Part 10

“Sir,” said Sir Kay, the steward, “if you go now to dinner you will break an old custom of your court, for you never sit down on this day until you have seen some adventure.”

“You speak the truth,” said King Arthur, “but I was so glad to see Sir Launcelot and his cousins that I forgot the custom.”

While they were still speaking, a squire came in and said to the king, “Sir, I bring you marvelous tidings.”

“What are they?” he asked.

“Sir, I saw in the river below a great stone floating on the water, and in it a sword sticking.”

“Then,” said the king, “I will see that marvel.”

The knights went with him down to the river and saw there a stone of red marble floating, like a great millstone, and in the middle was stuck a beautiful sword, in the handle of which were words formed of precious stones set in gold, which said:

“Never shall man draw me out, save the one by whose side I ought to hang, and he shall be the best knight of the world.”

When the king read the letters, he said to Sir Launcelot, “Fair sir, this sword ought to be yours; for I am sure you are the best knight of the world.”

“Sir,” answered Sir Launcelot soberly, “it is not my sword, nor am I bold enough to grasp it, for it ought not to hang by my side; also, whoever attempts to draw it and fails, will receive a wound and will not live long after; and I am sure you must know that to-day the adventures of the Holy Grail will begin.”

“Now, fair nephew,” said the king to Sir Gawain, “attempt it once for me.”

“Sir,” said Sir Gawain, “I will obey your command.”

Immediately he grasped the sword by the handle, but could not stir it.

“I thank you,” said King Arthur.

“Sir Gawain,” said Sir Launcelot, “this sword will one day hurt you so sorely that you will wish you had never put your hand to it for the best castle of the realm.”

“Sir,” said Sir Gawain, “I might not resist my uncle’s command.”

When King Arthur heard this he was sorry, and then he bade Sir Percival try it, who said that he would gladly, to bear Sir Gawain company. Thereupon he took hold of the sword and drew it strongly, but he could not even move it. After that there was no one who was bold enough to attempt it.

“Now you may go to dinner,” said Sir Kay, “for you have seen a marvelous adventure.”

_Sir Galahad Sits in the Perilous Seat_

The king and all the knights then returned to the castle and each knight sat in his own place at the table, and the young men who were not knights served them. When all were served and all the seats were filled except the Perilous Seat, a strange thing happened; for all the windows and doors of the castle shut by themselves; yet, for all that, the hall was not greatly darkened.

King Arthur was the first to speak. “Fair comrades,” he said, “we have seen marvels to-day; but methinks ere night we shall see still greater marvels.”

Even while he was speaking, an old man came in, clothed all in white; and none of the knights knew who he was or where he came from. With him was a young knight in red armor, without sword or shield; but an empty scabbard hung by his side.

“Peace be with you, gentlemen,” said the old man; then to King Arthur, “Sir, I bring you a young knight who is of king’s lineage, and of the kindred of Joseph of Arimathea; therefore the marvels of this court, and of strange countries, shall be fully accomplished.”

The king was truly glad to hear this, and said, “Sir, you are heartily welcome, and the young knight with you.”

When the young knight had taken off his armor he stood in a coat of red silk, and the old man put on his shoulder a mantle, furred with fine ermine, and said: “Sir, follow me.”

Then he led the way to the Perilous Seat, beside which sat Sir Launcelot; and then lifted up the cloth and found new letters which said:

“This is the seat of Sir Galahad, the good knight.”

“Sir,” said the old man, “know well this place is yours.”

Sir Galahad sat down safely in the Perilous Seat, and then said to his guide, “Sir, you may now go your way, for you have done as you were commanded to do; and recommend me to my grandfather, King Pelleas, and say that I shall come to see him as soon as I may.”

When the old man departed twenty squires met him, and they took their horses and rode away.

The knights of the Round Table wondered greatly at Sir Galahad, because he was so youthful, and because he dared to sit in the Perilous Seat; and they did not know where he was from, save from God, and they said, “This is he by whom the Holy Grail shall be achieved, for no man ever before sat there unhurt.”

Sir Launcelot looked at his son with great joy, and Sir Bors said to his comrades, “Upon pain of my life, this young knight shall come to great honor.”

