burning home. Overcome by sorrow and
wounds, the poor father soon sank dying beside the road, and, while
the mother was closing his eyes, the Lady of the Lake suddenly rose
from her watery home, seized the babe, and plunged back with him into
its depths. The widowed and bereft woman therefore entered a convent,
where she was known as the Lady of Sorrows, for little did she suspect
her son was being trained by Pellias--husband of the Lady of the
Lake--to become the most famous knight of the Round Table. At eighteen
the Lady of the Lake decided it was time Launcelot should be knighted.
So, on St. John's eve--when mortals can see fairies--King Arthur and
Sir Ector were led, by a mysterious damsel and dwarf, to a place where
Pellias and the Lady of the Lake begged them to knight their protege
and pupil, who was henceforth to be known as Launcelot of the Lake.
Not only did Arthur gladly bestow the accolade upon the young man,
but he took him with him to Camelot.

It was as supreme honor and mark of confidence that Arthur sent
Launcelot to get Guinevere. Some legends claim these two already loved
each other dearly, others that they fell in love during the journey,
others still that their guilty passion was due to a love potion, and a
few that Guinevere, incensed by the behavior of Arthur,--whom some of
the epics do not depict as Tennyson's "blameless king,"--proved
faithless in revenge later on. All the versions, however, agree that
Launcelot cherished an incurable, guilty passion for Guinevere, and
that she proved untrue to her marriage vows. Time and again we hear of
stolen meetings, and of Launcelot's deep sorrow at deceiving the noble
friend whom he continues to love and admire. This is the only blemish
in his character, while Guinevere is coquettish, passionate,
unfeeling, and exacting, and has little to recommend her aside from
grace, beauty, and personal magnetism. At court she plays her part of
queen and lady of the revels with consummate skill, and we have many
descriptions of festivities of all kinds. During a maying party the
queen was once kidnapped by a bold admirer and kept for a time in
durance vile. Launcelot, posting after her, ruthlessly cut down all
who attempted to check him, and, his horse falling at last beneath
him, continued his pursuit in a wood-chopper's cart, although none but
criminals were seen in such a vehicle in the Middle Ages. The Knight
of the Cart was, however, only intent upon rescuing th