to an adventure that shall satisfy thee."

[Sidenote: The damsel leads Sir Launcelot to an adventure] So Sir
Launcelot and that damsel rode away from that place together; he upon his
great war-horse and she upon her ambling palfrey beside him. And the sun
shone down upon them, very pleasant and warm, and all who passed them
turned to look after them; for the maiden was very fair and slender, and
Sir Launcelot was of so noble and stately a mien that few could behold him
even from a distance without looking twice or three times upon him. And as
they travelled in that way together they fell into converse, and the damsel
said to Sir Launcelot: "Sir, thou appearest to be a very good knight, and
of such a sort as may well undertake any adventure with great hope of
success. Now I prithee to tell me thy name and what knight thou art."

"Fair maiden," said Sir Launcelot, "as for telling you my name, that I will
gladly do. I am called Sir Launcelot of the Lake, and I am a knight of King
Arthur's court and of his Round Table."

[Sidenote: Sir Launcelot and the maiden discourse together] At this the
damsel was very greatly astonished and filled with admiration. "Hah!" quoth
she, "it is a great pleasure to me to fall in with you, Sir Launcelot, for
all the world now bespeaketh your fame. Little did I ever think to behold
your person, much less speak with you, and ride in this way with you. Now I
will tell you what this adventure is on which we are set; it is this--there
is, some small distance from this, a castle of a knight hight Sir Turquine,
who hath in his prison a great many knights of King Arthur's court, and
several knights of his Round Table. These knights he keepeth there in great
dole and misery, for it is said that their groans may be heard by the
passers along the high-road below the castle. This Sir Turquine is held to
be the greatest knight in the world (unless it be thou) for he hath never