Still I rejoiced, and counted myself amongst the glorious knights of old; having even the unspeakable presumption--my shame and self-condemnation at the memory of it are such, that I write it as the only and sorest penance I can perform--to think of myself (will the world believe it ?) as side by side with Sir Galahad! Scarcely had the thought been born in my mind, when, approaching me from the left, through the trees, I espied a resplendent knight, of mighty size, whose armour seemed to shine of itself, without the sun.

When he drew near, I was astonished to see that this armour was like my own; nay, I could trace, line for line, the correspondence of the inlaid silver to the device on my own.

His horse, too, was like mine in colour, form, and motion; save that, like his rider, he was greater and fiercer than his counterpart.

The knight rode with beaver up.

As he halted right opposite to me in the narrow path, barring my way, I saw the reflection of my countenance in the centre plate of shining steel on his breastplate.