eld before him a very strangely beautiful valley, and he beheld that
in the midst of the valley there stood a wonderful castle, and he wist
that this must be the castle of the Lady Vivien of which Sir Sagramore
had aforetold of.

[Sidenote: _Sir Ewaine cometh to the castle of the Lady Vivien._]

And Sir Ewaine was astonished at the wonderful appearance of that castle
and the valley in which it stood. For this castle was bright and shining
as though of polished stone, and the roofs thereof were of bright red
tile variegated with dark green tiles and black tiles, laid in sundry
figures and patterns very strange to behold. And the valley in which the
castle stood was spread out with fair lawns and gardens and meadow-lands
and plantations of comely trees. And everywhere there were flowers
abloom in incredible quantities, and there were thousands of birds of
bright plumage that sang in the trees throughout the valley, so that the
multitudinous sounds of their singing came even to Sir Ewaine where he
sat so far distant. And ever those birds flitted like bright sparks of
color hither and thither through the foliage of the trees, and Sir
Ewaine had never beheld their like before in all of his life. So because
of the wonderfulness of all that he beheld, Sir Ewaine wist that this
must be a land of faery and enchantment with which the Lady Vivien had
surrounded her castle and herself and her court. So for a while Sir
Ewaine sat there observing all these things, and after a while he set
spurs to horse and rode down into that valley and toward the castle.

Now when Sir Ewaine had come pretty near to the castle, he beheld two
youths with golden hair, clad in garments of flame-colored satin, and he
knew that these must be the two fair youths of whom Sir Sagramore had
spoken. And he saw that those two youths were playing at ball under the
walls of the castle just as Sir Sagramore had beheld them when he had
visited that place.

These, when Sir Ewaine drew nigh, ceased their play, and he who was the
chief of the twain came forward and greeted that noble knight with great
courtesy, saying: "Sir Knight, you are very welcome to these parts where
not many ever come. For she who is the lady of this castle ever takes
pleasure in giving welcome to such as you who come thitherward. Now I
pray you of your courtesy to tell me who you are and upon what quest you
are bound and what is your degree, for I would fain announce you with
all dignity t