And Sir Launcelot thought nothing of what he had done by that blow; for in his fury and raging he beheld the Lady Queen Guinevere before him. With that he spurred forward without looking down upon the earth to see who it was whom he had smitten down, and he catched the Queen up from her saddle and seated her on his saddle before him. Then he shouted, “Let us away and escape while there is yet time!” [Sidenote: _He slayeth Sir Geharis._] So with that Sir Geharis put himself forward to stay Sir Launcelot, and Sir Launcelot, beholding him there in the way and not witting who he was, smote him also with his sword and slew him. [Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot escapeth with the Queen._] So with that they all ceased fighting and spurred away from that place, cleaving their way before them and taking Queen Guinevere with them. And they rode away from that place and from that city, and they ceased not to ride until they had come to the confines of Joyous Gard, where there was an asylum of peace and safety. And in that battle there were lost twenty-seven knights of the King, and of these there were eleven knights of the Round Table. And there were lost sixteen knights of Sir Launcelot’s party and of them there were nine knights of the Round Table. And in that battle Sir Kay the Seneschal and Sir Gareth and Sir Geharis and Sir Griflet lost their lives. [Illustration: The Bishop of Rochester and the King.] [Illustration] Chapter Fifth _How King Arthur attacked Sir Launcelot at Joyous Gard; how Sir Lionel was slain and how Sir Bors was wounded._ Now come we to the beginning of the end of this great and glorious reign of King Arthur of Britain. For so Sir Launcelot stepped between the Queen and the law as hath afore been told of, and having done so there was no recession for him from that act. For so was he bound to protect the Queen and to cherish her if he could do so; and King Arthur was bound to recover his Queen to bring her back to her duty again if he could do so. [Sidenote: _Concerning Queen Guinevere and Sir Launcelot._] Yet in all this the Queen had not sinned against King Arthur, saving only that she had escaped from her enemies and from justice at Camelot, and also because King Arthur supposed that her affections had wandered from him and toward Sir Launcelot. For in all other respects the Queen was ever as honorable and as pure as she had been when first she came to King Arthur that long while before at Camilard (which same hath been told in full in the Book of King Arthur). Yet there was this, that the coming of Sir Launcelot from the Lake and the greatness of Sir Launcelot as a knight, and the beauty of the person of Sir Launcelot, so fascinated her that she could not let him go his way without meddling with his fortunes. Wherefore she demanded him for her knight, and she was angry at any interference that prevented him from serving her as her knight both singly and in all things.