1^{a} At that time, which was in 1^{b} The noble King of England, the beginning of the severe winter, in order that his people it happened that a great should not give themselves up to king, who was most noble and absolute idleness and languor, of many excellent habits, ordered determined, since he had contracted an assembly of his court. marriage, to proclaim a On account of the great fame meeting of the General Court which his court enjoyed all over where great exercises of arms the earth, a doughty squire, all should take place. The news of alone and riding on his palfrey, the wonderful festival which the went thither in order that he famous king was planning was might be made a knight; when, spread throughout all the Christian on account of the fatigue that he realms. It happened that underwent from his riding, he a nobleman of ancient lineage fell asleep while going along on and a native of Brittany, traveling his steed. And at that moment in the company of many the knight who was doing penance other noblemen who were going in the forest had come to to the great festival, fell behind the spring to contemplate and all the rest, and, overcome by to despise the vanity of this the fatigue of the long journey world just as he was accustomed that he had made, dropped to do every day. asleep. His steed left the road While the squire was riding and followed a path which led along in this manner, his steed to the delightful spring where left the road and entered the the hermit was, who at that woods. It went wherever it very moment was reading with pleased in the forest until it came great delight a book entitled to the spring where the knight _Arbre de Batalles_. And he was was praying. The knight, who continuously rendering thanks, saw the squire coming, ceased while reading that book, to our praying and seated himself on Lord God for the singular favors the beautiful meadow in the that he had obtained in this shade of the tree, and began to world in the service of the Order read in a book which he had in of Chivalry. Being occupied in his lap. When the steed was at this manner, he saw a man on the spring, it drank, and the horseback coming across the squire who in his sleep felt that plain, and noticed that he was the palfrey was no longer moving, asleep. He ceased reading and awoke, and saw before him did not wish to awaken him. the knight who was very old, When the steed was in front of