CHAPTER VIII

THE PROSE LANCELOT--LANCELOT AND THE GRAIL

Intricacy of questions involved--Grail problem, so far, has not been solved--Possibility that mutual relation between _Lancelot_ and _Grail_ romances may yield us the key to both problems 119-120

Necessity of distinguishing three distinct _Questes_--Later Grail _Queste_ combination of _Grail_ (Perceval) and _Château Merveil_ (Gawain) adventures 121

Dr. Wechssler's theory of _Grail-Lancelot_ cycle examined-- Results as deduced by author unsatisfactory 121-124

Evidence of MS. 751 key to truth--Original Borron _Queste_ a Perceval, not a Galahad, _Queste_--Didot _Perceval_ represents an early, _Perceval li Gallois_ a later, form of Perceval-Lancelot--Grail _Queste_ evidence for this discussed 124-132

Origin of the Galahad _Queste_--Dependent upon the _Lancelot_, but by another hand--Contradiction between presentment of characters and essential _motif_ of story 133-140

Motives determining evolution of Galahad _Queste_--Necessity of connecting two main branches of tradition, _Lancelot_ and the _Grail_--This only possible under certain conditions which we find fulfilled in the _Queste_ 140-146