There was so much noise in the hall that the queen heard it, and she had a great desire to see the knight who dared such an adventure. When dinner was done the king rose and went to Sir Galahad’s seat and lifted the cloth and read his name. Then he showed it to Sir Gawain and said, “Fair nephew, now we have among us the blameless knight who will bring honor to us all; and, upon pain of my life, he shall achieve the Holy Grail, as Sir Launcelot has given us to understand.”

King Arthur then came to Sir Galahad and said, “Sir, you are welcome, for you shall move many good knights to seek the Holy Grail, and you shall achieve what no other knight has been able to accomplish.”

_Sir Galahad Wins the Sword of Balin Le Savage_

The king then took Sir Galahad by the hand, and went down to the river to show him the adventure of the stone, and the queen and many ladies went with them and saw the stone floating in the water.

“Sir,” said the king to him, “here is a great marvel as ever I saw, and right good knights have attempted it and failed.”

“Sir,” answered Sir Galahad, “that is no marvel, for the adventure is not theirs, but mine; and because of this sword I brought none with me, for its empty scabbard hangs by my side.”

Then he grasped the sword quickly, and drew it out of the stone, and put it into his scabbard, and said, “Now it goes better than it did before.”

“Sir,” said the king, “a shield also God shall send you.”

“Now,” said Sir Galahad, “I have the sword that once belonged to the good knight, Sir Balin le Savage; with this sword he slew his brother Balan, and that was a great pity, for neither knew that he fought his brother until wounded to death.”

With that they saw a lady on a white horse riding along the river bank toward them. She saluted the king and queen and asked for Sir Launcelot.

“I am here, fair lady,” said Sir Launcelot.

Then she said, weeping, “Your great doings are changed since this morning.”

“Damsel, why do you say so?” demanded Sir Launcelot.

“I say truth,” said she, “for you were to-day the best knight in the world, but whoever said so now would be proved a liar. There is one better than you, for you dared not grasp the sword! Therefore, I ask you to remember that you are no longer the best knight in the world.”

“As to that,” said he, “I know well I was never the best.”

“Yes,” said the damsel, “you were, and are yet of any sinful man of the world: and, Sir,” she said to the king, “Nacien, the hermit, sends word of the greatest honor that ever befell king in Britain, for to-day the Holy Grail shall appear to thee and all thy comrades of the Round Table.”

Having thus spoken, the damsel took her leave and departed the same way that she came.

“Now,” said the king, “I am sure that all of you who sit at the Round Table will set out in quest of the Holy Grail, and I shall never see you together again; therefore let us go to the meadow of Camelot and hold a tournament, so that after your death men may say that we were all together on this day.”

To this they all agreed, and assembled with their arms in the jousting field. Now the king wished to prove Sir Galahad and to see what he would do. At the king’s request he put on his armor, but would not take a shield. Then Sir Gawain begged him to take a spear, which he did. And the queen sat in a tower with all her ladies to see the tournament.

Then Sir Galahad took his place in the field and began to break marvelously the spears of those who rode against him, so that men wondered. In a short while he overthrew and unhorsed many of the good knights of the Round Table, save two, Sir Launcelot and Sir Percival.

Then the king made Sir Galahad alight from his horse and unlace his helmet so that Queen Guinevere might see him closely. When she saw him she said, “Truly, he is the son of Sir Launcelot, for never did two men more resemble each other; it is no wonder that he has great valor.”

A lady who stood by said, “Madam, ought he of right to be so good a knight?”

“Yes,” said she, “for he comes of the best knights in the world, and of the highest lineage.”

_The Knights of the Round Table Set Out in Quest of the Holy Grail_

The king and all his knights then left the jousting field, and rode to Camelot Church to evensong; and after that they went home to supper. At supper, as each knight sat in his own place at the Round Table, there arose a great storm, and the cracking and crying of the thunder was so terrible that they thought the roof and walls of the castle were breaking apart.

In the midst of the blast a sunbeam entered the great window, seven times whiter than the light of day. Then every knight seemed fairer than his comrades had ever seen him, and no one dared speak for a long while, but all looked at each other as if they had been dumb.

