Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place; and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross.

Then he looked by him, and was ware of a damsel that came riding as fast as her horse might gallop upon a fair palfrey. And when she espied that Sir Lanceor was slain, then she made sorrow out of measure, and said, O Balin ! two bodies hast thou slain and one heart, and two hearts in one body, and two souls thou hast lost.

With that truncheon thou hast slain a good knight, and now it sticketh in thy body.

And much more am I sorrier for my good knights' loss than for the loss of my fair queen; for queens I might have enough, but such a fellowship of good knights shall never be together in no company.

Wit thou well that I will not live long after thy days.

For, as I suppose, no man in this world hath lived better than I have done, to achieve that I have done.

The month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit.