King Arthur's Knights
wept, both rich and poor. All were full of dread to see so many brave
knights depart that never more would return.
Having passed through the gates of the town, every knight took the way
that he liked best.
Now Sir Galahad was without a shield, and he rode four days without
adventure. At evensong on the fourth day he came to an abbey of white
monks, and there was given great cheer. He found two other knights of
the Round Table at that abbey, the one King Bagdemagus and the other
Sir Ulfin; and the three had supper together, and made great cheer one
of the other, and spoke of the adventures each would desire to have.
'There is within this abbey, as men tell me, a shield,' said King
Bagdemagus, 'which no man may bear about his neck, but he is injured or
slain within three days. Yet to-morrow I will adventure to win it.'
In the morning, therefore, after they had heard mass, King Bagdemagus
asked the abbot to show him where was the shield. Then was he led to
the high altar in the church, and behind it was hung a shield which
glowed with shining whiteness, and in the middle thereof was a red
cross which seemed to quiver as if it were living.
'Sir,' said the abbot, 'this shield ought not to hang about any
knight's neck unless he be one of the three best knights of the world,
and I counsel you to beware.'
'No matter,' said King Bagdemagus, 'I will essay it, for though I am
not Sir Lancelot, yet I am a good knight enough.'
This he said in his pride, and took the shield and put the strap about
his neck, and bade good-bye to the other twain, and so went forth with
his squire.
They had not ridden but two miles or more, when at the opening to a
wood Sir Bagdemagus saw a knight in white armour on a horse, riding up
and down as if to do battle with any that should venture to go into the
forest drive.
When the white knight saw him he called out:
'Who art thou? Thou bearest the shield of a knight peerless, but not
the armour.'
'Who am I?' replied King Bagdemagus scornfully. 'I am he that shall
give a good account of myself with thee.'
With that he levelled his lance and ran furiously upon the knight. But
the other stood still, and when the spear-head was nigh his shield, he
lightly turned it aside, and as Sir Bagdemagus swept by, the knight,
with a quick fierce stroke of his sword, smote him so hard that the
blade bit through the mail even to the shoulder-bone; whereby Sir
Bagdemagus fell to the ground in a swoon.
The white knight called the squire to him and said:
'Bear ye this shield to the young knight, Sir Galahad, who is at the
white abbey. Greet him from me, and say that it is for him to wear this
shield, and none other. And tell him that I shall meet him erelong, if
God wills, and that we shall fare together to that which is appointed
for us.'
The squire did as he was bidden, and told Sir Galahad of the white
knight's words. Sir Galahad asked him what was the device upon the
shield of the white knight, and he answered, 'A red heart.' Then said
the young knight, 'It shall be even as he saith.'
Sir Galahad mounted his horse and rode alone, ever northward, for he
knew that the Holy Graal was hidden in a castle somewhere in the north
among the warring barons. Many days he rode without adventure, until on
a day he came to an old and venerable wood, dark and thick and close,
where the moss hung like thick beards from the hoary branches.
There, in a laund or glade in the midmost part of the forest, he found
an old and white dame, kneeling before a green cross beside the path,
weeping piteously as she prayed and beat her breast.
'What ails ye, lady?' asked Sir Galahad.
'Ah, good knight,' said the old dame, and as she rose it was well seen
she was of gentle birth, I weep for that I have lived to see the day
when sons of mine shall slay each the other. I have three sons, and all
are of the worshipful company of the Round Table. But two are wasteful
livers, and have taken from me all that whereby I lived; and ever hath
my youngest boy, Sir Hewlin, withstood their evil ways. Wherefore they
hated him. And yesterday did Sir Nulloth and Sir Dew, my elder sons,
return, and did quarrel with my dear lad Hewlin. And now I fear they go
about to slay him. Oh, if that they kill him, who is the prop and
comfort of my old age, I shall surely die.'
'Sad it is, lady,' said Sir Galahad, and mournful was his mind, 'to
think that in this dear land of Britain there should be knights that
are given to such thoughts of evil as to slay their own kin. Lead me to
them, I pray ye.'
He set the dame upon his saddle before him, and she led the way through
the forest. When they had gone but a mile she started, and stopped the
horse, and then they heard the sound of clashing steel. Sadly did that
poor lady shriek and cry:
'Ah! they slay him now! My dear son! My dear boy!'
Swiftly Sir Galahad made his horse to leap forward, and in a little
while they came upon a great meadow, where two knights on foot were
together fighting another single knight with swords. Forthwith Sir
Galahad cried with a loud and a stern voice, 'Hold, put up your swords,
ye evil brothers, that would slay each other!'
All turned at the cry. Then, seeing his mother, the young knight Sir
Hewlin threw down his sword. And leaping from Sir Galahad's horse the
reverend lady tottered to her youngest son and threw herself upon his
breast, and he clasped his mother in his arms.
But the two evil brothers laughed scornfully at Sir Galahad.
'Who art thou, thou knight in red?' they cried. 'Thinkest thou to
frighten us with thy big words?'
Quickly they mounted their horses and ran upon Sir Galahad together.
