{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/malory/ma01.htm","path":"neu/malory/ma01.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/malory/ma01.htm","text":"Part I\nChapter I\nHow At The Vigil Of The Feast Of Pentecost Entered Into The Hall Before King\nArthur A Damosel, And Desired Sir Launcelot For To Come And Dub A Knight, And\nHow He Went With Her\nAt the vigil of Pentecost, when all the fellowship of the Round Table\nwere come unto Camelot and there heard their service, and the tables were set\nready to the meat, right entered into the hall a full fair gentlewoman on\nhorseback, that had ridden full fast, for her horse was all besweated. Then\nshe there alit, and came before the king and saluted him; and he said:\nDamosel, God thee bless. Sir, said she, for God's sake say me where Sir\nLauncelot is. Yonder ye may see him, said the king. Then she went unto\nLauncelot and said: Sir Launcelot, I salute you on King Pelles' behalf, and I\nrequire you come on with me hereby into a forest. Then Sir Launcelot asked her\nwith whom she dwelled. I dwell, said she, with King Pelles. What will ye with\nme? said Launcelot. Ye shall know, said she, when ye come thither. Well, said\nhe, I will gladly go with you. So Sir Launcelot bad his squire saddle his\nhorse and bring his arms; and in all haste he did his commandment. Then came\nthe queen unto Launcelot, and said: Will ye leave us at this high feast?\nMadam, said the gentlewoman, wit ye well he shall be with you tomorn by\ndinner time. If I wist, said the queen, that he should not be with us here\ntomorn he should not go with you by my good will. Right so departed Sir\nLauncelot with the gentlewoman, and rode until that he came into a forest and\ninto a great valley, where they saw an abbey of nuns; and there was a squire\nready and opened the gates, and so they entered and descended off their\nhorses; and there came a fair fellowship about Sir Launcelot, and welcomed\nhim, and were passing glad of his coming. And then they led him unto the\nAbbess' chamber and unarmed him; and right so he was ware upon a bed lying\ntwo of his cousins, Sir Bors and Sir Lionel, and then he waked them; and when\nthey saw him they made great joy. Sir, said Sir Bors unto Sir Launcelot, what\nadventure hath brought you hither, for we weened tomorn to have found you at\nCamelot? As God me help, said Sir Launcelot, a gentlewoman brought me hither,\nbut I know not the cause. In the meanwhile that they thus stood talking\ntogether, therein came twelve nuns that brought with them Galahad, the which\nwas passing fair and well made, that unnethe in the world men might not find\nhis match: and all those ladies wept. Sir, said they all, we bring you here\nthis child the which we have nourished, and we pray you to make him a knight,\nfor of a more worthier man's hand may he not receive the order of knighthood.\nSir Launcelot beheld the young squire and saw him seemly and demure as a dove,\nwith all manner of good features, that he weened of his age never to have seen\nso fair a man of form. Then said Sir Launcelot: Cometh this desire of himself?\nHe and all they said yea. Then shall he, said Sir Launcelot, receive the high\norder of knighthood as tomorn at the reverence of the high feast. That night\nSir Launcelot had passing good cheer; and on the morn at the hour of prime, at\nGalahad's desire, he made him knight and said: God make him a good man, for\nof beauty faileth you not as any that liveth.\nChapter II\nHow The Letters Were Found Written In The Siege Perilous, And Of The\nMarvellous Adventure Of The Sword In A Stone\nNow fair sir, said Sir Launcelot, will ye come with me unto the court of\nKing Arthur? Nay, said he, I will not go with you as at this time. Then he\ndeparted from them and took his two cousins with him, and so they came unto\nCamelot by the hour of underne on Whitsunday. By that time the king and the\nqueen were gone to the minster to hear their service. Then the king and the\nqueen were passing glad of Sir Bors and Sir Lionel, and so was all the\nfellowship. So when the king and all the knights were come from service, the\nbarons espied in the sieges of the Round Table all about, written with golden\nletters: Here ought to sit he, and he ought to sit here. And thus they went\nso long till that they came to the Siege Perilous, where they found letters\nnewly written of gold which said: Four hundred winters and four and fifty\naccomplished after the passion of our Lord Jesu Christ ought this siege to be\nfulfilled. Then all they said: This is a marvellous thing and an adventurous.