AND so he put his horse to pasture,and did off his helm and his shield,and made his prayers unto the Cross that he never fall in deadly sin again.And so he laid him down to sleep.And anon as he was asleep it befell him there an advision,that there came a man afore him all by compass of stars,and that man had a crown of gold on his head and that man led in his fellowship seven kings and two knights.And all these worshipped the Cross,kneeling upon their knees,holding up their hands toward the heaven.And all they said:Fair sweet Father of heaven come and visit us,and yield unto us everych as we have deserved.
Then looked Launcelot up to the heaven,and him seemed the clouds did open,and an old man came down,with a company of angels,and alighted among them,and gave unto everych his blessing,and called them his servants,and good and true knights.And when this old man had said thus he came to one of those knights,and said:I have lost all that I have set in thee,for thou hast ruled thee against me as a warrior,and used wrong wars with vain-glory,more for the pleasure of the world than to please me,therefore thou shalt be confounded without thou yield me my treasure.All this advision saw Sir Launcelot at the Cross.
And on the morn he took his horse and rode till mid-day;and there by adventure he met with the same knight that took his horse,helm,and his sword,when he slept when the Sangreal appeared afore the Cross.When Sir Launcelot saw him he saluted hin not fair,but cried on high:Knight,keep thee,for thou hast done to me great unkindness.And then they put afore them their spears,and Sir Launcelot came so fiercely upon him that he smote him and his horse down to the earth,that he had nigh broken his neck.Then Sir Launcelot took the knight's horse that was his own aforehand,and descended from the horse he sat upon,and mounted upon his own horse,and tied the knight's own horse to a tree,that he might find that horse when that he was arisen.Then Sir Launcelot rode till night,and by adventure he met an hermit,and each of them saluted other;and there he rested with that good man all night,and gave his horse such as he might get.Then said the good man unto Launcelot:Of whence be ye?Sir,said he,I am of Arthur's court,and my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake that am in the quest of the Sangreal,and therefore I pray you to counsel me of a vision the which I had at the Cross.
And so he told him all.
CHAPTER IV
How the hermit expounded to Sir Launcelot his advision,and told him that Sir Galahad was his son.
LO,Sir Launcelot,said the good man,there thou mightest understand the high lineage that thou art come of,and thine advision betokeneth.After the passion of Jesu Christ forty year,Joseph of Aramathie preached the victory of King Evelake,that he had in the battles the better of his enemies.And of the seven kings and the two knights:
the first of them is called Nappus,an holy man;and the second hight Nacien,in remembrance of his grandsire,and in him dwelled our Lord Jesu Christ;and the third was called Helias le Grose;and the fourth hight Lisais;and the fifth hight Jonas,he departed out of his country and went into Wales,and took there the daughter of Manuel,whereby he had the land of Gaul,and he came to dwell in this country.And of him came King Launcelot thy grandsire,the which there wedded the king's daughter of Ireland,and he was as worthy a man as thou art,and of him came King Ban,thy father,the which was the last of the seven kings.And by thee,Sir Launcelot,it signifieth that the angels said thou were none of the seven fellowships.
And the last was the ninth knight,he was signified to a lion,for he should pass all manner of earthly knights,that is Sir Galahad,the which thou gat on King Pelles'
daughter;and thou ought to thank God more than any other man living,for of a sinner earthly thou hast no peer as in knighthood,nor never shall be.But little thank hast thou given to God for all the great virtues that God hath lent thee.Sir,said Launcelot,ye say that that good knight is my son.That oughtest thou to know and no man better,said the good man,for thou knewest the daughter of King Pelles fleshly,and on her thou begattest Galahad,and that was he that at the feast of Pentecost sat in the Siege Perilous;and therefore make thou it known openly that he is one of thy begetting on King Pelles'
daughter,for that will be your worship and honour,and to all thy kindred.And I counsel you in no place press not upon him to have ado with him.Well,said Launcelot,meseemeth that good knight should pray for me unto the High Father,that I fall not to sin again.Trust thou well,said the good man,thou farest mickle the better for his prayer;but the son shall not bear the wickedness of the father,nor the father shall not bear the wickedness of the son,but everych shall bear his own burden.And therefore beseek thou only God,and He will help thee in all thy needs.And then Sir Launcelot and he went to supper,and so laid him to rest,and the hair pricked so Sir Launcelot's skin which grieved him full sore,but he took it meekly,and suffered the pain.And so on the morn he heard his mass and took his arms,and so took his leave.
CHAPTER V
How Sir Launcelot jousted with many knights,and how he was taken.
AND then mounted upon his horse,and rode into a forest,and held no highway.And as he looked afore him he saw a fair plain,and beside that a fair castle,and afore the castle were many pavilions of silk and of diverse hue.