CHAPTER XVI
 
 How King Arthur was brought into the Forest Perilous,
 and how Sir Tristram saved his life.
 
 NOW shall ye hear what was the cause that King Arthur came into
 the Forest Perilous, that was in North Wales, by the means of a
 lady.  Her name was Annowre, and this lady came to King Arthur at
 Cardiff; and she by fair promise and fair behests made King
 Arthur to ride with her into that Forest Perilous; and she was a
 great sorceress; and many days she had loved King Arthur, and
 because she would have him to lie by her she came into that
 country.  So when the king was gone with her many of his knights
 followed after King Arthur when they missed him, as Sir
 Launcelot, Brandiles, and many other; and when she had brought
 him to her tower she desired him to lie by her; and then the king
 remembered him of his lady, and would not lie by her for no craft
 that she could do.  Then every day she would make him ride into
 that forest with his own knights, to the intent to have had King
 Arthur slain.  For when this Lady Annowre saw that she might not
 have him at her will, then she laboured by false means to have
 destroyed King Arthur, and slain.
 
 Then the Lady of the Lake that was alway friendly to King Arthur,
 she understood by her subtle crafts that <377>King Arthur was
 like to be destroyed.  And therefore this Lady of the Lake, that
 hight Nimue, came into that forest to seek after Sir Launcelot du
 Lake or Sir Tristram for to help King Arthur; foras that same day
 this Lady of the Lake knew well that King Arthur should be slain,
 unless that he had help of one of these two knights.  And thus
 she rode up and down till she met with Sir Tristram, and anon as
 she saw him she knew him.  O my lord Sir Tristram, she said, well
 be ye met, and blessed be the time that I have met with you; for
 this same day, and within these two hours, shall be done the
 foulest deed that ever was done in this land.  O fair damosel,
 said Sir Tristram, may I amend it.  Come on with me, she said,
 and that in all the haste ye may, for ye shall see the most
 worshipfullest knight of the world hard bestead.  Then said Sir
 Tristram: I am ready to help such a noble man.  He is neither
 better nor worse, said the Lady of the Lake, but the noble King
 Arthur himself.  God defend, said Sir Tristram, that ever he
 should be in such distress.  Then they rode together a great
 pace, until they came to a little turret or castle; and
 underneath that castle they saw a knight standing upon foot
 fighting with two knights; and so Sir Tristram beheld them, and
 at the last the two knights smote down the one knight, and that
 one of them unlaced his helm to have slain him.  And the Lady
 Annowre gat King Arthur's sword in her hand to have stricken off
 his head.  And therewithal came Sir Tristram with all his might,
 crying:  Traitress, traitress, leave that.  And anon there Sir
 Tristram smote the one of the knights through the body that he
 fell dead; and then he rashed to the other and smote his back
 asunder; and in the meanwhile the Lady of the Lake cried to King
 Arthur:  Let not that false lady escape.  Then King Arthur
 overtook her, and with the same sword he smote off her head, and
 the Lady of the Lake took up her head and hung it up by the hair
 of her saddle-bow.  And then Sir Tristram horsed King Arthur and
 rode forth with him, but he charged the Lady of the Lake not to
 discover his name as at that time.
 
 <378>
 When the king was horsed he thanked heartily Sir Tristram, and
 desired to wit his name; but he would not tell him, but that he
 was a poor knight adventurous; and so he bare King Arthur
 fellowship till he met with some of his knights.  And within a
 while he met with Sir Ector de Maris, and he knew not King Arthur
 nor Sir Tristram, and he desired to joust with one of them.  Then
 Sir Tristram rode unto Sir Ector, and smote him from his horse. 
 And when he had done so he came again to the king and said:  My
 lord, yonder is one of your knights, he may bare you fellowship,
 and another day that deed that I have done for you I trust to God
 ye shall understand that I would do you service.  Alas, said King
 Arthur, let me wit what ye are?  Not at this time, said Sir
 Tristram.  So he departed and left King Arthur and Sir Ector
 together.