Le Morte Darthur
Then Sir Percivale promised her all the help that he might. And then
she thanked him. And at that time the weather was hot, and then she
called unto her a gentlewoman, and bad her bring forth a pavilion; and
so she did, and pight it upon the gravel. Sir, said she, now may ye
rest you in this heat of the day. Then he thanked her, and she put off
his helm and his shield, and there he slept a great while. And then he
awoke, and asked her if she had any meat, and she said, Yea, also ye
shall have enough; and so there was set enough upon the table, and
thereon so much that he had marvel for there was all manner of meats
that he could think on. Also he drank there the strongest wine that
ever he drank, him thought, and therewith he was a little heated more
than he ought to be. With that he beheld the gentlewoman, and him
thought that she was the fairest creature that ever he saw. And then
Sir Percivale proffered her love, and prayed her that she would be his.
Then she refused him in a manner when he required her, for the cause he
should be the more ardent on her, and ever he ceased not to pray her of
love. And when she saw him well enchafed, then she said, Sir Percivale,
wit ye well, I shall not fulfil your will, but if ye swear from
henceforth ye shall be my true servant, and to do nothing but that I
shall command you: will ye ensure me this as ye be a true knight? Yea,
said he, fair lady, by the faith of my body. Well, said she, now shall
ye do with me whatso it please you, and now wit ye well that ye are the
knight in the world that I have most desire to. And then Sir Percivale
came near to her, to proffer her love, and by adventure and grace he
saw his sword lie upon the ground all naked, in whose pommel was a red
cross, and the sign of the crucifix therein, and bethought him on his
knighthood, and his promise made toforehand unto the good man. Then he
made the sign of the cross in his forehead, and therewith the pavilion
turned up so down, and then it changed unto a smoke and a black cloud,
and then he was adread, and cried aloud,—
CHAP. X.
_How Sir Percivale for penance rove himself through the thigh; and how
she was known for the devil._
Fair sweet Father, Jesu Christ, ne let me not be shamed, the which was
near lost had not thy good grace been! And then he looked into a ship,
and saw her enter therein, which said, Sir Percivale, ye have betrayed
me. And so she went with the wind roaring and yelling, that it seemed
that all the water burnt after her. Then Sir Percivale made great
sorrow, and drew his sword unto him, saying, Sithen my flesh will be my
master, I shall punish it. And therewith he rove himself through the
thigh, that the blood start about him, and said, O good Lord, take this
in recompensation of that I have done against thee my Lord. So then he
clothed him and armed him, and called himself a wretch, saying, How
nigh was I lost, and to have lost that I should never have gotten
again, that was my virginity, for that may never be recovered after it
is once lost. And then he stopped his bleeding wound with a piece of
his shirt. Thus as he made his moan, he saw the same ship come from the
Orient that the good man was in the day before: and the noble knight
was ashamed with himself, and therewith he fell in a swoon. And when he
awoke he went unto him weakly, and there he saluted this good man. And
then he asked Sir Percivale, How hast thou done sith I departed? Sir,
said he, here was a gentlewoman, and led me into deadly sin: and there
he told him altogether. Knew ye not the maid? said the good man. Sir,
said he, nay: but well I wot the fiend sent her hither to shame me. Oh,
good knight, said he, thou art a fool, for that gentlewoman was the
master fiend of hell, the which hath power above all devils, and that
was the old lady that thou sawest in thy vision riding on the serpent.
Then he told Sir Percivale how our Lord Jesu Christ beat him out of
heaven for his sin, the which was the most brightest angel of heaven,
and therefore he lost his heritage, and that was the champion that thou
foughtest withal, the which had overcome thee, had not the grace of God
been: now beware, Sir Percivale, and take this for an ensample. And
then the good man vanished away. Then Sir Percivale took his arms, and
entered into the ship, and so departed from thence.
Here endeth the fourtenthe booke, whiche is of syr percyual. And here
foloweth of syre launcelot whiche is the fyftenth book.
The Fifteenth Book.
CHAP. I.
_How Sir Launcelot came into a chapel, where he found dead, in a white
shirt, a man of religion of an hundred winter old._
When the hermit had kept Sir Launcelot three days, the hermit gat him
an horse, an helm, and a sword. And then he departed about the hour of
noon. And then he saw a little house, and when he came near he saw a
chapel, and there beside he saw an old man that was clothed all in
white full richly, and then Sir Launcelot said, God save you. God keep
you, said the good man, and make you a good knight. Then Sir Launcelot
alight, and entered into the chapel, and there he saw an old man dead,
in a white shirt of passing fine cloth. Sir, said the good man, this
man that is dead ought not to be in such clothing as ye see him in, for
in that he brake the oath of his order. For he hath been more than an
hundred winters a man of a religion. And then the good man and Sir
Launcelot went into the chapel, and the good man took a stole about his
neck, and a book, and then he conjured on that book, and with that they
saw in an hideous figure and an horrible, that there was no man so
hard-hearted nor so hard but he should have been afeard. Then said the
fiend, Thou hast travailed me greatly, now tell me what thou wilt with
me? I will, said the good man, that thou tell me how my fellow became
dead, and whether he be saved or damned? Then he said with a horrible
voice, He is not lost, but saved. How may that be? said the good man;
it seemed to me that he lived not well, for he brake his order for to
wear a shirt, where he ought to wear none: and who that trespasseth
against our order doth not well. Not so, said the fiend, this man that
lieth here dead was come of a great lineage. And there was a lord that
hight the earl de Vale, that held great war against this man’s nephew,
the which hight Aguarus. And so this Aguarus saw the earl was bigger
than he, then he went for to take counsel of his uncle, the which lieth
here dead as ye may see. And then he asked leave, and went out of his
hermitage for to maintain his nephew against the mighty earl. And so it
happed that this man that lieth here dead did so much by his wisdom and
hardiness that the earl was taken, and three of his lords, by force of
this dead man.
