Le Morte Darthur
his right, by them of this land, for they be turned to evil living,
therefore I shall disherit them of the honour which I have done them.
And therefore go ye three to-morrow unto the sea, where ye shall find
your ship ready, and with you take the sword with the strange girdles,
and no more with you, but Sir Percivale and Sir Bors. Also I will that
ye take with you of the blood of this spear, for to anoint the maimed
king, both his legs and all his body, and he shall have his health.
Sir, said Galahad, why shall not these other fellows go with us?—For
this cause, for right as I departed mine apostles, one here and another
there, so I will that ye depart. And two of you shall die in my
service, but one of you shall come again, and tell tidings. Then gave
he them his blessing and vanished away.
CHAP. XXI.
_How Galahad anointed with the blood of the spear the maimed king, and
other adventures._
And Galahad went anon to the spear which lay upon the table, and
touched the blood with his fingers, and came after to the maimed king,
and anointed his legs. And therewith he clothed him anon, and start
upon his feet out of his bed as an whole man, and thanked our Lord that
he had healed him. And that was not to the world-ward, for anon he
yield him to a place of religion of white monks, and was a full holy
man. That same night, about midnight came a voice among them, which
said, My sons and not my chieftains, my friends and not my warriors, go
ye hence, where ye hope best to do, and as I bad you.—Ah, thanked be
thou, Lord, that thou wilt vouchsafe to call us thy sinners. Now may we
well prove that we have not lost our pains.
And anon in all haste they took their harness and departed. But the
three knights of Gaul, one of them hight Claudine, king Claudas’ son,
and the other two were great gentlemen. Then prayed Galahad to every
each of them, that if they come to king Arthur’s court, that they
should salute my lord Sir Launcelot my father, and of them of the Round
Table, and prayed them if that they came on that part that they should
not forget it. Right so departed Galahad, Percivale, and Bors with him.
And so they rode three days, and then they came to a rivage, and found
the ship whereof the tale speaketh of tofore. And when they came to the
board, they found in the midst the table of silver which they had left
with the maimed king, and the Sancgreal, which was covered with red
samite. Then were they glad to have such things in their fellowship,
and so they entered, and made great reverence thereto, and Galahad fell
in his prayer long time to our Lord, that, at what time he asked, that
he should pass out of this world: so much he prayed, till a voice said
to him, Galahad, thou shalt have thy request, and when thou askest the
death of thy body thou shalt have it, and then shalt thou find the life
of the soul. Percivale heard this, and prayed him of fellowship that
was between them, to tell him wherefore he asked such things. That
shall I tell you, said Galahad: the other day when we saw a part of the
adventures of the Sancgreal, I was in such a joy of heart that I trow
never man was that was earthly, and therefore I wot well when my body
is dead my soul shall be in great joy to see the blessed Trinity every
day, and the majesty of our Lord Jesu Christ. So long were they in the
ship that they said to Galahad, Sir, in this bed ought ye to lie, for
so saith the scripture. And so he laid him down and slept a great
while. And when he awaked he looked afore him, and saw the city of
Sarras. And as they would have landed, they saw the ship wherein
Percivale had put his sister in. Truly, said Percivale, in the name of
God, well hath my sister holden us covenant. Then took they out of the
ship the table of silver, and he took it to Percivale and to Bors to go
tofore, and Galahad came behind, and right so they went to the city,
and at the gate of the city they saw an old man crooked. Then Galahad
called him, and bad him help to bear this heavy thing. Truly, said the
old man, it is ten year ago that I might not go but with crutches. Care
thou not, said Galahad, and arise up and shew thy good will. And so he
assayed, and found himself as whole as ever he was. Then ran he to the
table, and took one part against Galahad. And anon arose there great
noise in the city, that a cripple was made whole by knights marvellous
that entered into the city. Then anon after, the three knights went to
the water, and brought up into the palace Percivale’s sister, and
buried her as richly as a king’s daughter ought to be. And when the
king of the city, which was cleped Estorause, saw the fellowship, he
asked them of whence they were, and what thing it was that they had
brought upon the table of silver. And they told him the truth of the
Sancgreal, and the power which that God had set there. Then the king
was a tyrant, and was come of the line of paynims, and took them, and
put them in prison in a deep hole.
CHAP. XXII.
