Le Morte Darthur
and said, I do neither good nor great ill. If thou wilt ensure me, said
she, that thou wilt fulfil my will when I summon thee, I shall lend
thee mine own horse, which shall bear thee whither thou wilt. Sir
Percivale was glad of her proffer, and ensured her to fulfil all her
desire.—Then abide me here, and I shall go fetch you an horse. And so
she came soon again, and brought an horse with her that was inly black.
When Sir Percivale beheld that horse, he marvelled that it was so great
and so well apparelled: and not for then he was so hardy, and he lept
upon him, and took none heed of himself. And so anon as he was upon him
he thrust to him with his spurs, and so rode by a forest, and the moon
shone clear. And within an hour and less, he bare him four days’
journey thence, till he came to a rough water the which roared, and his
horse would have borne him into it.
CHAP. VI.
_Of the great danger that Sir Percivale was in by his horse, and how he
saw a serpent and a lion fight._
And when Sir Percivale came nigh the brim, and saw the water so
boisterous, he doubted to overpass it. And then he made a sign of the
cross in his forehead. When the fiend felt him so charged, he shook off
Sir Percivale, and he went into the water, crying and roaring, making
great sorrow; and it seemed unto him that the water burnt. Then Sir
Percivale perceived it was a fiend, the which would have brought him
unto his perdition. Then he commended himself unto God, and prayed our
Lord to keep him from all such temptations. And so he prayed all that
night, till on the morn that it was day. Then he saw that he was in a
wild mountain the which was closed with the sea nigh all about, that he
might see no land about him which might relieve him, but wild beasts.
And then he went into a valley, and there he saw a young serpent bring
a young lion by the neck, and so he came by Sir Percivale. With that
came a great lion crying and roaring after the serpent. And as fast as
Sir Percivale saw this, he marvelled, and hied him thither, but anon
the lion had overtaken the serpent, and began battle with him. And then
Sir Percivale thought to help the lion, for he was the more natural
beast of the two; and therewith he drew his sword, and set his shield
afore him, and there gave the serpent such a buffet that he had a
deadly wound. When the lion saw that, he made no resemblant to fight
with him, but made him all the cheer that a beast might make a man.
Then Sir Percivale perceived that, and cast down his shield, which was
broken, and then he did off his helm for to gather wind, for he was
greatly enchafed with the serpent. And the lion went alway about him
fawning as a spaniel. And then he stroked him on the neck and on the
shoulders. And then he thanked God of the fellowship of that beast. And
about noon, the lion took his little whelp, and trussed him, and bare
him there he came from. Then was Sir Percivale alone. And as the tale
telleth, he was one of the men of the world at that time that most
believed in our Lord Jesu Christ. For in these days there were few
folks that believed in God perfectly. For in those days the son spared
not the father no more than a stranger. And so Sir Percivale comforted
himself in our Lord Jesu, and besought God that no temptation should
bring him out of God’s service, but to endure as his true champion.
Thus when Sir Percivale had prayed, he saw the lion come toward him,
and then he couched down at his feet. And so all that night the lion
and he slept together: and when Sir Percivale slept he dreamed a
marvellous dream, that there two ladies met with him, and that one sat
upon a lion, and that other sat upon a serpent, and that one of them
was young, and the other was old, and the youngest him thought said,
Sir Percivale, my lord saluteth thee, and sendeth thee word that thou
array thee and make thee ready, for to-morn thou must fight with the
strongest champion of the world. And if thou be overcome, thou shalt
not be quit for losing of any of thy members, but thou shalt be shamed
for ever to the world’s end. And then he asked her what was her lord.
And she said, the greatest lord of all the world. And so she departed
suddenly, that he wist not where.
CHAP. VII.
_Of the vision that Sir Percivale saw, and how his vision was
expounded, and of his lion._
Then came forth the other lady that rode upon the serpent, and she
said, Sir Percivale, I complain me of you that ye have done unto me,
and have not offended unto you. Certes, madam, said he, unto you nor no
lady I never offended. Yes, said she, I shall tell you why. I have
nourished in this place a great while a serpent, which served me a
great while, and yesterday ye slew him as he gat his prey. Say me for
what cause ye slew him, for the lion was not yours? Madam, said Sir
Percivale, I know well the lion was not mine, but I did it, for the
lion is of a more gentler nature than the serpent, and therefore I slew
him; me seemeth I did not amiss against you. Madam, said he, what would
ye that I did? I would, said she, for the amends of my beast that ye
become my man. And then he answered, That will I not grant you. No,
said she, truly ye were never but my servant, since ye received the
homage of our Lord Jesu Christ. Therefore I ensure you in what place I
may find you without keeping, I shall take you as he that sometime was
my man. And so she departed from Sir Percivale, and left him sleeping,
the which was sore travailed of his vision. And on the morn he rose and
blessed him, and he was passing feeble. Then was Sir Percivale ware in
the sea, and saw a ship come sailing toward him, and Sir Percivale went
unto the ship, and found it covered within and without with white
samite. And at the board stood an old man clothed in a surplice in
likeness of a priest. Sir, said Sir Percivale, ye be welcome. God keep
you, said the good man. Sir, said the old man, of whence be ye? Sir,
said Sir Percivale, I am of king Arthur’s court, and a knight of the
Table Round, the which am in the quest of the Sancgreal, and here I am
in great duresse, and never like to escape out of this wilderness.
