8. A whetstone; if the sword of a brave man were sharpened thereon, andany one were wounded therewith, he would be sure to die; but if it werethat of a coward that was sharpened on it, he would be none the worse.9. A garment; if a man of gentle birth put it on, it suited him well; butif a churl, it would not fit him.10, 11. A pan and a platter; whatever food was required was found therein.12. A chessboard; when the men were placed upon it, they would play ofthemselves. The chessboard was of gold, and the men of silver.13. The mantle of Arthur; whosoever was beneath it could see everything,while no one could see him.It is towards this tower, some legends say, that Merlin was last seen bysome Irish monks, sailing away westward, with a maiden, in a boat ofcrystal, beneath a sunset sky.VIIISIR LANCELOT OF THE LAKESir Lancelot, the famous knight, was the son of a king and queen againstwhom their subjects rebelled; the king was killed, the queen takencaptive, when a fairy rose in a cloud of mist and carried away the infantLancelot from where he had been left beneath a tree. The queen, afterweeping on the body of her husband, looked round and saw a lady standingby the water-side, holding the queen's child in her arms. "Fair, sweetfriend," said the queen, "give me back my child." The fairy made no reply,but dived into the water; and the queen was taken to an abbey, where shewas known as the Queen of Great Griefs.
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