Le Morte Darthur
_How Sir Launcelot returned towards Logris, and of other adventures
which he saw in the way._
Then king Pelles came to Sir Launcelot, and told him tidings of his
brother, whereof he was sorry that he wist not what to do. So Sir
Launcelot departed, and took his armour, and said that he would go see
the realm of Logris—which I have not seen in a twelvemonth. And
therewith commended the king to God, and so rode through many realms.
And at the last he came to a white abbey, and there they made him that
night great cheer. And on the morn he arose and heard mass, and afore
an altar he found a rich tomb which was newly made, and then he took
heed, and saw the sides written with letters of gold, which said, Here
lieth king Bagdemagus of Gore, the which king Arthur’s nephew
slew:—and named him Sir Gawaine. Then was not he a little sorry, for
Launcelot loved him much more than any other, and had it been any other
than Gawaine he should not have escaped from death to life:—said to
himself, Alas, this is a great hurt to king Arthur’s court, the loss of
such a man. And then he departed, and came to the abbey where Galahad
did the adventure of the tombs, and wan the white shield with the red
cross, and there had he great cheer all that night. And on the morn he
turned unto Camelot, where he found king Arthur and the queen. But many
of the knights of the Round Table were slain and destroyed, more than
half. And so three were come home, Ector, Gawaine, and Lionel, and many
other that need not to be rehearsed. And all the court was passing glad
of Sir Launcelot; and the king asked him many tidings of his son
Galahad. And there Launcelot told the king of his adventures that had
befallen him since he departed. And also he told him of the adventures
of Galahad, Percivale, and Bors, which that he knew by the letter of
the dead damsel, and as Galahad had told him. Now, God would, said the
king, that they were all three here. That shall never be, said
Launcelot, for two of them shall ye never see, but one of them shall
come again.
Now leave we this story, and speak we of Galahad.
CHAP. XVIII.
_How Galahad came to king Mordrains, and of other matters and
adventures._
Now saith the story that Galahad rode many journeys in vain. And at the
last he came to the abbey where king Mordrains was, and when he heard
that, he thought he would abide to see him. And upon the morn, when he
had heard mass, Galahad came unto king Mordrains, and anon the king saw
him, the which had lain blind of long time. And then he dressed him
against him, and said, Galahad, the servant of Jesu Christ, whose
coming I have abiden so long, now embrace me, and let me rest on thy
breast, so that I may rest between thine arms, for thou art a clean
virgin above all knights, as the flower of the lily, in whom virginity
is signified, and thou art the rose, the which is the flower of all
good virtue, and in colour of fire. For the fire of the Holy Ghost is
taken so in thee, that my flesh, which was all dead of oldness, is
become young again. When Galahad heard his words, then he embraced him
and all his body. Then said he, Fair Lord Jesu Christ, now I have my
will, now I require thee in this point that I am in, thou come and
visit me. And anon our Lord heard his prayer. Therewith the soul
departed from the body. And then Galahad put him in the earth as a king
ought to be: and so departed, and came into a perilous forest, where he
found the well the which boiled with great waves, as the tale telleth
tofore. And as soon as Galahad set his hand thereto it ceased, so that
it burnt no more, and the heat departed: for that it burnt it was a
sign of lust; but that heat might not abide his pure virginity. And
this was taken in the country for a miracle, and so ever after was it
called Galahad’s well. Then by adventure he came into the country of
Gore, and into the abbey where Sir Launcelot had been toforehand, and
found the tomb of king Bagdemagus (but was founder thereof Joseph of
Armathie’s son) and the tomb of Simeon where Launcelot had failed. Then
he looked into a croft under the minster, and there he saw a tomb which
burnt full marvellously. Then asked he the brethren what it was? Sir,
said they, a marvellous adventure that may not be brought unto none
end, but by him that passeth of bounty and of knighthood all them of
the Round Table. I would, said Galahad, that ye would lead me thereto.
Gladly, said they: and so led him till a cave; and he went down upon
steps and came nigh the tomb, and then the flaming failed and the fire
staunched, the which many a day had been great. Then came there a voice
that said, Much are ye beholden to thank our Lord, the which hath given
you a good hour, that ye may draw out the souls of earthly pain, and to
put them into the joys of paradise. I am of your kindred, the which
have dwelled in this heat this three hundred winter and four and fifty,
to be purged of the sin that I did against Joseph of Armathie. Then
Galahad took the body in his arms, and bear it into the minster. And
that night lay Galahad in the abbey: and on the morn he gave him
service, and put him in the earth, afore the high altar.
CHAP. XIX.
_How Sir Percivale and Sir Bors met with Sir Galahad, and how they came
to the castle of Carbonek, and other matters._
So departed he from thence, and commended the brethren to God. And so
he rode five days till that he came to the maimed king, and ever
followed Percivale the five days, asking where he had been, and so one
told him how the adventures of Logris were achieved. So on a day it
befell that they came out of a great forest, and there they met at
travers with Sir Bors, the which rode alone. It is no need to tell if
they were glad, and them he saluted, and they yielded him honour and
good adventure; and every each told other. Then said Bors, It is more
than a year and a half that I ne lay ten times where men dwelled, but
in wild forests and in mountains, but God was ever my comfort.
