Page:The Garden of Romance - 1897.djvu/63

Rh are displeased, that I have showed you unkindness; blame me the less, for I was misinformed against you. But I weened you had not been such a knight as ye are of worship and prowess; and if ye will abide in this court with my good knights, I shall so advance you, that ye shall be well pleased." "God thank your highness," said Balin, "for your bounty and highness may no man praise half to the value; but now at this time I must needs depart, beseeching you alway of your good grace." "Truly," said King Arthur, "I am right wrath for your departing; I beseech you, fair knight, that ye will not tarry long, and ye shall be right welcome to me and all my barons, and I shall amend all that is amiss, and that I have done against you." "God thank your lordship," said Balin, and therewith made him ready to depart. Then the most part of the knights of the Round Table said, that Balin did not this adventure all only by might, but by witchcraft.

The meanwhile that this knight was making him ready to depart, there came into the court a lady, which hight the Lady of the Lake, and she came on horseback richly beseen, and saluted King Arthur, and there she asked him a gift that he had promised her when she gave him the sword.

"That is sooth," said King Arthur, "a gift I promised you; but I have forgotten the name of the sword which ye gave me." "The name of it," said the lady, "is Excalibur, that is as much to say as cut-steel." "Ye say well," said King Arthur; "ask what ye will, and ye shall have it, if it lie in my power to give it." "Well," said the Lady of the Lake, "I ask the head of the knight that hath won the sword, or else the damsel's head that brought