King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Galahad. But he replied, "That can I not do, fair sir, for the horse is
my master's, and should I lend it he would slay me." So he departed, and
Sir Percival sat down beneath a tree in heaviness of heart. And as he
sat, anon a knight went riding past on the black steed which the yeoman
had led. And presently after came the yeoman back in haste, and asked
Sir Percival if he had seen a knight riding his horse.
"Yea," said Sir Percival.
"Alas," said the yeoman, "he hath reft him from me by strength, and my
master will slay me."
Then he besought Sir Percival to take his hackney and follow, and get
back his steed. So he rode quickly, and overtook the knight, and cried,
"Knight, turn again." Whereat he turned and set his spear, and smote Sir
Percival's hackney in the breast, so that it fell dead, and then went on
his way. Then cried Sir Percival after him, "Turn now, false knight, and
fight with me on foot"; but he would not, and rode out of sight.
Then was Sir Percival passing wroth and heavy of heart, and lay down to
rest beneath a tree, and slept till midnight. When he awoke he saw a
woman standing by him, who said to him right fiercely, "Sir Percival,
what doest thou here?"
"I do neither good nor evil," said he.
"If thou wilt promise me," said she, "to do my will whenever I shall ask
thee, I will bring thee here a horse that will bear thee wheresoever
thou desirest."
At that he was full glad, and promised as she asked. Then anon she came
again, with a great black steed, strong and well appareled. So Sir
Percival mounted, and rode through the clear moonlight, and within less
than an hour had gone a four days' journey, till he came to a rough
water that roared; and his horse would have borne him into it, but Sir
Percival would not suffer him, yet could he scarce restrain him. And
seeing the water so furious, he made the sign of the cross upon his
forehead, whereat the horse suddenly shook him off, and with a terrible
sound leaped into the water and disappeared, the waves all burning up in
flames around him. Then Sir Percival knew it was a fiend which had
brought him the horse; so he commended himself to God, and prayed that
he might escape temptations, and continued in prayer till it was day.
Then he saw that he was on a wild mountain, nigh surrounded on all sides
by the sea, and filled with wild beasts; and going on into a valley, he
saw a serpent carrying a young lion by the neck. With that came another
lion, crying and roaring after the serpent, and anon overtook him, and
began to battle with him. And Sir Percival helped the lion, and drew his
sword, and gave the serpent such a stroke that it fell dead. Thereat the
lion fawned upon him like a dog, licking his hands, and crouching at his
feet, and at night lay down by him and slept at his side.
And at noon the next day Sir Percival saw a ship come sailing before a
strong wind upon the sea towards him, and he rose and went towards it.
And when it came to shore, he found it covered with white samite, and on
the deck there stood an old man dressed in priest's robes, who said,
"God be with you, fair sir; whence come ye?"
"I am a knight of King Arthur's court," said he, "and follow the quest
of the Sangreal; but here have I lost myself in this wilderness."
"Fear nothing," said the old man, "for I have come from a strange
country to comfort thee."
Then he told Sir Percival it was a fiend of hell upon which he had
ridden to the sea, and that the lion, whom he had delivered from the
serpent, meant the Church. And Sir Percival rejoiced at these tidings,
and entered into the ship, which presently sailed from the shore into
the sea.
Now when Sir Bors rode forth from Camelot to seek the Sangreal, anon he
met a holy man riding on an ass, and courteously saluted him.
"Who are ye, son?" said the good man.
"I am a knight," said he, "in quest of the Sangreal, and would fain have
thy counsel, for he shall have much earthly honor who may bring it to a
favorable end."
"That is truth," said the good man, "for he shall be the best knight of
the world; yet know that none shall gain it save by sinless living."
So they rode to his hermitage together, and there he prayed Sir Bors to
abide that night, and anon they went into the chapel, and Sir Bors was
confessed. And they eat bread and drank water together.
"Now," said the hermit, "I pray thee eat no other food till thou sit at
the table where the Sangreal shall be." Thereto Sir Bors agreed.
"Also," said the hermit, "it were wise that ye should wear a sackcloth
garment next your skin, for penance"; and in this also did Sir Bors as
he was counseled. And afterwards he armed himself and took his leave.
Then rode he onwards all that day, and as he rode he saw a passing great
bird sit in an old dry tree, whereon no leaves were left; and many
little birds lay round the great one, nigh dead with hunger. Then did
the big bird smite himself with his own bill, and bled till he died
amongst his little ones, and they recovered life in drinking up his
blood. When Sir Bors saw this he knew it was a token, and rode on full
of thought. And about eventide he came to a tower, whereto he prayed
admission, and he was received gladly by the lady of the castle. But
when a supper of many meats and dainties was set before him, he
remembered his vow, and bade a squire to bring him water, and therein he
dipped his bread, and ate.
Then said the lady, "Sir Bors, I fear ye like not my meat."
"Yea, truly," said he; "God thank thee, madam; but I may eat no other
meat this day."
After supper came a squire, and said, "Madam, bethink thee to provide a
champion for thee to-morrow for the tourney, or else shall thy sister
have thy castle."
