hat I must keep secret
until I have won me good credit as a knight. But now I have somewhat to do,
and that is to deal with this lady Vivien as she shall deserve."

Upon that Sir Percydes cried out: "Go not near to that sorceress, else she
will do some great harm to thee with her potent spells as she did to me."

But Sir Percival said: "I have no fear of her."

So Sir Percival arose and crossed the bridge and went toward that wonderful
enchanted castle; and Sir Percydes would have gone with him, but Sir
Percival said: "Stay where thou art." And so Sir Percydes stayed and Sir
Percival went forward alone.

[Sidenote: The Lady Vivien cometh forth to Sir Percival] Now as he drew
nigh to the castle the gate thereof was opened, and there came forth thence
an extraordinarily beautiful lady surrounded by a court of esquires and
pages all very beautiful of countenance. And this lady and all of her court
were clad in red so that they shone like to several flames of fire. And the
lady's hair was as red as gold, and she wore gold ornaments about her neck
so that she glistered exceedingly and was very wonderful to behold. And her
eyebrows were very black and fine and were joined in the middle like two
fine lines drawn together with a pencil, and her eyes were narrow and
black, shining like those of a snake.

Then when Sir Percival beheld this lady how singularly beautiful she was he
was altogether enchanted so that he could not forbear to approach her. And,
lo! she stood still and smiled upon him so that his heart stirred within
his bosom like as though it pulled at the strings that held it. Then she
said to Sir Percival, speaking in a very sweet and gentle voice: "Sir
Knight, thou art welcome to this place. It would pleasure us very greatly
if thou wouldst consider this castle as though it were thine own and would
abide within it with me for a while." Therewith speaking she smiled again
upon Sir Percival more cunningly than before and reached out her hand
toward him.

Then Sir Percival came toward her with intent to take her hand, she smiling
upon him all the while so that he could not do otherwise than as she
willed.

Now in the other hand this lady held an ebony staff of about an ell in
length, and when Sir Percival had come close enough to her, she lifted this
staff of a sudden and smote him with it very violently across the
shoulders, crying out at the same time, in a voice terribly piercing and
shrill: "Be thou a stone!