Then there entered on the sunbeam the Holy Grail, but it was covered with a white silken cloth, so that no one could see it, or who bore it. Then the hall was filled with sweet odors, and every knight had such meat and drink as he liked best; and when the Holy Grail had been borne through the hall, it departed as suddenly as it came and the marvelous light with it, but no one knew where. When they had breath to speak, the king gave thanks.

“Certainly,” said he, “we ought greatly to thank our Lord for what he has shown us to-day at this high feast of Pentecost.”

“Now,” said Sir Gawain, “we have been served to-day with the food we liked best, but are sorry that we did not see the Holy Grail uncovered. Therefore, I will here make a vow to set forth on its quest to-morrow to be gone a year and a day, or longer if need be, and I shall not return till I have seen it more openly than to-day. If I do not find it, I shall return again, if it be not contrary to the will of our Lord.”

When the knights of the Round Table heard this, the most part of them arose and made the same vow. But King Arthur was greatly displeased, for he well knew that they might not break their vows.

“Alas,” said he, “your vows will nearly slay me; they will rob me of the bravest comrades and the truest knights ever seen together in any realm; and I foresee that we shall never meet in fellowship again, for many of you that I have loved as well as my life will die in this quest.”

With that the tears came into his eyes, and he said, “Sir Gawain, Sir Gawain, you have given me great sorrow, for I much doubt that my true fellowship shall ever meet here again.”

“Ah,” said Sir Launcelot, “comfort yourself; it will bring us greater honor than if we had died in any other quest, for of death we are sure.”

“Ah, Sir Launcelot,” said the king, “the great love I have had for you all the days of my life makes me say such sorrowful words; for Christian king never had so many worthy men at his table as I have had at the Round Table to-day.”

When the queen and her gentlewomen heard these things, they were filled with sorrow, for their knights held them in great honor and affection, but the queen was the most sorely grieved of all.

“I marvel,” said she, “that the king will permit them to leave him.”

Thus all the court was troubled that night, and many of the ladies desired to accompany their husbands; but an old knight arose and said this could not be, for in so high and dangerous a service they must go forth alone.

After a while they all went to rest, and Sir Galahad was put to bed in the king’s own chamber. As soon as it was daylight the king arose, for he had no sleep that night for sorrow. He went at once to Sir Gawain and Sir Launcelot and said again, “Ah! Sir Gawain! Sir Gawain! You have betrayed me, for my court will never be restored; but you will never be as sorry for me as I am for you.”

With that the tears began to run down his face, and he said, “Ah! knight, Sir Launcelot! I ask that you counsel me, for I wish this quest to be undone, and it can be.”

“Sir,” said Sir Launcelot, “you saw yesterday that many worthy knights were sworn to this quest, and they cannot break their vows.”

“That I know well,” said the king, “but my grief at their going is so great that no joy will ever heal it.”

After the king had gone, the two knights ordered their squires to bring their arms, and when they were armed they joined their comrades and all went to the church to hear their service.

After the service was over the king took count of those who had taken the vow to search for the Holy Grail and found that there were a hundred and fifty, all knights of the Round Table.

When they had bidden the queen and their ladies farewell, they put on their helmets and were ready to set forth, and there was weeping and great sorrow. Then the queen departed to her chamber to hide her grief. So the knights mounted their horses and rode through the streets of Camelot, and there was much weeping of both rich and poor; and the king turned away, for he could not speak for weeping.

After leaving the town, the men at arms rode all day, and toward evening arrived at a castle called Vagon. The lord of the castle was a good old man and he opened his gates and made them welcome and gave them good cheer, and there they passed the night. In the morning they all agreed that they should separate; so, bidding each other farewell, they departed, and each knight took the way that pleased him best.

_Sir Galahad Finds a White Shield With a Red Cross_

Now Sir Galahad rode four days without adventure, for as yet he had no shield. On the fourth day, toward evening, he arrived at a white abbey where he was received with great honor. There he found two knights of the Round Table, Sir Badgemagus and Sir Uwaine, who were delighted to see him, and they went to supper together.

