HowKngArthurhadalltheknghtstogetherfortojoustnthemeadowbesdeCamelotortheydeparted。
Now,sadthekng,amsureatthsquestoftheSangrealshallallyeoftheTableRounddepart,andnevershallseeyouaganwholetogether;thereforewllseeyouallwholetogethernthemeadowofCamelottojoustandtotourney,thatafteryourdeathmenmayspeakoftthatsuchgoodknghtswerewhollytogethersuchaday。Asuntothatcounselandatthekng’srequesttheyaccordedall,andtookontherharnessthatlongeduntojoustng。Butallthsmovngofthekngwasforthsntent,fortoseeGalahadproved;forthekngdeemedheshouldnotlghtlycomeaganuntothecourtafterhsdepartng。Soweretheyassemblednthemeadow,bothmoreandless。ThenSrGalahad,bytheprayerofthekngandthequeen,dduponhmanoblejesseraunce,andalsoheddonhshelm,butsheldwouldhetakenonefornoprayerofthekng。AndthenSrGawaneandotherknghtsprayedhmtotakeaspear。
Rghtsohedd;andthequeenwasnatowerwthallherlades,fortobeholdthattournament。ThenSrGalahaddressedhmnmdstofthemeadow,andbegantobreakspearsmarvellously,thatallmenhadwonderofhm;forhetheresurmountedallotherknghts,forwthnawhlehehaddefouledmanygoodknghtsoftheTableRoundsavetwan,thatwasSrLauncelotandSrPercvale。
HowthequeendesredtoseeGalahad;andhowafter,alltheknghtswerereplenshedwththeHolySangreal,andhowtheyavowedtheenquestofthesame。
THENthekng,atthequeen’srequest,madehmtoalghtandtounlacehshelm,thatthequeenmghtseehmnthevsage。Whenshebeheldhmshesad:
SoothlydarewellsaythatSrLauncelotbegathm,fornevertwomenresembledmorenlkeness,thereforetnsnomarvelthoughhebeofgreatprowess。Soaladythatstoodbythequeensad:Madam,forGod’ssakeoughtheofrghttobesogoodaknght?Yea,forsooth,sadthequeen,forhesofallpartescomeofthebestknghtsoftheworldandofthehghestlneage;forSrLauncelotscomebutoftheeghthdegreefromourLordJesuChrst,andSrGalahadsofthennthdegreefromourLordJesuChrst,thereforedaresaytheybethegreatestgentlemenoftheworld。
AndthenthekngandallestateswenthomeuntoCamelot,andsowenttoevensongtothegreatmnster,andsoafteruponthattosupper,andeveryknghtsatnhsownplaceastheyweretoforehand。Thenanontheyheardcrackngandcryngofthunder,thatthemthoughttheplaceshouldallto-drve。nthemdstofthsblastenteredasunbeammoreclearerbyseventmesthanevertheysawday,andalltheywerealghtedofthegraceoftheHolyGhost。Thenbeganeveryknghttobeholdother,andethersawother,bytherseemng,farerthanevertheysawafore。Notforthentherewasnoknghtmghtspeakonewordagreatwhle,andsotheylookedeverymanonotherastheyhadbeendumb。ThenthereenteredntothehalltheHolyGralcoveredwthwhtesamte,buttherewasnonemghtseet,norwhobaret。
Andtherewasallthehallfulflledwthgoododours,andeveryknghthadsuchmeatsanddrnksashebestlovednthsworld。AndwhentheHolyGralhadbeenbornethroughthehall,thentheholyvesseldepartedsuddenly,thattheywstnotwheretbecame:thenhadtheyallbreathtospeak。AndthenthekngyeldedthankngstoGod,ofHsgoodgracethathehadsentthem。Certes,sadthekng,weoughttothankourLordJesugreatlyforthathehathshewedusthsday,atthereverenceofthshghfeastofPentecost。
Now,sadSrGawane,wehavebeenservedthsdayofwhatmeatsanddrnkswethoughton;butonethngbeguledus,wemghtnotseetheHolyGral,twassoprecouslycovered。Whereforewllmakehereavow,thatto-morn,wthoutlongerabdng,shalllabournthequestoftheSangreal,thatshallholdmeoutatwelvemonthandaday,ormorefneedbe,andnevershall
returnaganuntothecourttllhaveseentmoreopenlythanthathbeenseenhere;andfmaynotspeed
shallreturnaganashethatmaynotbeaganstthewllofourLordJesuChrst。
