eep thee not. Now have I warned thee of thy vain glory
and of thy pride, that thou hast many times erred against thy Maker.
Beware of everlasting pain, for of all earthly knights I have most
pity of thee, for I know well thou hast not thy peer of any earthly
sinful man. And so she commended Sir Launcelot to dinner. And after
dinner he took his horse and commended her to God, and so rode into a
deep valley, and there he saw a river and an high mountain. And
through the water he must needs pass, the which was hideous; and then
in the name of God he took it with good heart. And when he came over
he saw an armed knight, horse and man black as any bear; without any
word he smote Sir Launcelot's horse to the earth; and so he passed on,
he wist not where he was become. And then he took his helm and his
shield, and thanked God of his adventure.

_Here leveth of the story of syr launcelot. And speke we of sir
gawayne, the whiche is the xvi. book_.

THE SIXTEENTH BOOK

CHAPTER I

HOW SIR GAWAINE WAS NIGH WEARY OF THE QUEST OF THE SANGREAL, AND OF
HIS MARVELLOUS DREAM

When Sir Gawaine was departed from his fellowship he rode long without
any adventure. For he found not the tenth part of adventure as he was
wont to do. For Sir Gawaine rode from Whitsuntide until Michaelmas and
found none adventure that pleased him. So on a day it befell Gawaine
met with Sir Ector de Maris, and either made great joy of other that
it were marvel to tell. And so they told every each other, and
complained them greatly that they could find none adventure. Truly,
said Sir Gawaine unto Sir Ector, I am nigh weary of this quest, and
loth I am to follow further in strange countries. One thing marvelled
me, said Sir Ector, I have met with twenty knights, fellows of mine,
and all they complain as I do. I have marvel, said Sir Gawaine, where
that Sir Launcelot, your brother, is. Truly, said Sir Ector, I cannot
hear of him, nor of Sir Galahad, Percivale, nor Sir Bors. Let them be,
said Sir Gawaine, for they four have no peers. And if one thing were
not in Sir Launcelot he had no fellow of none earthly man; but he is
as we be, but if he took more pain upon him. But an these four be met
together they will be loth that any man meet with them; for an they
fail of the Sangreal it is in waste of all the remnant to recover it.
Thus as Ector and Gawaine rode more than eight days. And on a Saturday
they found an old chapel, the which was wasted that th