Thereupon, behold you! Orguelleux of the Launde come, that had not
been at the court of a long time, and it had been told him whereof
these words were.
"Briant," saith Orguelleux of the Launde, "Evil fare the knight that
would fain grieve and harm with their lord them that have served him
well! Sith that Lancelot is not here, say nought of him that ought not
to be said. The court of King Arthur hath been as much renowned and
made honoured by Lancelot as by ever another knight that is in it, and,
but for him, never would his court have been so redoubted as it is.
For no knight is there so cruel to his foes nor so redoubted throughout
all Great Britain as is Lancelot, and, for that King Arthur loveth you,
make him not that he hate his knights, for such four or such six be
there in his castle as may depart therefrom without returning, the loss
whereof should scarce be made good by us. Lancelot hath well served
the King aforetime, and the King well knoweth how much he is worth; and
if so be that King Claudas purposeth to war on King Arthur for
Lancelot's sake, according as I have heard, without any reason, and
King Arthur be not more craven than he wont to be, he may well abide
his warfare and his strife so treason harm him not. For so many good
knights hath King Arthur yet, that none knoweth such knights nor such
King in the world beside."