there were certain lesser kings who favored him and were friendly allies
with him, and how there were certain others of the same sort who were his
enemies.

Among those who were his friends was King Ban of Benwick, who was an
exceedingly noble lord of high estate and great honor, and who was of a
lineage so exalted that it is not likely that there was anyone in the world
who was of a higher strain.

[Sidenote: Of King Ban and his misfortunes] Now, upon a certain time, King
Ban of Benwick fell into great trouble; for there came against him a very
powerful enemy, to wit, King Claudas of Scotland. King Claudas brought unto
Benwick a huge army of knights and lords, and these sat down before the
Castle of Trible with intent to take that strong fortress and destroy it.

This noble Castle of Trible was the chiefest and the strongest place of
defence in all King Ban's dominions, wherefore he had intrenched himself
there with all of his knights and with his Queen, hight Helen, and his
youngest son, hight Launcelot.

Now this child, Launcelot, was dearer to Queen Helen than all the world
besides, for he was not only large of limb but so extraordinarily beautiful
of face that I do not believe an angel from Paradise could have been more
beautiful than he. He had been born with a singular birth-mark upon his
shoulder, which birth-mark had the appearance as of a golden star enstamped
upon the skin; wherefore, because of this, the Queen would say: "Launcelot,
by reason of that star upon thy shoulder I believe that thou shalt be the
star of our house and that thou shalt shine with such remarkable glory that
all the world shall behold thy lustre and shall marvel thereat for all time
to come." So the Queen took extraordinary delight in Launcelot and loved