ndon with the king, that Sir
Mordred had met them on their way, and had told King Arthur of the
fight, and had, moreover, charged Sir Lancelot and the queen with
conspiring together to gain the crown.

Sad indeed was Sir Bors to hear this; but, going about the town, he got
together the kinsmen of Sir Lancelot and such of his friends as would
cast in their lot with him in so weighty and terrible a thing as civil
war. By seven of the clock he had got together good and valiant knights
to the number of fourscore, all horsed and armed.

Then he told them to betake themselves to a privy place in a wood
beyond the city walls to the north, and there in a little while came
Sir Lancelot with Sir Bors, and held counsel with them. He told them
all that had befallen him in the fight with the twelve knights, and
they in their turn related how Sir Mordred had met them and had told
his evil tales against the queen and Lancelot, and how for long the
king was too wroth and too sad to listen. But afterwards, when Sir
Mordred told how Sir Pinel, who had spoken of these things, had been
poisoned at the feast given by the queen, King Arthur had wept, and
then was very stern and quiet and said no word more.

'Now, my lords,' said Sir Lancelot, when they had done speaking, 'ye
know well how evil are these plots, how baseless are these foul rumours
against me. But now they have been launched against me, and I have
slain men on account of them, I fear we shall be hard put to it to get
peace again. Those men were set on to betray me; and I doubt not mine
enemies will have the queen burnt, to revenge themselves upon her and
upon me. Therefore, fair lords, what counsel do ye give?'

'Sir,' said Sir Bors, when they had spoken together a little, 'we think
there is but one thing to be done first: that ye knightly rescue the
queen, if your enemies force the king to put her to the stake. For if
she be burnt, then it would be to your shame, seeing that you vowed
yourself her true knight when she came, a young fair bride, to our
king, twenty years agone. And in whatsoever way ye would rescue her, ye
may count upon us to our last breath.'

With a great shout all the other knights raised their right hands in
the air and cried: 'Yea! yea!'

Then, by the advice of Sir Lancelot, they kept hidden in the little
wood, while one went into the city to learn what was being done, and in
what manner the queen was to be treated.

Meanwhile, in the hall of the p