Thus had the sorceress Kondrie, that maiden fierce and proud, Wrought evil upon the Waleis, and his fame to the earth had bowed. Naught they helped him, his bold heart's counsel, his manhood and knightly fame, And high o'er all other virtues, the virtue of knightly shame. 710 (For falsehood he ne'er had hearkened,) and true shame doth rewarding bring, And it crowneth the soul with honour as the circlet doth crown a king. And he who true shame doth cherish his work shall for ever stand-- Then she lifted her voice o'er the maidens, the maiden of fair Lalande, And she wept for the words of Kondrie, and the sorrow of Parzival, 715 For the fairest of men did she deem him; and swiftly the teardrops fell From the eyes of many a woman, for the sake of that hero bold, And they sorrowed at heart, and their weeping must many a knight behold! Now sorrow had Kondrie brought them; and e'en as her way she went Another must ride towards them on a warlike errand bent; 720 A knight of a haughty bearing, and his harness was fair to see, From his foot to the goodly helmet, and royal its cost must be, And richly plumed was the helmet; and, e'en as the man, the steed Was clad in such glittering armour as serveth for knightly need. And he found them, both man and maiden, heavy and sad at heart, 725 As he rode nigh unto the circle; hear ye how he bare his part-- Tho' his mien it was high and haughty, yet his heart it was full of woe, Of the twain shall ye learn the reason; thro' his manhood he pride must know, Yet grief to his heart taught mourning--Thus rode he unto the ring, Were it well he should come within it? Then squires to his aid did spring, 730 And the gallant knight they greeted, yet were he and his shield unknown, Nor he doffed from his head the helmet, and sorrow was his alone; And his hand bare a sword unsheathèd, and he asked for those heroes twain, 'Where are they whom I fain would speak with, King Arthur and Knight Gawain?'