CHAP. II.
_Of a dead man, how men would have hewen him, and it would not be, and
how Sir Launcelot took the hair of the dead man._
Then was there peace betwixt the earl and this Aguarus, and great
surety that the earl should never war against him. Then this dead man
that here lieth came to this hermitage again, and then the earl made
two of his nephews for to be avenged upon this man. So they came on a
day, and found this dead man at the sacring of his mass, and they abode
him till he had said mass. And then they set upon him and drew out
swords to have slain him. But there would no sword bite on him, more
than upon a gad of steel, for the high Lord which he served he him
preserved. Then made they a great fire, and did off all his cloathes
and the hair off his back; and then this dead man hermit said unto
them, Ween ye to burn me? It shall not lie in your power, nor to perish
me as much as a thread, and there were any on my body. No! said one of
them, it shall be assayed. And then they despoiled him, and put upon
him this shirt, and cast him in a fire, and there he lay all that night
till it was day, in that fire, and was not dead. And so in the morn I
came and found him dead, but I found neither thread nor skin perished;
and so took him out of the fire with great fear, and laid him here as
ye may see. And now may ye suffer me to go my way, for I have said you
the truth. And then he departed with a great tempest. Then was the good
man and Sir Launcelot more gladder than they were tofore. And then Sir
Launcelot dwelled with that good man that night. Sir, said the good
man, be ye not Sir Launcelot du Lake? Yea, sir, said he. What seek ye
in this country? Sir, said Sir Launcelot, I go to seek the adventures
of the Sancgreal. Well, said he, seek it ye may well, but though it
were here ye shall have no power to see it, no more than a blind man
should see a bright sword, and that is long on your sin, and else ye
were more abler than any man living. And then Sir Launcelot began to
weep. Then said the good man, Were ye confessed sith ye entered into
the quest of the Sancgreal? Yea, sir, said Sir Launcelot. Then upon the
morn, when the good man had sung his mass, then they buried the dead
man. Then Sir Launcelot said, Father, what shall I do? Now, said the
good man, I require you take this hair that was this holy man’s, and
put it next thy skin, and it shall prevail thee greatly. Sir, and I
will do it, said Sir Launcelot. Also I charge you that ye eat no flesh
as long as ye be in the quest of the Sancgreal, nor ye shall drink no
wine, and that ye hear mass daily and ye may do it. So he took the hair
and put it upon him, and so departed at evensong time. And so rode he
into a forest, and there he met with a gentlewoman riding upon a white
palfrey, and then she asked him, Sir knight, whither ride ye? Certes
damsel, said Launcelot, I wot not whither I ride, but as fortune
leadeth me. Ah, Sir Launcelot, said she, I wot what adventure ye seek,
for ye were aforetime nearer than ye be now, and yet shall ye see it
more openly than ever ye did, and that shall ye understand in short
time. Then Sir Launcelot asked her where he might be harboured that
night? Ye shall not find this day nor night, but to-morn ye shall find
harbour good, and ease of that ye be in doubt of. And then he commended
her unto God. Then he rode till that he came to a cross, and took that
for his host as for that night.
CHAP. III.
_Of a vision that Sir Launcelot had, and how he told it to an hermit,
and desired counsel of him._
And so he put his horse to pasture, and did off his helm and his
shield, and made his prayers unto the cross that he never fall in
deadly sin again. And so he laid him down to sleep. And anon as he was
asleep it befell him there a vision, that there came a man afore him
all by compass of stars, and that man had a crown of gold on his head,
and that man led in his fellowship seven kings and two knights. And all
these worshipped the cross, kneeling upon their knees, holding up their
hands towards the heaven; and all they said, Fair sweet Father of
heaven, come and visit us, and yield unto us every each as we have
deserved. Then looked Launcelot up to the heaven, and him seemed the
clouds did open, and an old man came down with a company of angels, and
alight among them, and gave unto every each his blessing, and called
them his servants, and good and true knights. And when this old man had
said thus, he came to one of those knights and said, I have lost all
that I have set in thee, for thou hast ruled thee against me as a
warrior, and used wrong wars with vain glory, more for the pleasure of
the world than to please me, therefore thou shalt be confounded without
thou yield me my treasure. All this vision saw Sir Launcelot at the
cross. And on the morn he took his horse and rode till mid day, and