WhentheyoftheTableRoundheardSrGawanesayso,theyaroseupthemostpartandmadesuchavowsasSrGawanehadmade。AnonasKngArthurheardthshewasgreatlydspleased,forhewstwelltheymghtnotagan-saytheravows。Alas,sadKngArthuruntoSrGawane,yehavenghslanmewththeavowandpromsethatyehavemade;forthroughyouyehavebereftmethefarestfellowshpandthetruestofknghthoodthateverwereseentogethernanyrealmoftheworld;forwhentheydepartfromhenceamsuretheyallshallnevermeetmorenthsworld,fortheyshalldemanynthequest。Andsotforthnkethmealttle,forhavelovedthemaswellasmylfe,whereforetshallgrevemerghtsore,thedeparttonofthsfellowshp:
forhavehadanoldcustomtohavethemnmyfellowshp。
Howgreatsorrowwasmadeofthekngandthequeenandladesforthedepartngoftheknghts,andhowtheydeparted。
ANDtherewththetearsfellnhseyes。Andthenhesad:Gawane,Gawane,yehavesetmengreatsorrow,forhavegreatdoubtthatmytruefellowshpshallnevermeetheremoreagan。Ah,sadSrLauncelot,comfortyourself;fortshallbeuntousagreathonourandmuchmorethanfwedednanyotherplaces,forofdeathwebesker。Ah,Launcelot,sadthekng,thegreatlovethathavehaduntoyouallthedaysofmylfemakethmetosaysuchdolefulwords;forneverChrstanknghadneversomanyworthymenathstableashavehadthsdayattheRoundTable,andthatsmygreatsorrow。
Whenthequeen,lades,andgentlewomen,wstthesetdngs,theyhadsuchsorrowandheavnessthattheremghtnotonguetellt,forthoseknghtshadheldthemnhonourandchert。ButamongallotherQueenGuenevermadegreatsorrow。marvel,sadshe,mylordwouldsufferthemtodepartfromhm。Thuswasallthecourttroubledfortheloveofthedeparttonofthoseknghts。Andmanyofthoseladesthatlovedknghtswouldhavegonewththerlovers;andsohadtheydone,hadnotanoldknghtcomeamongthemnrelgousclothng;andthenhespakeallonhghandsad:Farlords,whchhaveswornnthequestoftheSangreal,thussendethyouNacen,thehermt,word,thatnonenthsquestleadladynorgentlewomanwthhm,fortsnottodonsohghaservceastheylabourn;
forwarnyouplan,hethatsnotcleanofhssnsheshallnotseethemysteresofourLordJesuChrst。Andforthscausetheylefttheseladesandgentlewomen。
AfterthsthequeencameuntoGalahadandaskedhmofwhencehewas,andofwhatcountry。Hetoldherofwhencehewas。AndsonuntoLauncelot,shesadhewas。Astothat,hesadnetheryeanornay。SoGodmehelp,sadthequeen,ofyourfatheryeneednottoshameyou,forhesthegoodlestknght,andofthebestmenoftheworldcome,andofthestran,ofallpartes,ofkngs。Whereforeyeoughtofrghttobe,ofyourdeeds,apassnggoodman;andcertanly,shesad,yeresemblehmmuch。ThenSrGalahadwasalttleashamedandsad:Madam,sthyeknowncertan,whereforedoyeasktme?forhethatsmyfathershallbeknownopenlyandallbetmes。Andthentheywenttorestthem。AndnthehonourofthehghnessofGalahadhewasledntoKngArthur’schamber,andthererestednhsownbed。
Andassoonastwasdaythekngarose,forhehadnorestofallthatnghtforsorrow。ThenhewentuntoGawaneandtoSrLauncelotthatwerearsenfortohearmass。Andthenthekngagansad:AhGawane,Gawane,yehavebetrayedme;fornevershallmycourtbeamendedbyyou,butyewllneverbesorryformeasamforyou。Andtherewththetearsbegantorundownbyhsvsage。Andtherewththekngsad:Ah,knghtSrLauncelot,requretheethoucounselme,forwouldthatthsquestwereundone,antmghtbeSr,sadSrLauncelot,yesawyesterdaysomanyworthyknghtsthatthenwereswornthattheymaynotleavetnnomannerofwse。Thatwotwell,sadthekng,buttshallsoheavymeattherdepartngthatwotwellthereshallnomannerofjoyremedyme。Andthenthekngandthequeenwentuntothemnster。SoanonLauncelotandGawanecommandedthermentobrngtherarms。Andwhentheyallwerearmedsavethersheldsandtherhelms,thentheycametotherfellowshp,whchwereallreadynthesamewse,fortogotothemnstertoheartherservce。
ThenaftertheservcewasdonethekngwouldwthowmanyhadundertakenthequestoftheHolyGral;