_How they were fed with the Sangreal while they were in prison, and how
Galahad was made king._
But as soon as they were there, our Lord sent them the Sancgreal,
through whose grace they were alway fulfilled while that they were in
prison. So at the year’s end it befell that this king Estorause lay
sick, and felt that he should die. Then he sent for the three knights,
and they came afore him, and he cried them mercy of that he had done to
them, and they forgave it him goodly, and he died anon. When the king
was dead, all the city was dismayed, and wist not who might be their
king. Right so as they were in counsel, there came a voice among them,
and bad them choose the youngest knight of them three to be their king,
for he shall well maintain you and all yours. So they made Galahad king
by all the assent of the whole city, and else they would have slain
him. And when he was come to behold the land, he let make about the
table of silver a chest of gold and of precious stones that covered the
holy vessel, and every day early the three fellows would come afore it
and make their prayers. Now at the year’s end, and the self day after
Galahad had borne the crown of gold, he arose up early, and his
fellows, and came to the palace, and saw tofore them the holy vessel,
and a man kneeling on his knees, in likeness of a bishop, that had
about him a great fellowship of angels, as it had been Jesu Christ
himself. And then he arose and began a mass of Our Lady. And when he
came to the sacrament of the mass, and had done, anon he called
Galahad, and said to him, Come forth, the servant of Jesu Christ, and
thou shalt see that thou hast much desired to see. And then he began to
tremble right hard, when the deadly flesh began to behold the spiritual
things. Then he held up his hands toward heaven, and said, Lord, I
thank thee, for now I see that that hath been my desire many a day.
Now, blessed Lord, would I not longer live, if it might please thee
Lord. And therewith the good man took our Lord’s body betwixt his
hands, and proffered it to Galahad, and he received it right gladly and
meekly. Now, wotest thou what I am? said the good man. Nay, said
Galahad.—I am Joseph of Armathie, which our Lord hath sent here to
thee to bear thee fellowship. And wotest thou wherefore that he hath
sent me more than any other? For thou hast resembled me in two things,
in that thou hast seen the marvels of the Sancgreal, and in that thou
hast been a clean maiden, as I have been and am. And when he had said
these words, Galahad went to Percivale and kissed him, and commanded
him to God. And so he went to Sir Bors and kissed him, and commanded
him to God, and said, Fair lord, salute me to my lord Sir Launcelot, my
father, and as soon as ye see him bid him remember of this unstable
world. And therewith he kneeled down tofore the table and made his
prayers, and then suddenly his soul departed to Jesu Christ, and a
great multitude of angels bare his soul up to heaven, that the two
fellows might well behold it. Also the two fellows saw come from heaven
an hand, but they saw not the body; and then it came right to the
vessel, and took it and the spear, and so bare it up to heaven. Sithen
was there never man so hardy to say that he had seen the Sancgreal.
CHAP. XXIII.
_Of the sorrow that Percivale and Bors made when Galahad was dead; and
of Percivale how he died, and other matters._
When Percivale and Bors saw Galahad dead, they made as much sorrow as
ever did two men: and if they had not been good men they might lightly
have fallen in despair. And the people of the country and of the city
were right heavy. And then he was buried. And as soon as he was buried,
Sir Percivale yielded him to an hermitage out of the city, and took a
religious clothing; and Bors was alway with him, but never changed he
his secular clothing, for that he purposed him to go again into the
realm of Logris. Thus a year and two months lived Sir Percivale in the
hermitage a full holy life, and then passed out of this world. And Bors
let bury him by his sister and by Galahad in the spiritualties. When
Bors saw that he was in so far countries as in the parts of Babylon, he
departed from Sarras, and armed him, and came to the sea, and entered
into a ship, and so it befell him in good adventure he came into the
realm of Logris. And he rode so fast till he came to Camelot where the
king was. And then was there great joy made of him in the court, for
they wend all he had been dead, forasmuch as he had been so long out of
the country. And when they had eaten, the king made great clerks to
come afore him, that they should chronicle of the high adventures of
the good knights. When Bors had told him of the adventures of the
Sancgreal, such as had befallen him and his three fellows, that was
Launcelot, Percivale, Galahad and himself. There Launcelot told the
adventures of the Sancgreal that he had seen. All this was made in
great books, and put in almeries at Salisbury. And anon Sir Bors said
to Sir Launcelot, Galahad your own son saluted you by me, and after you
king Arthur, and all the court, and so did Sir Percivale: for I buried
them with mine own hands in the city of Sarras. Also, Sir Launcelot,
Galahad prayeth you to remember of this uncertain world, as ye behight
him when ye were together more than half a year. This is true, said
Launcelot; now I trust to God his prayer shall avail me. Then Launcelot
took Sir Bors in his arms, and said, Gentle cousin, ye are right
welcome to me, and all that ever I may do for you and for yours, ye
shall find my poor body ready at all times whiles the spirit is in it,
and that I promise you faithfully, and never to fail. And wit ye well,
gentle cousin Sir Bors, that ye and I will never depart in sunder
whilst our lives may last. Sir, said he, I will as ye will.
Thus endeth thistory of the Sancgreal that was breuely drawen oute of
Frensshe in to Englysshe, the whiche is a story cronycled for one of
the truest and the holyest that is in thys world, the which is the
xvii book.
And here foloweth the eyghtenth book.
The Eighteenth Book.
CHAP. I.
_Of the joy of king Arthur and the queen had of the achievement of the
Sangreal; and how Launcelot fell to his old love again._
So after the quest of the Sancgreal was fulfilled, and all knights that
were left on live were come again unto the Table Round, as the book of
the Sancgreal maketh mention, then was there great joy in the court,
and in especial king Arthur and queen Guenever made great joy of the
remnant that were come home, and passing glad was the king and the