his Court there at Whitsuntide. . . . . And on Whit Tuesday, as the King sat at the banquet, lo! there entered a tall, fair-headed youth, clad in a coat and a surcoat of diapered satin, &c. . . . . And he came and stood before Arthur. . . . . 'I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the Forest of Dean.' . . . . "'Tell me thine errand,' said Arthur. . . . . 'I will do so, Lord,' said he. 'In the Forest I saw a stag, the like of which beheld I never yet. . . . . He is of pure white, Lord, and he does not herd with any other animal through stateliness and pride, so royal is his bearing. And I come to seek thy counsel, Lord, and to know thy will concerning him.' 'It seems best to me,' said Arthur, 'to go and hunt him to-morrow at break of day; and to cause general notice thereof to be given to-night in all quarters of the Court.'. . . . . Then Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, 'Wilt thou permit me, Lord,' said she, 'to go to-morrow to see and hear the hunt of the stag of which the young man spoke?' 'I will gladly,' said Arthur. 'Then will I go,' said she. . . . .
"And when the next day came, they arose. . . . .
"And Arthur wondered that Gwenhwyvar did not awake, and did not move in her bed. . . . . Then