\nIn the name of God, said Sir Launcelot; and then accounted the term of the\nwriting from the birth of our Lord unto that day. It seemeth me, said Sir\nLauncelot, this siege ought to be fulfilled this same day, for this is the\nfeast of Pentecost after the four hundred and four and fifty year; and if it\nwould please all parties, I would none of these letters were seen this day,\ntill he be come that ought to achieve this adventure. Then made they to ordain\na cloth of silk, for to cover these letters in the Siege Perilous. Then the\nking bad haste unto dinner. Sir, said and Sir Kay the Steward, if ye go now to\nyour meat ye shall break your old custom of your court, for ye have not used\non this day to sit at your meat or that ye have seen some adventure. Ye say\nsooth, said the king, but I had so great joy of Sir Launcelot and of his\ncousins, which be come to the court whole and sound, so that I bethought me\nnot of mine old custom. So, as they stood speaking, in came a squire and said\nunto the king: Sir, I bring unto you marvellous tidings, What be they? said\nthe king. Sir, there is here beneath at the river a great stone which I saw\nfleet above the water, and therein I saw sticking a sword. The king said: I\nwill see that marvel. So all the knights went with him, and when they came to\nthe river they found there a stone fleeting, as it were of red marble, and\ntherein stuck a fair rich sword, and in the pommel thereof were precious\nstones wrought with subtil letters of gold. Then the barons read the letters\nwhich said in this wise: Never shall man take me hence, but only he by whose\nside I ought to hang, and he shall be the best knight of the world. When the\nking had seen the letters, he said unto Sir Launcelot: Fair sir, this sword\nought to be yours, for I am sure ye be the best knight of the world. Then Sir\nLauncelot answered full soberly: Certes, sir, it is not my sword; also, Sir,\nwit ye well I have no hardiness to set my hand to it, for it longed not to\nhang by my side. Also, who that assayeth to take the sword and faileth of it,\nhe shall receive a wound by that sword that he shall not be whole long after.\nAnd I will that ye wit that this same day shall the adventures of the\nSangreal, that is called the Holy, Vessel, begin.\nChapter III\nHow Sir Gawaine Essayed To Draw Out The Sword, And How An Old Man Brought In\nGalahad\nNow, fair nephew, said the king unto Sir Gawaine, essay ye, for my love.\nSir, he said, save your good grace I shall not do that. Sir, said the King,\nessay to take the sword and at my commandment. Sir, said Gawaine, your\ncommandment I will obey. And therewith he took up the sword by the handles,\nbut he might not stir it. I thank you, said the king to Sir Gawaine. My lord\nSir Gawaine, said Sir Launcelot, now wit ye well this sword shall touch you so\nsore that ye shall will ye had never set your hand thereto for the best\ncastle of this realm. Sir, he said, I might not withsay mine uncle's will and\ncommandment. But when the king heard this he repented it much, and said unto\nSir Percivale that he should essay, for his love. And he said: Gladly, for to\nbear Sir Gawaine fellowship. And therewith he set his hand on the sword and\ndrew it strongly, but he might not move it. Then were there more that durst\nbe so hardy, to set their hands thereto. Now may ye go to your dinner, said\nSir Kay unto the King, for a marvellous adventure have ye seen. So the king\nand all went unto the court, and every knight knew his own place, and set him\ntherein, and young men that were knights served them. So when they were\nserved, and all sieges fulfilled save only the Siege Perilous, anon there\nbefell a marvellous adventure, that all the doors and windows of the palace\nshut by themself. Not for then the hall was not greatly darked; and therewith\nthey abashed both one and other. Then King Arthur spake first and said: By\nGod, fair fellows and lords, we have seen this day marvels, but or night I\nsuppose we shall see greater marvels. In the meanwhile came in a good old man,\nand an ancient, clothed all in white, and there was no knight knew from whence\nhe came. And with him he brought a young knight, both on foot, in red arms,\nwithout sword or shield, save a scabbard hanging by his side. And these words\nhe said: Peace be with you, fair lords. Then the old man said unto Arthur:\nSir, I bring here a young knight, the which is of king's lineage, and of the\nkindred of Joseph of Aramathie, whereby the marvels of this court, and of\nstrange realms, shall be full accomplished.