so endeth this book of king arthur which hath been told by me with such joyousness of spirit that i find it to be a very great pleasure, in closing this first volume of my work, to look forward to writing a second volume, which now presently followeth.

in that volume there shall be told the history of several very noble worthies who were of the court of the king, and it seems to me to be a good thing to have to do with the history of such noble and honorable knights and gentlemen. for, indeed, it might well please anyone to read such an history, and to hear those worthies speak, and to behold in what manner they behaved in times of trial and tribulation. for their example will doubtless help us all to behave in a like manner in a like case.