"That is not right, sire, nor honorable, nor in keeping with your station; by no means do I intend to take back the mantle before I see that all the women and maidens have tried it on, for whatever a king grants and promises must never be rescinded or revoked because of anyone's demanding or inciting words" (216)
This is a significant part of the story, since it drives forward the plot of every maiden trying on the mantle. This is another instance of King Arthur saying an idea, only for someone to suggest the opposite and Arthur immediately turning his opinion of the situation around. King Arthur could have relatively easily removed the man with the mantle from his presence, but he allows him to remain and continues to force every maiden he can find to where the mantle. This decision causes a cascade of embarrassment and anxiety for everyone involved. One can only imagine the amount of awkward conversation that ensued within the court after this story took place.
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