\nChapter IV\nHow The Old Man Brought Galahad To The Siege Perilous And Set Him Therein, And\nHow All The Knights Marvelled\nThe king was right glad of his words, and said unto the good man: Sir, ye\nbe right welcome, and the young knight with you. Then the old man made the\nyoung man to unarm him, and he was in a coat of red sendel, and bare a mantle\nupon his shoulder that was furred with ermine, and put that upon him. And the\nold knight said unto the young knight: Sir, follow me. And anon he led him\nunto the Siege Perilous, where beside sat Sir Launcelot; and the good man lift\nup the cloth, and found there letters that said thus: This is the siege of\nGalahad, the haut prince. Sir, said the old knight, wit ye well that place is\nyours. And then he set him down surely in that siege. And then he said to the\nold man: Sir, ye may now go your way, for well have ye done that ye were\ncommanded to do; and recommend me unto my grandsire, King Pelles, and unto my\nlord Petchere, and say them on my behalf, I shall come and see them as soon as\never I may. So the good man departed; and there met him twenty noble squires,\nand so took their horses and went their way. Then all the knights of the Table\nRound marvelled greatly of Sir Galahad, that he durst sit there in that Siege\nPerilous, and was so tender of age; and wist not from whence he came but all\nonly by God; and said: This is he by whom the Sangreal shall be achieved, for\nthere sat never none but he, but he were mischieved. Then Sir Launcelot beheld\nhis son and had great joy of him. Then Bors told his fellows: Upon pain of my\nlife this young knight shall come unto great worship. This noise was great in\nall the court, so that it came to the queen. Then she had marvel what knight\nit might be that durst adventure him to sit in the Siege Perilous. Many said\nunto the queen he resembled much unto Sir Launcelot. I may well suppose, said\nthe queen, that Sir Launcelot begat him on King Pelles' daughter, by the which\nhe was made to lie by, by enchantment, and his name is Galahad. I would fain\nsee him, said the queen, for he must needs be a noble man, for so is his\nfather that him begat, I report me unto all the Table Round. So when the meat\nwas done that the king and all were risen, the king yede unto the Siege\nPerilous and lift up the cloth, and found there the name of Galahad; and then\nhe shewed it unto Sir Gawaine, and said: Fair nephew, now have we among us Sir\nGalahad, the good knight that shall worship us all; and upon pain of my life\nhe shall achieve the Sangreal, right as Sir Launcelot had done us to\nunderstand. Then came King Arthur unto Galahad and said: Sir, ye be welcome,\nfor ye shall move many good knights to the quest of the Sangreal, and ye shall\nachieve that never knights might bring to an end. Then the king took him by\nthe hand, and went down from the palace to shew Galahad the adventures of the\nstone.\nChapter V\nHow King Arthur Shewed The Stone Hoving On The Water To Galahad, And How He\nDrew Out The Sword\nThe queen heard thereof, and came after with many ladies, and shewed them\nthe stone where it hoved on the water. Sir, said the king unto Sir Galahad,\nhere is a great marvel as ever I saw, and right good knights have essayed and\nfailed. Sir, said Galahad, that is no marvel, for this adventure is not\ntheirs but mine; and for the surety of this sword I brought none with me, for\nhere by my side hangeth the scabbard. And anon he laid his hand on the sword,\nand lightly drew it out of the stone, and put it in the sheath, and said unto\nthe king: Now it goeth better than it did aforehand. Sir, said the king, a\nshield God shall send you. Now have I that sword that sometime was the good\nknight's, Balin le Savage, and he was a passing good man of his hands; and\nwith this sword he slew his brother Balan, and that was great pity, for he was\na good knight, and either slew other through a dolorous stroke that Balin gave\nunto my grandfather King Pelles, the which is not yet whole, nor not shall be\ntill I heal him. Therewith the king and all espied where came riding down the\nriver a lady on a white palfrey toward them. Then she saluted the king and\nthe queen, and asked if that Sir Launcelot was there. And then he answered\nhimself: I am here, fair lady. Then she said all with weeping: How your great\ndoing is changed sith this day in the morn. Damosel, why say you so? said\nLauncelot. I say you sooth, said the damosel, for ye were this day the best\nknight of the world, but who should say so now, he should be a liar, for there\nis now one better than ye, and well it is proved by the adventures of the\nsword whereto ye durst not set to your hand; and that is the change and\nleaving of your name. Wherefore I make unto you a remembrance, that ye shall\nnot ween from henceforth that ye be the best knight of the world. As touching\nunto that, said Launcelot, I know well I was never the best. Yes, said the\ndamosel, that were ye, and are yet, of any sinful man of the world. And, Sir\nking, Nacien, the hermit, sendeth thee word, that thee shall befall the\ngreatest worship that ever befell king in Britain; and I say you wherefore,\nfor this day the Sangreal appeared in thy house and fed thee and all thy\nfellowship of the Round Table. So she departed and went that same way that\nshe came.