Doubt not, said the good man, and ye be so true a knight as the order
of chivalry requireth, and of heart as ye ought to be, ye should not
doubt that none enemy should slay you. What are ye? said Sir Percivale.
Sir, said the old man, I am of a strange country, and hither I come to
comfort you. Sir, said Sir Percivale, what signifieth my dream that I
dreamed this night? And there he told him altogether. She which rode
upon the lion, said the good man, betokeneth the new law of holy
Church, that is to understand faith, good hope, belief, and baptism.
For she seemed younger than the other, it is great reason, for she was
born in the resurrection and the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ. And
for great love she came to thee, to warn thee of thy great battle that
shall befall thee. With whom, said Sir Percivale, shall I fight? With
the most champion of the world, said the old man, for, as the lady
said, but if thou quit thee well, thou shalt not be quit by losing of
one member, but thou shalt be shamed to the world’s end. And she that
rode upon the serpent signifieth the old law, and that serpent
betokeneth a fiend. And why she blamed thee that thou slewest her
servant, it betokeneth nothing: the serpent that thou slewest
betokeneth the devil that thou rodest upon to the rock, and when thou
madest a sign of the cross, there thou slewest him, and put away his
power. And when she asked thee amends and to become her man, and thou
saidest thou wouldest not, that was to make thee to believe on her and
leave thy baptism. So he commanded Sir Percivale to depart. And so he
lept over the board, and the ship and all went away he wist not
whither. Then he went up unto the rock and found the lion, which alway
kept him fellowship, and he stroked him upon the back, and had great
joy of him.
CHAP. VIII.
_How Sir Percivale saw a ship coming to him-ward, and how the lady of
the ship told him of her disheritance._
By that Sir Percivale had abiden there till midday he saw a ship come
rowing in the sea as all the wind of the world had driven it. And so it
drove under that rock. And when Sir Percivale saw this, he hied him
thither, and found the ship covered with silk more blacker than any
bier, and therein was a gentlewoman of great beauty, and she was
clothed richly that none might be better. And when she saw Sir
Percivale, she said, Who brought you in this wilderness where ye be
never like to pass hence? for ye shall die here for hunger and
mischief. Damsel, said Sir Percivale, I serve the best man of the
world, and in his service he will not suffer me to die, for who that
knocketh shall enter, and who that asketh shall have, and who that
seeketh him, he hideth him not. But then she said, Sir Percivale wot ye
what I am? Yea, said he. Now who taught you my name? said she. Now,
said Sir Percivale, I know you better than ye ween. And I came out of
the waste forest, where I found the red knight with the white shield,
said the damsel. Ah damsel, said he, with that knight would I meet
passing fain. Sir, said she, and ye will ensure me, by the faith that
ye owe unto knighthood, that ye shall do my will what time I summon
you, I shall bring you unto that knight. Yea, said he, I shall promise
you to fulfil your desire. Well, said she, now shall I tell you, I saw
him in the forest chasing two knights to a water, the which is called
Mortaise, and he drove them into that water for dread of death, and the
two knights passed over, and the red knight passed after, and there his
horse was drenched, and he through great strength escaped unto the
land. Thus she told him, and Sir Percivale was passing glad thereof.
Then she asked him if he had eaten any meat late? Nay madam, truly I
ate no meat nigh these three days, but late here I spake with a good
man that fed me with his good words and holy, and refreshed me greatly.
Ah, sir knight, said she, that same man is an enchanter, and a
multiplier of words. For, and ye believe him, ye shall plainly be
shamed, and die in this rock for pure hunger, and be eaten with wild
beasts, and ye be a young man and a goodly knight, and I shall help you
and ye will. What are ye? said Sir Percivale, that proffereth me thus
great kindness. I am, said she, a gentlewoman that am disherited, which
was sometime the richest woman of the world. Damsel, said Sir
Percivale, who hath disherited you, for I have great pity of you? Sir,
said she, I dwelled with the greatest man of the world, and he made me
so fair and so clear that there was none like me, and of that great
beauty I had a little pride, more than I ought to have had. Also, I
said a word that pleased him not. And then he would not suffer me to be
any longer in his company, and so drove me from mine heritage, and so
disherited me, and he had never pity of me nor of none of my council,
nor of my court. And sithen, sir knight, it hath befallen me so, and
through me and mine I have taken from him many of his men, and made
them to become my men. For they ask never nothing of me but I give it
them, that and much more. Thus I and all my servants war against him
night and day. Therefore I know now no good knight, nor no good man,
but I get them on my side and I may. And for that I know that thou art
a good knight, I beseech you to help me. And for ye be a fellow of the
Round Table, wherefore ye ought not to fail no gentlewoman which is
disherited, and she besought you of help.
CHAP. IX.
_How Sir Percivale promised her help, and how he required her of love,
and how he was saved from the fiend._