"Sir," saith the damsel that had brought the coffer, "Let the letters
be read that are within, so shall you know who the knight was and of
what lineage, and what was the occasion of his death."
The King sitteth beside the Queen, and biddeth call one of his own
chaplains. Then maketh he all the knights in the hall be seated and
keep silence, and commandeth the chaplain that he should spell out the
letters of gold all openly according as he should find them written.
The chaplain looketh at them, and when he had scanned them down, began
to sigh.
"Sir," saith he to the King and Queen, "hearken unto me, and all the
other, your knights.