not who that knight was.  Wherefore he said to him:  “Messire, I am much beholden to you for coming to my aid in this battle.  Now I pray you that you tell me your name and what knight you are.”

“Lord,” said Sir Launcelot, “I am hight Launcelot, and am surnamed ’He of the Lake.’”

Now when King Bagdemagus heard this he was astonished beyond measure, wherefore he cried out, “This is wonderful, that you who are the very flower of knighthood should be here, and that you should come to aid me in my battle!”

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot talks with King Bagdemagus] “Sire,” said Sir Launcelot, “I know not how much aid I may be to thee until that matter is proven.  But of a surety I owe it to this damsel to do what I am able at her request, in return for all that she hath done for me to aid me in my time of great peril.  So it is a very small repayment for me to aid thee, her father, in thy time of difficulties.  Wherefore if, by good hap, I may be of use to thee in this battle which is nigh at hand, then I shall be glad beyond measure that I have paid some part of that debt which I owe to this lady.”

“Messire,” said King Bagdemagus, “I give thee grammercy for thy good will in this matter.  I am sure that, with thy aid, I shall be successful in this battle, and that it will always be most renowned in the history of chivalry because thou hast taken part in it.”

So spake they with great courtesy to one another.  Then, by and by, Sir Launcelot said:  “Sir, I pray you tell me who are those knights of King Arthur’s court who are upon the part of the King of North Wales?  For I would fain know against whom I am to do battle.”  To which King Bagdemagus said:  “Messire, those three knights of the Round Table are as follows—­there is Sir Mordred, nephew unto King Arthur, and there is Sir Galahantine, and there is Sir Mador de la Porte.”

“Ha,” quoth Sir Launcelot, “these are three very good knights indeed, and I am not at all astonished that the King of North Wales should have had such good fortune aforetime in that other tournament with you, seeing that he had three such knights as they to do battle upon his side.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Launcelot arranges the order of battle with King Bagdemagus] After this they fell into discourse as to the manner in which they should do battle upon the morrow, and Sir Launcelot advised in this wise:  “Lord, let me take three knights of yours, such as you trust, and such as you hold to be the strongest knights of your party.  Let these three knights paint their shields altogether white and I will paint mine white, and then no man will know who we are.  For I would have it so that I should not be known to be in this battle until I