your beauty, and that your courtesy and gentleness shall be as great as
your prowess. To-day you shall go unto Camelot with King Arthur to make
yourself known unto that famous Court of Chivalry. But do not tarry there,
but, ere the night cometh, depart and go forth into the world to prove your
knighthood as worthily as God shall give you grace to do. For I would not
have you declare yourself to the world until you have proved your
worthiness by your deeds. Wherefore, do not yourself proclaim your name,
but wait until the world proclaimeth it; for it is better for the world to
proclaim the worthiness of a man than that the man should proclaim his own
worthiness. So hold yourself ready to undertake any adventure whatsoever
that God sendeth to you to do, but never let any other man complete a task
unto which you yourself have set your hand." Then, after the Lady of the
Lake had so advised Sir Launcelot, she kissed him upon the face, and
therewith gave him a ring curiously wrought and set with a wonderful purple
stone, which ring had such power that it would dissolve every enchantment.
Then she said: "Launcelot, wear this ring and never let it be from off your
finger." And Launcelot said: "I will do so." So Sir Launcelot set the ring
upon his finger and it was so that it never left his finger whilst he drew
the breath of life.

Then King Arthur and Sir Ewain and Sir Ector de Maris and the young Sir
Launcelot laid their ways toward Camelot. And, as they journeyed so
together, Sir Ewain communicated privily to Sir Ector de Maris how that the
youth had a mark as of a golden star upon the skin of his shoulder, and
upon this news Sir Ector fell very silent. For Sir Ector knew that that
sign was upon his own brother's shoulder, and he did not know how it could
be upon the shoulder of any other man. Wherefore, he wist not what to think
that it should be upon the shoulder of this youth. But he said naught of
these thoughts to Sir Ewain, but held his peace.