Then rode they a great while till that they came to the castle of
Carbonek. And when they were entered within the castle king Pelles knew
them. Then there was great joy, for they wist well by their coming that
they had fulfilled the quest of the Sancgreal. Then Eliazar, king
Pelles’ son, brought afore them the broken sword wherewith Joseph was
stricken through the thigh. Then Bors set his hand thereto, if he might
have soldered it again, but it would not be. Then he took it to
Percivale, but he had no more power thereto than he. Now have ye it
again, said Percivale to Galahad, for and it be ever achieved by one
bodily man, ye must do it. And then took he the pieces and set them
together, and they seemed that they had never been broken, and as well
as it had been first forged. And when they within espied that the
adventure of the sword was achieved, then they gave the sword to Bors,
for it might not be better set, for he was a good knight, and a worthy
man. And a little afore even the sword arose great and marvellous, and
was full of great heat, that many men fell for dread. And anon alight a
voice among them, and said, They that ought not to sit at the table of
Jesu Christ arise, for now shall very knights be fed. So they went
thence all save king Pelles and Eliazar his son, the which were holy
men, and a maid which was his niece. And so these three fellows and
they three were there; no more. Anon they saw knights all armed come in
at the hall door, and did off their helms and their arms, and said unto
Galahad, Sir, we have hied right much for to be with you at this table,
where the holy meat shall be parted. Then said he, Ye be welcome: but
of whence be ye? So three of them said they were of Gaul, and other
three said they were of Ireland, and the other three said they were of
Denmark. So as they sat thus, there came out a bed of tree of a
chamber, the which four gentlewomen brought, and in the bed lay a good
man sick, and a crown of gold upon his head; and there in the midst of
the place they set him down, and went again their way. Then he lift up
his head and said, Galahad, knight, ye be welcome, for much have I
desired your coming, for in such pain and in such anguish I have been
long. But now I trust to God the term is come that my pain shall be
allayed, that I shall pass out of this world, so as it was promised me
long ago. Therewith a voice said, There be two among you that be not in
the quest of the Sancgreal, and therefore depart ye.
CHAP. XX.
_How Galahad and his fellows were fed of the holy Sangreal, and how our
Lord appeared to them, and other things._
Then king Pelles and his son departed. And therewithal beseemed them
that there came a man and four angels from heaven, clothed in likeness
of a bishop, and had a cross in his hand, and these four angels bare
him up in a chair, and set him down before the table of silver
whereupon the Sancgreal was, and it seemed that he had in midst of his
forehead letters that said, See ye here Joseph the first bishop of
Christendom, the same which our Lord succoured in the city of Sarras,
in the spiritual place. Then the knights marvelled, for that bishop was
dead more than three hundred year tofore. Oh knights, said he, marvel
not, for I was sometime an earthly man. With that they heard the
chamber door open, and there they saw angels, and two bare candles of
wax, and the third a towel, and the fourth a spear which bled
marvellously, that three drops fell within a box which he held with his
other hand. And they set the candles upon the table, and the third the
towel upon the vessel, and the fourth the holy spear even upright upon
the vessel. And then the bishop made semblant as though he would have
gone to the sacring of the mass. And then he took an ubbly, which was
made in likeness of bread; and at the lifting up there came a figure in
likeness of a child, and the visage was as red and as bright as any
fire, and smote himself into the bread, so that they all saw it, that
the bread was formed of a fleshly man, and then he put it into the holy
vessel again. And then he did that longed to a priest to do to a mass.
And then he went to Galahad and kissed him, and bad him go and kiss his
fellows, and so he did anon. Now, said he, servants of Jesu Christ, ye
shall be fed afore this table with sweet meats, that never knights
tasted. And when he had said, he vanished away; and they set them at
the table in great dread, and made their prayers. Then looked they, and
saw a man come out of the holy vessel, that had all the signs of the
passion of Jesu Christ, bleeding all openly, and said, My knights and
my servants and my true children, which be come out of deadly life into
spiritual life, I will now no longer hide me from you, but ye shall see
now a part of my secrets and of my hid things: now hold and receive the
high meat which ye have so much desired. Then took he himself the holy
vessel, and came to Galahad, and he kneeled down and there he received
his Saviour, and after him so received all his fellows; and they
thought it so sweet that it was marvellous to tell. Then said he to
Galahad, Son, wotest thou what I hold betwixt my hands? Nay, said he,
but if ye will tell me. This is, said he, the holy dish wherein I ate
the lamb on Sher-thursday. And now hast thou seen that thou most
desiredst to see, but yet hast thou not seen it so openly as thou shalt
see it in the city of Sarras, in the spiritual place. Therefore thou
must go hence, and bear with thee this holy vessel, for this night it
shall depart from the realm of Logris, that it shall never be seen more
here, and wotest thou wherefore? for he is not served nor worshipped to