[Sidenote:  Sir Gawain fails with Sir Launcelot] And it was as Sir Launcelot said, for Sir Gawain also had mounted his horse and had made himself ready for that encounter.  So Sir Gawain and Sir Launcelot took stand at such place as suited them.  Then each knight set spurs to his horse and rushed together like thunder, and each knight smote the other knight in the midst of his shield; and in that encounter the spear of Sir Gawain brake in twain but the spear of Sir Launcelot held, and therewith he gave Sir Gawain such a buffet that Sir Gawain’s horse reared up into the air, and it was with much ado that he was able to void his saddle ere his horse fell over backward.  For if he had not leaped to earth the horse would have fallen upon him.

Then Sir Gawain drew his sword and cried very fiercely:  “Come down and fight me, Sir Knight!  For thou art not Sir Kay!”

“Nay, I will not fight thee that way,” said Sir Launcelot, and therewith he passed on his way without tarrying further.

But he laughed to himself behind his helmet as he rode, and he said:  “God give Sir Kay joy of such a spear as this, for I believe there came never so good a spear as this into my hand.  For with it I have overthrown seven famous knights in this hour.”

As for those four knights of the Round Table, they comforted one another as best they could, for they knew not what to think of that which had befallen them.  Only Sir Ector said:  “That was never Sir Kay who served us in this wise, but such a man as is better than ten Sir Kays, or twice ten Sir Kays, for the matter of that.”

[Sidenote:  How Sir Launcelot returned to Camelot] Now Sir Launcelot came to Camelot about eventide, what time King Arthur and his court were assembled at their supper.  Then there was great joy when news was brought of his coming and they brought him in to the court and set him beside the King and the Lady Guinevere all armed as he was.  Then King Arthur said:  “Sir Launcelot, how is it with thee?” and Sir Launcelot said:  “It is well.”  Then King Arthur said:  “Tell us what hath befallen thee.”  And Sir Launcelot told all that had happened in that month since he had left court.  And all they who were there listened, and were much astonished.

But when Sir Launcelot told how he had encountered those seven knights, in the armor of Sir Kay, all laughed beyond measure excepting those of the seven who were there, for they took no very good grace to be laughed at in that wise.

* * * * *

So now I hope I have made you acquainted with Sir Launcelot of the Lake, who was the greatest knight in the world.  For not only have I told you how he was created a knight at the hands of King Arthur, but I have also led you errant along with him, so that you might see for yourself how he adventured his life for other folk and what a noble and generous gentleman he was; and how pitiful to the weak and suffering, and how terrible to the evil-doer.  But now I shall have to leave him for a while (but after a while in another book that shall follow this, I shall return to him to tell you a great many things concerning other adventures of his), for meantime it is necessary that I should recount the history of another knight, who was held by many to be nearly as excellent a knight as Sir Launcelot was himself.