" And
to these Queen Helen lent her assent.
So King Ban summoned to him the seneschal of the castle, who was named Sir
Malydor le Brun, and said to him: "Messire, I go hence to-night by a secret
pass, with intent to betake me unto King Arthur, and to beseech his aid in
this extremity. Moreover, I shall take with me my lady and the young child
Launcelot, to place them within the care of King Arthur during these
dolorous wars. But besides these, I will take no other one with me but only
my favorite esquire, Foliot. Now I charge thee, sir, to hold this castle in
my behalf with all thy might and main, and yield it not to our enemies upon
any extremity; for I believe I shall in a little while return with
sufficient aid from King Arthur to compass the relief of this place."
[Sidenote: King Ban with Queen Helen and Launcelot escape from Trible] So
when night had fallen very dark and still, King Ban, and Queen Helen, and
the young child Launcelot, and the esquire Foliot left the town privily by
means of a postern gate. Thence they went by a secret path, known only to a
very few, that led down a steep declivity of rocks, with walls of rock upon
either side that were very high indeed, and so they came out in safety
beyond the army of King Claudas and into the forest of the valley below.
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