_Of great justs done all a Christmas, and of a great justs and tourney
ordained by king Arthur, and of Sir Launcelot._
Thus it passed on till Christmas, and every day there was justs made
for a diamond, who that justed best should have a diamond. But Sir
Launcelot would not just, but if it were at a great justs cried. But
Sir Lavaine justed there all that Christmas passing well, and best was
praised; for there were but few that did so well. Wherefore all manner
of knights deemed that Sir Lavaine should be made knight of the Round
Table at the next feast of Pentecost. So at after Christmas king Arthur
let call unto him many knights, and there they advised together to make
a party and a great tournament and justs. And the king of Northgalis
said to Arthur he would have on his party king Anguish of Ireland, and
the king with the hundred knights, and the king of Northumberland, and
Sir Galahalt the haut prince; and so these four kings and this mighty
duke took party against king Arthur and the knights of the Table Round.
And the cry was made that the day of the justs should be beside
Westminster on Candlemas day, whereof many knights were glad, and made
them ready to be at that justs in the freshest manner. Then queen
Guenever sent for Sir Launcelot, and said thus: I warn you that ye ride
no more in no justs nor tournaments, but that your kinsmen may know
you. And at these justs that shall be, ye shall have of me a sleeve of
gold; and I pray you, for my sake, enforce yourself there that men may
speak of you worship. But I charge you as ye will have my love, that ye
warn your kinsmen that ye will bear that day the sleeve of gold upon
your helmet. Madam, said Sir Launcelot, it shall be done. And so either
made great joy of other. And when Sir Launcelot saw his time, he told
Sir Bors that he would depart, and have no more with him but Sir
Lavaine, unto the good hermit that dwelled in the forest of Windsor,
his name was Sir Brastias, and there he thought to repose him, and to
take all the rest that he might, because he would be fresh at that day
of justs. So Sir Launcelot and Sir Lavaine departed, that no creature
wist where he was become, but the noble men of his blood. And when he
was come to the hermitage, wit you well he had good cheer. And so daily
Sir Launcelot would go to a well fast by the hermitage, and there he
would lie down, and see the well spring and bubble, and sometime he
slept there. So at that time there was a lady dwelled in that forest,
and she was a great huntress, and daily she used to hunt, and always
she bare her bow with her; and no men went never with her, but always
women, and they were shooters, and could well kill a deer, both at the
stalk and at the trest; and they daily bare bows and arrows, horns and
wood-knives, and many good dogs they had, both for the string and for a
bait. So it happed that this lady, the huntress, had baited her dogs
for the bow at a barren hind, and so this barren hind took her flight
over heaths and woods, and ever this lady and part of her gentlewomen
coasted the hind, and checked it by the noise of the hounds, to have
met with the hind at some water. And so it happed the hind came to the
well whereas Sir Launcelot was sleeping and slumbering. And so when the
hind came to the well, for heat she went to soil, and there she lay a
great while; and the dogs came fast after, and umbecast about, for she
had lost the very perfect track of the hind. Right so, there came that
lady the huntress, that knew by the dog that she had that the hind was
at the soil in that well. And there she came stiffly, and found the
hind, and she put a broad arrow in her bow, and shot at the hind, and
overshot the hind, and so, by misfortune, the arrow smote Sir Launcelot
in the thick of the thigh, over the barbs. When Sir Launcelot felt
himself so hurt, he hurled up woodly, and saw the lady that had smitten
him. And when he saw she was a woman, he said thus, Lady, or damsel,
what that thou be, in an evil time bare ye a bow, the devil made you a
shooter.