e,
Merlin? hast thou slain this good knight by thy crafts? There liveth not
so worshipful a knight as he was; I had liefer than the stint of my land
a year that he were alive. Care ye not, said Merlin, for he is wholer
than ye; for he is but asleep, and will awake within three hours. I told
you, said Merlin, what a knight he was; here had ye been slain had I not
been. Also there liveth not a bigger knight than he is one, and he shall
hereafter do you right good service; and his name is Pellinore, and he
shall have two sons that shall be passing good men; save one they shall
have no fellow of prowess and of good living, and their names shall be
Percivale of Wales and Lamerake of Wales, and he shall tell you the name
of your own son, begotten of your sister, that shall be the destruction
of all this realm.

CHAPTER XXV. How Arthur by the mean of Merlin gat Excalibur his sword of
the Lady of the Lake.

RIGHT SO the king and he departed, and went unto an hermit that was a
good man and a great leech. So the hermit searched all his wounds and
gave him good salves; so the king was there three days, and then were
his wounds well amended that he might ride and go, and so departed.
And as they rode, Arthur said, I have no sword. No force, said Merlin,
hereby is a sword that shall be yours, an I may. So they rode till they
came to a lake, the which was a fair water and broad, and in the midst
of the lake Arthur was ware of an arm clothed in white samite, that held
a fair sword in that hand. Lo! said Merlin, yonder is that sword that I
spake of. With that they saw a damosel going upon the lake. What damosel
is that? said Arthur. That is the Lady of the Lake, said Merlin; and
within that lake is a rock, and therein is as fair a place as any on
earth, and richly beseen; and this damosel will come to you anon, and
then speak ye fair to her that she will give you that sword. Anon
withal came the damosel unto Arthur, and saluted him, and he her again.
Damosel, said Arthur, what sword is that, that yonder the arm holdeth
above the water? I would it were mine, for I have no sword. Sir Arthur,
king, said the damosel, that sword is mine, and if ye will give me a
gift when I ask it you, ye shall have it. By my faith, said Arthur, I
will give you what gift ye will ask. Well! said the damosel, go ye
into yonder barge, and row yourself to the sword, and take it and the
scabbard with you, and I will ask my gift when I see my time. So Sir
A