or a people with only one foot and that one large enough to be used as a parasol.  The knight who had mastered the art of reading looked upon such stories as curious facts.  His religion was a religion of miracles, and, ignorant of natural laws, he was accustomed to refer any unusual occurrence to the influence of supernatural beings, a habit of thought which presented an ever-ready solution to mysteries and problems otherwise inexplicable.

The entire credence accorded to the supernatural features of the romance gave to it a power and an interest which has now, of course, disappeared; but the influence of the supernatural upon the work is so strong, that even the modern reader, wandering with Launcelot and Tristram in a world of wonders, meets a giant without surprise, and feels at home in an enchanted castle.

When Arthur is finally established on his throne, the knights of the Round Table begin their wonderful career of adventure and gallantry.  With them the reader roams over a vague and unreal land called Britain or Cornwall, in full armor, the ever ready lance in rest.  At almost every turn a knight is met who offers combat, and each detail of the conflict—­the rush of the horses, the breaking of lances, the final hand-to-hand with swords—­is described with a minuteness which only the military enthusiasm of the Middle Ages could thoroughly appreciate.  Sometimes our hero meets a damsel who tells a tale of wrong, and leads the knight to champion her cause; again, he encounters some old companion in arms, breaks a lance upon him by way of friendly salutation, and wanders with him in search of adventures, inquiring of a chance peasant or dwarf, of a wrong to be avenged, or a danger to be incurred.  The reader attends tournaments, of which every blow and every fall are chronicled.  He becomes familiar with the respective merits and prowess of a hundred different champions.  He learns the laws of judicial combat, and the intricate rules of the chivalric code.  With imagination aroused and sympathies excited he enters a life of alternate combat and love, almost real in the consistency of its improbability.  Three gallant knights, Sir Gawaine, Sir Marhaus, and Sir Uwaine set out together in search of adventures.

At the last they cam in to a grete forest that was named the countreye and foreste of Arroy and the countrey of straunge auentures.  In this countrey, said syr Marhaus cam neuer knyghte syn it was crystened, but he fonde straunge auentures, and soo they rode, and cam in to a depe valey ful of stones, and ther by they sawe a fayr streme of water, aboue ther by was the hede of the streme, a fayr fontayne, & thre damoysels syttynge therby.  And thenne they rode to them, and eyther salewed other, and the eldest had a garland of gold aboute her hede, and she was thre score wynter of age, or more, and her here[13] was whyte under the garland.  The second damoysel was of thirty wynter of age, with a serkelet of gold aboute her hede.  The thyrd