At that the lady wept, and made great sorrow. But Sir Bors prayed her to
be comforted, and asked her why the tournament was held. Then she told
him how she and her sister were the daughters of King Anianse, who left
them all his lands between them; and how her sister was the wife of a
strong knight, named Sir Pridan le Noir, who had taken from herself all
her lands, save the one tower wherein she dwelt. "And now," said she,
"this also will they take, unless I find a champion by to-morrow."
Then said Sir Bors, "Be comforted; to-morrow I will fight for thee";
whereat she rejoiced not a little, and sent word to Sir Pridan that she
was provided and ready. And Sir Bors lay on the floor, and in no bed,
nor ever would do otherwise till he had achieved his quest.
On the morrow he arose and clothed himself, and went into the chapel,
where the lady met him, and they heard mass together. Anon he called for
his armor, and went with a goodly company of knights to the battle. And
the lady prayed him to refresh himself ere he should fight, but he
refused to break his fast until the tournament were done. So they all
rode together to the lists, and there they saw the lady's eldest sister,
and her husband, Sir Pridan le Noir. And a cry was made by the heralds
that, whichever should win, his lady should have all the other's lands.
Then the two knights departed asunder a little space, and came together
with such force, that both their spears were shivered, and their shields
and hauberks pierced through; and both fell to the ground sorely
wounded, with their horses under them. But swiftly they arose, and drew
their swords, and smote each other on the head with many great and
heavy blows, till the blood ran down their bodies; and Sir Pridan was a
full good knight, so that Sir Bors had more ado than he had thought for
to overcome him.
But at last Sir Pridan grew a little faint; that instantly perceived Sir
Bors, and rushed upon him the more vehemently, and smote him fiercely,
till he rent off his helm, and then gave him great strokes upon his
visage with the flat of his sword, and bade him yield or be slain.
And then Sir Pridan cried him mercy, and said, "For God's sake slay me
not, and I will never war against thy lady more." So Sir Bors let him
go, and his wife fled away with all her knights.
Then all those who had held lands of the lady of the tower came and did
homage to her again, and swore fealty. And when the country was at peace
Sir Bors departed, and rode forth into a forest until it was midday, and
there befell him a marvelous adventure.
For at a place where two ways parted, there met him two knights, bearing
Sir Lionel, his brother, all naked, bound on a horse, and as they rode,
they beat him sorely with thorns, so that the blood trailed down in more
than a hundred places from his body; but for all this he uttered no word
or groan, so great he was of heart. As soon as Sir Bors knew his
brother, he put his spear in rest to run and rescue him; but in the same
moment heard a woman's voice cry close beside him in the wood, "St.
Mary, succor thy maid"; and, looking round, he saw a damsel whom a felon
knight dragged after him into the thickets; and she, perceiving him,
cried piteously for help, and adjured him to deliver her as he was a
sworn knight. Then was Sir Bors sore troubled, and knew not what to do,
for he thought within himself, "If I let my brother be, he will be
murdered; but if I help not the maid, she is shamed forever, and my vow
compelleth me to set her free; wherefore must I first help her, and
trust my brother unto God."
So, riding to the knight who held the damsel, he cried out, "Sir knight,
lay your hand off that maid, or else ye be but dead."
At that the knight set down the maid, and dropped his shield, and drew
forth his sword against Sir Bors, who ran at him, and smote him through
both shield and shoulder, and threw him to the earth; and when he pulled
his spear forth, the knight swooned. Then the maid thanked Sir Bors
heartily, and he set her on the knight's horse, and brought her to her
men-at-arms, who presently came riding after her. And they made much
joy, and besought him to come to her father, a great lord, and he should
be right welcome. But "truly," said he, "I may not at this time, for I
have a great adventure yet to do"; and commending them to God, he
departed in great haste to find his brother.
So he rode, seeking him by the track of the horses a great while. Anon
he met a seeming holy man riding upon a strong black horse, and asked
him, had he seen pass by that way a knight led bound and beaten with
thorns by two others.
"Yea, truly, such an one I saw," said the man; "but he is dead, and lo!
his body is hard by in a bush."
Then he showed him a newly slain body lying in a thick bush, which
seemed indeed to be Sir Lionel. Then made Sir Bors such mourning and
sorrow that by-and-by he fell into a swoon upon the ground. And when he
came to himself again, he took the body in his arms and put it on his
horse's saddle, and bore it to a chapel hard by, and would have buried
it. But when he made the sign of the cross, he heard a full great noise
and cry as though all the fiends of hell had been about him, and
suddenly the body and the chapel and the old man vanished all away. Then
he knew that it was the devil who had thus beguiled him, and that his
brother yet lived.
Then held he up his hands to heaven, and thanked God for his own escape
from hurt, and rode onwards; and anon, as he passed by an hermitage in a
forest, he saw his brother sitting armed by the door. And when he saw
him he was filled with joy, and lighted from his horse, and ran to him
and said, "Fair brother, when came ye hither?"
But Sir Lionel answered, with an angry face, "What vain words be these,
when for you I might have been slain? Did ye not see me bound and led
away to death, and left me in that peril to go succoring a gentlewoman,
the like whereof no brother ever yet hath done? Now, for thy false
misdeed, I do defy thee, and ensure thee speedy death."