“Sirs,” said Sir Galahad, “what adventure brought you here?”

“Sir,” they answered, “we are told there is a shield in this place, and whoever wears it about his neck will be wounded to death within three days, or else be maimed forever.”

“Ah! Sir,” said Sir Badgemagus, “I shall wear it to-morrow and attempt this strange adventure.”

“By my faith!” cried Sir Galahad.

“Sir,” said Sir Badgemagus, “if I do not achieve the adventure of the shield, you shall try it, for I am sure you shall not fail.”

“Sir,” said Sir Galahad, “I agree right well to that, for I have no shield.”

The next day when Sir Badgemagus inquired for the shield a monk led him behind the altar, where the shield hung as white as snow, but in the center was a red cross.

“Sir,” said the monk, “no knight ought to hang this shield about his neck, unless he be the worthiest in the world, therefore I counsel you to be well-advised.”

“Well,” said Sir Badgemagus, “I know I am not the worthiest knight in the world, yet I shall attempt to wear it.”

He then took the shield and said to Sir Galahad, “If it please you, I pray you remain here, till you know how I succeed.”

“I shall await you here,” said he.

After riding two miles, Sir Badgemagus and his squire came to a hermit’s house, from which a goodly knight rode forth to meet him. This knight was in white armor, horse and all, and he came as fast as his horse might run, with his spear in rest. Sir Badgemagus ran against him with such violence that he broke his spear upon the white knight’s shield; but the other struck him so hard that he broke his armor, pierced him through the shoulder and threw him from his horse.

With that the white knight alighted and took the white shield from him, saying, “Knight, thou hast done a foolish act, for this shield ought not be borne save by one that shall have no equal.”

Then he said to the wounded knight’s squire, “Bear this shield to the good knight, Sir Galahad, and greet him well for me.”

“Sir,” said the squire, “what is your name?”

“Take no heed of my name,” said the white knight; “it is not for you to know, nor any earthly man.”

“Now, fair sir,” said the squire, “tell me why this shield cannot be borne without injury to the bearer.”

“Now, since you ask me,” said he, “this shield belongs to no man but Sir Galahad.”

Then he set the wounded man on his horse and brought him to the hermit’s house and laid him gently in a bed, where his wound was dressed. There he lay a long time, and hardly escaped with his life.

“Sir Galahad,” said the squire on his return, “the knight who wounded Sir Badgemagus sends you greeting, and bids you bear this shield, for through it great adventures shall befall.”

“Now blessed be God and fortune,” said Sir Galahad.

He then put on his armor, mounted his horse, hung the shield about his neck and commended them to God. Sir Uwaine said that if it pleased him he would accompany him.

“Sir,” said Sir Galahad, “that cannot be, for I must ride alone.”

After awhile he came to the hermit’s house, where he met the white knight and saluted him courteously.

“Sir,” said he, “this shield must have seen many marvelous things.”

“Sir,” said the knight, “the legend says that, thirty years after the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea, the gentle knight who took down our Lord from the cross, departed from Jerusalem and his people with him, and came to a city called Sarras. Now, Evelake, the king of Sarras, had a war against the Saracens. Joseph told the king that he would be defeated and slain unless he gave up his belief of the old law and believed in the new.

“He then showed him the right belief, to which he agreed with all his heart, and this white shield was made for Evelake in the name of Him who died on the cross. After he had overcome his enemies with the help of this shield, he was baptized and, for the most part, all the people of the city.

“Soon after this Joseph departed from Sarras and Evelake with him; and, so the tale goes, Joseph carried the holy vessel and Evelake the shield, till, by good fortune, they came into the land of Britain.

“In due time Joseph lay on his death-bed and Evelake was full of sorrow and said, ‘For thy love I left my country; now, since thou art going out of the world, leave me some token of remembrance.’

“‘I will do that gladly,’ said Joseph; ‘bring me the shield.’

“Now Joseph made a cross on this shield with his own blood, and said, ‘Now you may know that I love you, for when you see this cross you shall think of me, for it shall always be as clear as it is now; and no man shall bear this shield without injury, except the good knight, Sir Galahad, who shall do many marvelous things.’

