cival performed his first adventures in the
world of chivalry after he had perfected himself in the mysteries of
knighthood under the teaching of Sir Launcelot of the Lake, and I have told
you how he achieved that adventure with great credit to himself and with
great glory to the order of knighthood to which he now truly belonged as a
most worthy member.

That night he abided in the castle of Sir Percydes with great comfort and
rest to his body, and when the next morning had come he arose, much
refreshed and strengthened in spirit. And he descended to the hall where
was set a fair and generous breakfast for his further refreshment, and
thereat he and Sir Percydes sat themselves down and ate with hearty
appetite, discoursing with great amity of spirit as aforetold.

After he had broken his fast he bade farewell to Sir Percydes and mounted
his horse and rode away through the bright sunlight toward Beaurepaire and
those further adventures that awaited him thereat.

And, as it was with Sir Percival in that first adventure, so may you meet
with a like success when you ride forth upon your first undertakings after
you have entered into the glory of your knighthood, with your life lying
before you and a whole world whereinto ye may freely enter to do your
devoirs to the glory of God and your own honor.

So now it shall be told how it fared with Sir Percival in that adventure of
the Castle of Beaurepaire.

[Illustration: The Demoiselle Blanchefleur]

Chapter Fourth

_How Sir Percival undertook the adventure of the castle of Beaurepaire and
how he fared therein after several excellent adventures_.

[Sidenote: Sir Percival breaks his fast at a forest cottage] Now the way
that Sir Percival travelled led him by the outskirts of the forest, so that
somewhiles he would be in the woodland and somewhiles he would be in the
open country. And about noontide he came to a certain cottage of a neatherd
that stood all alone in a very pleasant dale. That place a little brook
came bickering out from the forest and ran down into the dale and spread
out into a small lake, besides which daffadowndillys bloomed in such
abundance that it appeared as though all that meadow land was scattered
over with an incredible number of yellow stars that had fallen down from
out of the sky. And, because of the pleasantness of this place, Sir
Percival here dismounted from his horse and sat him down upon a little
couch of moss under the shadow of