andtoaccomptthemheprayedthemall。Thenfoundtheybythetaleanhundredandffty,andallwereknghtsoftheRoundTable。Andthentheyputontherhelmsanddeparted,andrecommendedthemallwhollyuntothequeen;andtherewasweepngandgreatsorrow。Thenthequeendepartedntoherchamberandheldher,sothatnomanshouldpercevehergreatsorrows。WhenSrLauncelotmssedthequeenhewenttllherchamber,andwhenshesawhmshecredaloud:OLauncelot,Launcelot,yehavebetrayedmeandputmetothedeath,fortoleavethusmylord。Ah,madam,prayyoubenotdspleased,forshallcomeaganassoonasmaywthmyworshp。Alas,sadshe,thateversawyou;buthethatsuffereduponthecrossforallmanknd,hebeuntoyougoodconductandsafety,andallthewholefellowshp。
RghtsodepartedSrLauncelot,andfoundhsfellowshpthatabodehscomng。AndsotheymountedupontherhorsesandrodethroughthestreetsofCamelot;andtherewasweepngofrchandpoor,andthekngturnedawayandmghtnotspeakforweepng。Sowthnawhletheycametoacty,andacastlethathghtVagon。
Theretheyenteredntothecastle,andthelordofthatcastlewasanoldmanthathghtVagon,andhewasagoodmanofhslvng,andsetopenthegates,andmadethemallthecheerthathemght。Andsoonthemorntheywereallaccordedthattheyshoulddeparteverychfromother;andonthemorntheydepartedwthweepngcheer,andeveryknghttookthewaythathmlkedbest。
X
HowGalahadgathmasheld,andhowtheyspedthatpresumedtotakedownthesadsheld。
NOWrdethSrGalahadyetwthoutsheld,andsoherodefourdayswthoutanyadventure。AndatthefourthdayafterevensonghecametoaWhteAbbey,andtherehewasrecevedwthgreatreverence,andleduntoachamber,andtherewasheunarmed;andthenwashewareoftwo[1]knghtsoftheTableRound,onewasSrBagdemagus,and[1]that[1]other[1]wasSrUwane。AndwhentheysawhmtheywentuntoGalahadandmadeofhmgreatsolace,andsotheywentuntosupper。Srs,sadSrGalahad,whatadventurebroughtyouhther?Sr,sadthey,tstoldusthatwthnthsplacesasheldthatnomanmaybearabouthsneckbuthebemschevedoutherdeadwthnthreedays,ormamedforever。Ahsr,sadKngBagdemagus,shalltbearto-morrowfortoassaythsadventure。nthenameofGod,sadSrGalahad。Sr,sadBagdemagus,anmaynotenchevetheadventureofthssheldyeshalltaketuponyou,foramsureyeshallnotfal。Sr,sadGalahad,rghtwellagreemethereto,forhavenosheld。Soonthemorntheyaroseandheardmass。ThenBagdemagusaskedwheretheadventuroussheldwas。Anonamonkledhmbehndanaltarwherethesheldhungaswhteasanysnow,butnthemdstwasaredcross。Sr,sadthemonk,thssheldoughtnottobehangedaboutnoknght’sneckbuthebetheworthestknghtoftheworld;
OmttedbyCaxton,suppledfromW。deWorde。
thereforecounselyouknghtstobewelladvsed。Well,sadBagdemagus,wotwellthatamnotthebestknghtoftheworld,butyetshallassaytobeart,andsobaretoutofthemnster。AndthenhesaduntoGalahad:
Antpleaseyouabdeherestll,tllyewthowthat
speed。shallabdeyou,sadGalahad。ThenKngBagdemagustookwthhmagoodsqure,tobrngtdngsuntoSrGalahadhowhesped。
Thenwhentheyhadrddenatwomleandcametoafarvalleyaforeanhermtage,thentheysawaknghtcomefromthatpartnwhtearmour,horseandall;andhecameasfastashshorsemghtrun,andhsspearnhsrest,andBagdemagusdressedhsspearagansthmandbraketuponthewhteknght。Buttheotherstruckhmsohardthathebrastthemals,andsheefhmthroughtherghtshoulder,forthesheldcoveredhmnotasatthattme;andsohebarehmfromhshorse。Andtherewthhealghtedandtookthewhtesheldfromhm,sayng:Knght,thouhastdonethyselfgreatfolly,forthssheldoughtnottobebornebutbyhmthatshallhavenopeerthatlveth。AndthenhecametoBagdemagus’squreandsad:BearthsshelduntothegoodknghtSrGalahad,thatthouleftntheabbey,andgreethmwellbyme。Sr,sadthesqure,whatsyourname?Takethounoheedofmyname,sadtheknght,fortsnotfortheetoknownorfornoneearthlyman。Now,farsr,sadthesqure,atthereverenceofJesuChrst,tellmeforwhatcausethssheldmaynotbebornebutfthebearerthereofbemscheved。Nowsththouhastconjuredmeso,sadtheknght,thssheldbehovethuntonomanbutuntoGalahad。