And everych held as fell them by adventure.Here leaveth the tale of Sir Gawaine and his fellows,and speak we of Sir Galahad.
CHAPTER XVII
How Sir Galahad met with Sir Launcelot and Sir Percivale,and smote them down,and departed from them.
So when Sir Galahad was departed from the Castle of Maidens he rode till he came to a waste forest,and there he met with Sir Launcelot and Sir Percivale,but they knew him not,for he was new disguised.Right so Sir Launcelot,his father,dressed his spear and brake it upon Sir Galahad,and Galahad smote him so again that he smote down horse and man.And then he drew his sword,and dressed him unto Sir Percivale,and smote him so on the helm,that it rove to the coif of steel;and had not the sword swerved Sir Percivale had been slain,and with the stroke he fell out of his saddle.
This jousts was done to-fore the hermitage where a recluse dwelled.And when she saw Sir Galahad ride,she said:God be with thee,best knight of the world.
Ah certes,said she,all aloud that Launcelot and Percivale might hear it:An yonder two knights had known thee as well as I do they would not have encountered with thee.Then Sir Galahad heard her say so he was adread to be known:therewith he smote his horse with his spurs and rode a great pace froward them.Then perceived they both that he was Galahad;and up they gat on their horses,and rode fast after him,but in a while he was out of their sight.And then they turned again with heavy cheer.Let us spere some tidings,said Percivale,at yonder recluse.Do as ye list,said Sir Launcelot.
When Sir Percivale came to the recluse she knew him well enough,and Sir Launcelot both.But Sir Launcelot rode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest,and held no path but as wild adventure led him.And at the last he came to a stony cross which departed two ways in waste land;and by the cross was a stone that was of marble,but it was so dark that Sir Launcelot might not wit what it was.Then Sir Launcelot looked by him,and saw an old chapel,and there he weened to have found people;and Sir Launcelot tied his horse till a tree,and there he did off his shield and hung it upon a tree,and then went to the chapel door,and found it waste and broken.And within he found a fair altar,full richly arrayed with cloth of clean silk,and there stood a fair clean candlestick,which bare six great candles,and the candlestick was of silver.And when Sir Launcelot saw this light he had great will for to enter into the chapel,but he could find no place where he might enter;then was he passing heavy and dismayed.
Then he returned and came to his horse and did off his saddle and bridle,and let him pasture,and unlaced his helm,and ungirt his sword,and laid him down to sleep upon his shield to-fore the cross.
CHAPTER XVIII
How Sir Launcelot,half sleeping and half waking,saw a sick man borne in a litter,and how he was healed with the Sangreal.
AND so he fell asleep;and half waking and sleeping he saw come by him two palfreys all fair and white,the which bare a litter,therein lying a sick knight.And when he was nigh the cross he there abode still.All this Sir Launcelot saw and beheld,for he slept not verily;and he heard him say:O sweet Lord,when shall this sorrow leave me?and when shall the holy vessel come by me,wherethrough I shall be blessed?For I have endured thus long,for little trespass.A full great while complained the knight thus,and always Sir Launcelot heard it.With that Sir Launcelot saw the candlestick with the six tapers come before the cross,and he saw nobody that brought it.Also there came a table of silver,and the holy vessel of the Sangreal,which Launcelot had seen aforetime in King Pescheour's house.And therewith the sick knight set him up,and held up both his hands,and said:Fair sweet Lord,which is here within this holy vessel;take heed unto me that I may be whole of this malady.And therewith on his hands and on his knees he went so nigh that he touched the holy vessel and kissed it,and anon he was whole;and then he said:Lord God,I thank thee,for I am healed of this sickness.
So when the holy vessel had been there a great while it went unto the chapel with the chandelier and the light,so that Launcelot wist not where it was become;for he was overtaken with sin that he had no power to rise again the holy vessel;wherefore after that many men said of him shame,but he took repentance after that.Then the sick knight dressed him up and kissed the cross;anon his squire brought him his arms,and asked his lord how he did.Certes,said he,I thank God right well,through the holy vessel I am healed.But I have marvel of this sleeping knight that had no power to awake when this holy vessel was brought hither.I dare right well say,said the squire,that he dwelleth in some deadly sin whereof he was never confessed.By my faith,said the knight,whatsomever he be he is unhappy,for as I deem he is of the fellowship of the Round Table,the which is entered into the quest of the Sangreal.Sir,said the squire,here I have brought you all your arms save your helm and your sword,and therefore by mine assent now may ye take this knight's helm and his sword:and so he did.And when he was clean armed he took Sir Launcelot's horse,for he was better than his;and so departed they from the cross.
CHAPTER XIX
How a voice spake to Sir Launcelot,and how he found his horse and his helm borne away,and after went afoot.
THEN anon Sir Launcelot waked,and set him up,and bethought him what he had seen there,and whether it were dreams or not.Right so heard he a voice that said:Sir Launcelot,more harder than is the stone,and more bitter than is the wood,and more naked and barer than is the leaf of the fig tree;therefore go thou from hence,and withdraw thee from this holy place.And when Sir Launcelot heard this he was passing heavy and wist not what to do,and so departed sore weeping,and cursed the time that he was born.
For then he deemed never to have had worship more.