mains, so that the early daytime is filled full of the sweet jargon and the
jubilant medley of their voices. Yea; that is a goodly season of the year,
for though, haply, the spirit may not be so hilarious as in the young and
golden springtime, yet doth the soul take to itself so great a content in
the fulness of the beauty of the world, that the heart is elated with a
great and abundant joy that it is not apt to feel at another season.

[Sidenote: King Arthur and two knights ride a-hunting] Now it chanced upon
the day before Saint John's day in the fulness of a summer-time such as
this, that King Arthur looked forth from his chamber very early in the
morning and beheld how exceedingly fair and very lusty was the world
out-of-doors--all in the freshness of the young daylight. For the sun had
not yet risen, though he was about to rise, and the sky was like to pure
gold for brightness; all the grass and leaves and flowers were drenched
with sweet and fragrant dew, and the birds were singing so vehemently that
the heart of any man could not but rejoice in the fulness of life that lay
all around about him.

There were two knights with King Arthur at that time, one was Sir Ewain,
the son of Morgana le Fay (and he was King Arthur's nephew), and the other
was Sir Ector de Maris, the son of King Ban of Benwick and of Queen
Helen--this latter a very noble, youthful knight, and the youngest of all
the Knights of the Round Table who were at that time elected. These stood
by King Arthur and looked forth out of the window with him and they also
took joy with him in the sweetness of the summer season. Unto them, after a
while, King Arthur spake, saying: "Messires, meseems this is too fair a day
to stay within doors. For, certes, it is a shame that I who am a king
should be prisoner within mine own castle, whilst any ploughman may be free
of the wold and the green woods and the bright sun and the blue sky and the
wind that blows over hill and dale. Now, I too would fain go forth out of