eason; for where they be soon
accorded and hasty heat, soon it cooleth. Right so fareth love nowadays,
soon hot soon cold: this is no stability. But the old love was not so;
men and women could love together seven years, and no licours lusts were
between them, and then was love, truth, and faithfulness: and lo, in
like wise was used love in King Arthur's days. Wherefore I liken love
nowadays unto summer and winter; for like as the one is hot and the
other cold, so fareth love nowadays; therefore all ye that be lovers
call unto your remembrance the month of May, like as did Queen Guenever,
for whom I make here a little mention, that while she lived she was a
true lover, and therefore she had a good end.

_Explicit liber Octodecimus. And here followeth liber xix._

BOOK XIX.

CHAPTER I. How Queen Guenever rode a-Maying with certain knights of the
Round Table and clad all in green.

SO it befell in the month of May, Queen Guenever called unto her knights
of the Table Round; and she gave them warning that early upon the morrow
she would ride a-Maying into woods and fields beside Westminster. And I
warn you that there be none of you but that he be well horsed, and that
ye all be clothed in green, outher in silk outher in cloth; and I shall
bring with me ten ladies, and every knight shall have a lady behind him,
and every knight shall have a squire and two yeomen; and I will that ye
all be well horsed. So they made them ready in the freshest manner.
And these were the names of the knights: Sir Kay le Seneschal, Sir
Agravaine, Sir Brandiles, Sir Sagramore le Desirous, Sir Dodinas le
Savage, Sir Ozanna le Cure Hardy, Sir Ladinas of the Forest Savage, Sir
Persant of Inde, Sir Ironside, that was called the Knight of the Red
Launds, and Sir Pelleas, the lover; and these ten knights made them
ready in the freshest manner to ride with the queen. And so upon the
morn they took their horses with the queen, and rode a-Maying in woods
and meadows as it pleased them, in great joy and delights; for the queen
had cast to have been again with King Arthur at the furthest by ten of
the clock, and so was that time her purpose.

Then there was a knight that hight Meliagrance, and he was son unto King
Bagdemagus, and this knight had at that time a castle of the gift of
King Arthur within seven mile of Westminster. And this knight, Sir
Meliagrance, loved passing well Queen Guenever, and so had he done long
and many years. And