“Now know, Sir Galahad, that this is the day set for you to have this shield.” When he had thus spoken the white knight vanished from his sight.

_Sir Launcelot and Sir Percival Attack Sir Galahad_

Thus equipped with a shield, Sir Galahad set out on his quest; and, after many adventures, found himself in a vast forest. There he saw Sir Launcelot and Sir Percival riding along, but neither knew him, for he had newly disguised himself.

Sir Launcelot, his father, at once put his spear in rest and rode at his son, Sir Galahad, who struck so hard in his own defense that he threw both horse and man. Then he drew his sword to defend himself against Sir Percival who now attacked him. He dealt him such a blow that it broke his cap of steel; and, if the sword had not swerved, Sir Percival might have been slain. As it was, he fell out of his saddle.

These encounters took place near the hermitage of a lady who was a recluse. When she saw Sir Galahad ride she said, “God be with you, the best knight of the world.”

Then she cried aloud, so that Sir Launcelot and Sir Percival might hear, “Ah! certainly, if those two knights had known thee as well as I do, they would not have dared the encounter.”

When Sir Galahad heard her say this, he was much afraid of being known; so he put spurs to his horse and rode away at a great pace. Then both knights knew that it was Sir Galahad, and quickly mounted their horses and rode after him, but he was soon out of their sight, and they turned back with heavy hearts.

“Let us make inquiry of yonder recluse,” said Sir Percival.

“Do as you please,” said Sir Launcelot; and then rode headlong, keeping no path, but as wild adventure led him, and was soon lost in the depths of the forest.

But Sir Percival went to the door of the recluse, who asked what he wished.

“Madam,” he replied, “I am a knight of King Arthur’s court, Sir Percival de Galis. Do you know the knight with the white shield?”

When the recluse heard his name she was exceeding glad, for she greatly loved him, as she had a right to do, for she was an aunt of his whom he had never seen.

“Sir,” said she, “why would you know?”

“Truly, madam,” said he, “that I may fight with him, for I am ashamed of my defeat.”

“Ah! Sir Percival,” said she, “I see that you have a great will to be slain as your father was through recklessness.”

“Madam,” said he, “it seems by your words that you know me.”

“Yes,” said she, “I ought to know you, for I am your aunt.”

Then Sir Percival wept, when he knew who she was.

“Ah! fair nephew,” said she, “when have you heard from your mother?”

“Truly,” said he, “not in a great while, but I often dream of her in my sleep.”

“Fair nephew,” said she, “your mother is dead; for after you set out on this quest, she fell into such sorrow that she soon died.”

“Now may God have mercy on her soul,” said he sadly, “for I was sorely afraid of it; but we must all change our life. Now, tell me, fair aunt, was that knight he who bore the red arms at Pentecost?”

“That is he,” said his aunt; “he is without equal, for he works by miracle, and cannot be overcome by the hands of any earthly man.”

“Now, madam,” said he, “since I know this I will never have to do with Sir Galahad except by way of kindness. Tell me how I may find him, for I would much love his company.”

“Fair nephew,” said she, “you must ride to the castle of Goothe, where his first cousin lives, and there you may lodge for the night. If you get no word of him there, ride straight to the castle of Carbonek where the crippled king lives and there you will hear tidings.”

Sir Percival left his aunt sorrowing, and rode till evensong when he heard a clock strike. Then he came upon a castle closed in with high walls and deep ditches, and knocked at the gate, but could get no word of Sir Galahad. There he passed the night, and in the morning departed and rode till the hour of noon.

In a valley he overtook a company of about twenty men at arms who bore a dead knight upon a hearse. When they saw Sir Percival they asked him who he was.

“A knight of King Arthur’s court,” he answered.

Then they cried all at once, “Kill him!”

Straightway Sir Percival struck the first to the ground and his horse upon him. Then seven of them at once ran at him and threw him and slew his horse.

Now, had not the good knight, Sir Galahad, happened by adventure in those parts, they would have killed or captured Sir Percival instantly. But when he saw so many knights attacking one man, he cried, “Spare that knight’s life!”