Now after Sir Launcelot had quitted the Court of King Arthur as aforetold of, the Queen pretended to great joyousness of heart, although there was no joyousness within her. “I was hasty,” she said to herself, “and Sir Launcelot was hasty and hath left me again. But this was my fault and I must show no repining, but must appear to be cheerful to all. So I will give a feast, that my seeming joyousness may be made manifest to the world, and no one shall have cause to say that I repine at the loss of Sir Launcelot.” So said the Queen to herself upon that occasion. [Sidenote: _Queen Guinevere proclaimeth a feast._] So she proclaimed a feast, and she had at that feast the following knights of the Round Table: there were Sir Gawaine and his brothers, to wit, Sir Agravaine, Sir Geharis, Sir Gareth, and Sir Mordred. Also there were Sir Bors de Ganis, and Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, and Sir Blamor de Ganis, and there were Sir Galahad and Sir Galyhadin and Sir Ector and Sir Lionel and Sir Palamydes and Sir Safyr; and there were Sir Persavant and Sir Ironside and Sir Brandiles; and there were Sir Kay the Seneschal and Sir Mador de la Porte and Sir Patrice of Ireland, and Sir Alyduke and Sir Artamore. Now at that time Sir Lamorack of Gales had been slain, and report placed his death at the hands of Sir Gawaine (although this report was not true), and of two of Sir Gawaine’s brothers, to wit, Sir Agravaine and Sir Geharis. There was at the Court of King Arthur a certain knight hight Sir Pinal the Savage, who was cousin to Sir Lamorack, and Sir Pinal was very bitter against Sir Gawaine, and was anxious to be revenged upon him, yet he wit not how to take that revenge. [Sidenote: _Sir Pinal, surnamed the Savage, poisoneth an apple._] Now Sir Gawaine had a custom of eating an apple immediately after he had dined, and this Sir Pinal was aware of. So Sir Pinal took the fairest apple he could find, and he introduced into it a very subtle and very malignant poison, and this apple he placed in the centre of the table, and in the midst of all the fruit. For he said to himself, “There will Sir Gawaine find this apple, and he will take it and eat it and will die.” And he said, “Queen Guinevere will be blamed for that death, for all the world knoweth that she and Sir Gawaine are unfriends.” So said Sir Pinal, for he thought thus to be revenged for the death of Sir Lamorack upon Sir Gawaine, and he knew not how else to achieve that vengeance. For next to Sir Launcelot, Sir Gawaine was the strongest knight of the court, and he was besides nephew to King Arthur and of great importance in the King’s household. Wherefore it was that Sir Pinal sought to slay Sir Gawaine by that poisoned apple. [Sidenote: _Sir Patrice of Ireland eateth the apple, and dieth._]