OF THE QUEEN'S MAYING, AND HOW SIR LANCELOT RODE IN A CART EARLY one morning in May, Queen Guinevere called her knights around her and bade them be ready to go a-maying with her and her ladies in the woods and meadows near Westminster. As a rule, when she rode abroad, the Queen was always attended by a large retinue, among whom were a number of untried youths who were known as the Queen's knights. These had not yet taken part in any tournament or battle, and they carried plain white shields to distinguish them from the other knights of Arthur's court. When, at the end of a year, any knights of the Order of the Round Table had died, their places were filled by the worthiest among the Queen's knights. And in this way had Sir Lancelot and many others won their spurs. On this occasion Queen Guinevere would take only ten of her knights with her, these including Sir Kay, Sir Agravaine, Sir Persant, and Sir Pelleas. They were all clad in green, like foresters, and they rode forth X merry and light-hearted into the fields, with never a thought of treachery in the air. But a wicked knight named Sir Meliagrance, whose castle was near by, saw them as they went a-maying, and because he loved Queen Guinevere he made a plan to capture her. Accordingly, with a company of men-at-arms and archers, he lay in wait for them in the wood. The Queen and her gay party, all decked with wreaths of flowers and ferns, and making the air ring with their laughter, presently came riding by. Then out sprang Sir Meliagrance and his followers, barring the way. "What meaneth this?" cried Queen Guinevere, in surprise, while her knights closed up behind her. "It meaneth that thou must yield thyself prisoner to me," answered Meliagrance. "All these years have I loved thee in vain, and now chance has thrown thee into my power. Thou canst not hope to escape." "Traitor knight," said Queen Guinevere, "wilt thou bring shame upon thyself and me? Remember how thou art a king's son and a knight of the Round Table; wherefore let me return in safety." 66 But nothing she could say would move Meliagrance from his purpose. Ye must yield yourselves," he repeated, "for I mean to carry you all off to my castle." The ten Queen's knights, who were unarmed save for their swords, now ranged themselves in front of their royal mistress, but they were powerless to withstand the onslaught of Meliagrance and his knights. After a desperate struggle, in which they acquitted themselves manfully, all but four were smitten to the ground. Seeing her brave defenders in such bad case, Queen Guinevere begged Sir Meliagrance to cease the combat, declaring that she would accompany him to his castle on condition that the four knights left to her also went thither. To this Meliagrance assented. So, after the wounded men had had their hurts seen to, the whole party set off. Sir Meliagrance, who was sore afraid lest news of his ill-doing should reach Arthur's court, forbade any of the Queen's company to leave her, and kept a close watch upon them. Guinevere, however, managed to give a message to one of her young squires, and ordered him to seize his opportunity and ride fast to Westminster, where he would find Sir Lancelot of the Lake. "Give him this ring I give thee," she said, "and pray him, as he loveth me, to come to my rescue. Ride hard and spare not thy horse, neither for water nor for land.” The squire soon after saw a chance to escape, and, putting spurs to his horse, dashed off. Sir Meliagrance's horsemen endeavored to recapture him, and his archers sent arrow after arrow in the direction of the flying messenger, but he quickly outdistanced them. Seeing this, the wicked knight made all haste to reach his castle, for he knew well enough that Sir Lancelot would not be long in answering the Queen's message. On the way, he laid an ambush for Sir Lancelot, hiding some thirty or more of his most skilled archers in the wood, and giving them instructions to look out for a knight on a white horse and to stay him at all costs. When the young squire arrived almost |