\nChapter VI\nHow King Arthur Had All The Knights Together For To Joust In The Meadow Beside\nCamelot Or They Departed\nNow, said the king, I am sure at this quest of the Sangreal shall all ye\nof the Table Round depart, and never shall I see you again whole together;\ntherefore I will see you all whole together in the meadow of Camelot to joust\nand to tourney, that after your death men may speak of it that such good\nknights were wholly together such a day. As unto that counsel and at the\nking's request they accorded all, and took on their harness that longed unto\njousting. But all this moving of the king was for this intent, for to see\nGalahad proved; for the king deemed he should not lightly come again unto the\ncourt after his departing. So were they assembled in the meadow both more and\nless. Then Sir Galahad, by the prayer of the king and the queen, did upon him\na noble jesseraunce, and also he did on his helm, but shield would he take\nnone for no prayer of the king. And then Sir Gawaine and other knights prayed\nhim to take a spear. Right so he did; and the queen was in a tower with all\nher ladies, for to behold that tournament. Then Sir Galahad dressed him in\nmiddes of the meadow, and began to break spears marvelously, that all men\nhad wonder of him; for he there surmounted all other knights, for within a\nwhile he had defouled many good knights of the Table Round save twain, that\nwas Sir Launcelot and Sir Percivale.\nChapter VII\nHow The Queen Desired To See Galahad; And How After, All The Knights\nWere Replenished With The Holy Sangreal, And How They Avowed The Enquest Of\nThe Same\nThen the king, at the queen's request, made him to alight and to unlace\nhis helm, that the queen might see him in the visage. When she beheld him she\nsaid: Soothly I dare well say that Sir Launcelot begat him, for never two men\nresembled more in likeness, therefore it is no marvel though he be of great\nprowess. So a lady that stood by the queen said: Madam, for God's sake ought\nhe of right to be so good a knight? Yea, forsooth, said the queen, for he is\nof all parties come of the best knights of the world and of the highest\nlineage; for Sir Launcelot is come but of the eighth degree from our Lord Jesu\nChrist, and Sir Galahad is of the ninth degree from our Lord Jesu Christ,\ntherefore I dare say they be the greatest gentlemen of the world. And then the\nking and all estates went home unto Camelot, and so went to evensong to the\ngreat minster, and so after upon that to supper, and every knight sat in his\nown place as they were toforehand. Then anon they heard cracking and crying of\nthunder, that them thought the place should all to drive. In the midst of this\nblast entered a sunbeam more clearer by seven times than ever they saw day,\nand all they were alighted of the grace of the Holy Ghost. Then began every\nknight to behold other, and either saw other, by their seeming, fairer than\never they saw afore. Not for then there was no knight might speak one word a\ngreat while, and so they looked every man on other as they had been dumb. Then\nthere entered into the hall the Holy Greal covered with white samite, but\nthere was none might see it, nor who bare it. And there was all the hall\nfulfilled with good odours, and every knight had such meats and drinks as he\nbest loved in this world. And when the Holy Greal had been borne through the\nhall, then the Holy Vessel departed suddenly, that they wist not where it\nbecame: then had they all breath to speak. And then the king yielded thankings\nto God, of His good grace that he had sent them. Certes, said the king, we\nought to thank our Lord Jesu greatly for that he hath shewed us this day, at\nthe reverence of this high feast of Pentecost. Now, said Sir Gawaine, we have\nbeen served this day of what meats and drinks we thought on; but one thing\nbeguiled us, we might not see the holy Grail, it was so preciously covered.\nWherefore I will make here avow, that tomorn, without longer abiding, I shall\nlabour in the quest of the Sangreal, that I shall hold me out a twelvemonth\nand a day, or more if need be, and never shall I return again unto the court\ntill I have seen it more openly than it hath been seen here; and if I may not\nspeed I shall return again as he that may not be against the will of our Lord\nJesu Christ. When they of the Table Round heard Sir Gawaine say so, they arose\nup the most part and made such avows as Sir Gawaine had made. Anon as King\nArthur heard this he was greatly displeased, for he wist well they might not\nagain say their avows. Alas, said King Arthur unto Sir Gawaine, ye have nigh\nslain me with the avow and promise that ye have made; for through you ye have\nbereft me the fairest fellowship and the truest of knighthood that ever were\nseen together in any realm of the world; for when they depart from hence I am\nsure they all shall never meet more in this world, for they shall die many in\nthe quest. And so it forthinketh me a little, for I have loved them as well as\nmy life, wherefore it shall grieve me right sore, the departition of this\nfellowship: for I have had an old custom to have them in my fellowship.