But the lance of one he received upon his shield, and the weapon
snapped in twain; and that of the other he thrust aside and, as the
knight thundered by, he brought down his sword, with so fierce and
wrathful a stroke, that the head of the knight flew from his shoulders.
Seeing this, the other, who was Sir Nulloth, made haste to throw
himself from his horse, and came and kneeled before Sir Galahad,
praying mercy.
'I know who ye are,' he said. 'You are Sir Galahad, the stainless
knight, who shall prevail in all thy deeds, and whom no weapon may
wound until ye have fulfilled your high destiny. And I will do
faithfully any behest ye may lay upon me.'
'I will then,' said Sir Galahad sternly, 'that thou makest peace with
thy mother and thy brother here instantly; that thou seekest naught of
them till thy dying day, which shall not be far from thee; and that
thou goest this day and place thyself in the service of Sir Bedevere,
or Sir Uriens upon the coasts, and help to thrust forth the hateful
pagan from the land.'
The knight swore to do all this, and after he had made his peace with
his kindred, he set forth to do Sir Galahad's bidding. And it was as
the stainless knight had foretold, for in seven days Sir Nulloth had
found death, bravely fighting the pagan pirates.
Sir Galahad went forward, sore of heart to think that such evil was in
the land and in men's minds, that any could be found to wish the death
of a brother and to care naught for the sorrow of an old mother.
Thus for many months Sir Galahad rode about the land, seeking out the
knights who, with their bands of soldiers, fought to wrest from each
other land and castles. And ever he strove to make peace between them,
and to show them how, while they fought with each other, Christian
against Christian, the pagan hordes were let unhindered into the land,
ravening, burning, and slaying.
Some of the battling knights did forsake their evil ways, and went to
Sir Bedevere and Sir Uriens, with whom they strove to push back the
fierce pagans into their long black ships. But many others, so lost to
honour and knightliness were they, performed not their promises, and
continued to fight each with the other.
So fierce, indeed, was the fighting through all that land, that the
peasants forsook the fields and hid themselves; and the pagans from the
northern wilderness came over the walls and wandered, killing and
burning and robbing. And thus in many parts the crops were not sown or
reaped, the wheat stood unharvested and wild, and the grass and weeds
grew tall on the very hearths of the poor peasants and husbandmen.
The heart of Sir Galahad grew sick, seeing the evil which was come into
the land, and he feared that soon the Holy Graal would be taken from
the island of Britain, and that then ruin would stalk throughout the
length and breadth of the realm.
Once, at the dawning, Sir Galahad looked from the door of a little
hermitage where he had passed the night, and was aware of a great
company of men coming over the moor. They were all horsed, and were
going towards the sea, which was on the right hand, where steep and
fearful cliffs fell sheer to the thundering surf beneath. And in their
midst he saw they held captive a full noble knight, who seemed wounded,
and whose armour was all broken and cracked, as if he had fought
valiantly before he had been overcome. Him they were going to hurl
headlong down the cliffs.
Sir Galahad began to arm himself full hastily to meet them. But as he
dressed his armour he was aware of a knight coming swiftly from a
little wood that lay towards the sea-edge. Then was the heart of Sir
Galahad exceeding joyful when he saw that the knight was all in white
armour, and that on his shield was the device of a heart; for he knew
that this was Sir Perceval.
Sir Perceval spurred towards the band of knights, and in a loud voice
called on them to release their captive.
'Who art thou?' they cried.
'I am a knight of the Pendragon of these islands, King Arthur,'
answered Perceval, 'and thy captive is my friend, Sir Bors of
Brittany.'
'Ha! ha!' the others laughed, and spurred furiously towards him. 'Slay
him!' they shouted. 'We own no Arthur here. We are our own lords.'
With spears in rest, seven of the knights thundered against Sir
Perceval. But by this time Sir Galahad was upon his horse, and, making
no outcry, he spurred upon the others.
Three knights he dashed to the ground with one lance-thrust; but then
the spear broke. Therewith he drew his sword, and smote in the thick of
them so furiously on the left and on the right that they could not
abide him, but fled from about Sir Bors, who, wresting a sword from one
of them, rode after the seven that were fighting Sir Perceval.
So valiantly and hardily did the three knights lay about them that in a
little while their enemies had fled, leaving more than half their
number slain.
Then did the three knights make great cheer and welcome of each other,
and told each their adventures, and promised that now they were
together they would never more part till death should summon them.
So, together, they fared thereafter many months, doing noble deeds, and
seeking earnestly to bring men's hearts to turn to friendship and
union, so that, united, the lords of the northern lands should turn
upon the pagans and destroy them utterly.
It befell that, on a morn, they came to a castle on a great cliff that
was in the marches of Scotland; and they heard a horn sound in that
castle and much shouting. On the walls thereof were men of a savage
aspect, peering and looking down at them. And those men had fair hair,
with steel helms which had great horns or wings upon them. On their
tall bodies were leather jerkins, with gold chains and many ornaments.
Then Sir Galahad and his friends were aware that on the topmost
pinnacle of the castle was a banner, floating and flapping in the
morning wind. Black was that banner, and in the midmost part thereof
was a golden raven, with beaks open as if it croaked, and its wings
were wide thrown, as if it flew over a field of slain men.