The inscription on the verdure reads: "How after that the damsel had bidden the knights of the round table to seek the sangrael they departed on the quest whatever might befall but of those that departed these are the chiefest, sir gawaine, sir lancelot of the lake, sir hector de marys, sir bors de gamys, sir perceval and sir galahad." Or, as Burne-Jones put it: "The knights go forth, and it is good-bye all round." 1 In Malory s text the leave-taking is an occasion for "weeping and great sor- row," as King Arthur bewails that his "true fellowship shall never meet here more again." Here it is a more cheerful departure, the knights shown receiving their shields and armor from the ladies of Camelot. On the left, Launcelot takes his armament from Guinevere, a reminder of his adultery with the Queen, which is the cause of his subsequent failure on the quest. The balancing figure on the right is Gawaine, with an eagle on his shield. This subject is one of Burne-Jones s most successful groups of large-scale figures, its basically symmetrical composition dictated by the decision that the original tapestry would hang over one corner of the dining room at Stanmore Hall. The shimmering complementary colors of red, green, and gold are enhanced by Morris's decision to use silk threads in the weav- ing, which were described in Burne-Jones s account as "essen- tial to certain effects where bright colours were wanted, as in the sheen of metal and for the armours; and in the draperies where the damask effect is produced by silk." 2 A first design for the subject, known as The Departure of the Knights, must date from 1890, and shows the mounted knights, on the point of departure from an outdoor camp, turning to acknowledge a group of figures which includes both King Arthur and Queen Guinevere; on the right Galahad rides off, preceded by a vision of the Holy Grail. 3 The body of knights, with a mass of swirling banners filling the upper ground, is close in feel both to Flodden Field (cat. no. 132) and to the two battle scenes initially conceived to flank the central part of Arthur in Ava/on, as depicted in the large modello in water- color now at the Koriyama Museum of Art, Japan. Burne-Jones must soon have recognized the necessity of concentrating on more focused combinations of figures to fill the picture plane, and there are two designs known for the eventual composition of The Arming and Departure of the Knights, which show a refinement of the design toward its finished state. 4 Among a number of individual figure studies is one for the lady holding Launcelot's helmet (Edmonton Art Gallery, Canada). 5 1. Memorials, vol. 2, p. 208. 2. A. B. Bence-Jones, "The Holy Grail Tapestries," 1895, manuscript, National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 3. In pastel, 29V2 x 54 in. (75 x 137.5 cm); Arts Council 1975-76, no. 229. 4. One in colored chalks, 20 x 28 in. (51 x 71 cm), sold at Christie's, July 4, 1967, lot 62; the second in watercolor, bodycolor, and chalks, signed and dated 1891, is at Magdalen College, Oxford. 5. Art Gallery of Ontario 1993-94, no. a:24.