\nChapter VIII\nHow Great Sorrow Was Made Of The King And The Queen And Ladies\nFor The Departing Of The Knights, And How They Departed\nAnd therewith the tears filled in his eyes. And then he said: Gawaine,\nGawaine, ye have set me in great sorrow, for I have great doubt that my true\nfellowship shall never meet here more again. Ah, said Sir Launcelot, comfort\nyourself; for it shall be unto us a great honour and much more than if we\ndied in any other places, for of death we be siccar. Ah, Launcelot, said the\nking, the great love that I have had unto you all the days of my life maketh\nme to say such doleful words; for never Christian king had never so many\nworthy men at his table as I have had this day at the Round Table, and that is\nmy great sorrow. When the queen, ladies, and gentlewomen, wist these tidings,\nthey had such sorrow and heaviness that there might no tongue tell it, for\nthose knights had held them in honour and charity. But among all other Queen\nGuenever made great sorrow. I marvel, said she, my lord would suffer them to\ndepart from him. Thus was all the court troubled for the love of the\ndepartition of those knights. And many of those ladies that loved knights\nwould have gone with their lovers; and so had they done, had not an old knight\ncome among them in religious clothing; and then he spake all on high and said:\nFair lords, which have sworn in the quest of the Sangreal, thus sendeth you\nNacien, the hermit, word, that none in this quest lead lady nor gentlewoman\nwith him, for it is not to do in so high a service as they labour in; for I\nwarn you plain, he that is not clean of his sins he shall not see the\nmysteries of our Lord Jesu Christ. And for this cause they left these ladies\nand gentlewomen. After this the queen came unto Galahad and asked him of\nwhence he was, and of what country. He told her of whence he was. And son unto\nLauncelot, she said he was. As to that, he said neither yea or nay. So God me\nhelp, said the queen, of your father ye need not to shame you, for he is the\ngoodliest knight, and of the best men of the world come, and of the strain of\nall parties, of kings. Wherefore ye ought of right to be, of your deeds, a\npassing good man; and certainly, she said, ye resemble him much. Then Sir\nGalahad was a little ashamed and said: Madam, sith ye know in certain,\nwherefore do ye ask it me? for he that is my father shall be known openly and\nall betimes. And then they went to rest them. And in the honour of the\nhighness of Galahad he was led into King Arthur's chamber, and there rested\nin his own bed. And as soon as it was day the king arose, for he had no rest\nof all that night for sorrow. Then he went unto Gawaine and to Sir Launcelot\nthat were arisen for to hear mass. And then the king again said: Ah Gawaine,\nGawaine, ye have betrayed me; for never shall my court be amended by you, but\nye will never be sorry for me as I am for you. And therewith the tears began\nto run down by his visage. And therewith the king said: Ah, knight Sir\nLauncelot, I require thee thou counsel me, for I would that this quest were\nundone an it might be. Sir, said Sir Launcelot, ye saw yesterday so many\nworthy knights that then were sworn that they may not leave it in no manner of\nwise. That wot I well, said the king, but it shall so heavy me at their\ndeparting that I wot well there shall no manner of joy remedy me. And then\nthe king and the queen went unto the minister. So anon Launcelot and Gawaine\ncommanded their men to bring their arms. And when they all were armed save\ntheir shields and their helms, then they came to thier fellowship, which were\nall ready in the same wise, for to go to the minster to hear their service.\nThen after the service was done the king would wit how many had undertaken the\nquest of the Holy Grail; and to account them he prayed them all. Then found\nthey by tale an hundred and fifty, and all were knights of the Round Table.\nAnd then they put on their helms an departed, and reommended them all wholly\nunto the queen: and there was weeping and great sorrow. Then the queen\ndeparted into her chamber so that no man should apperceive her great sorrows.\nWhen Sir Launcelot missed the queen he went into her chamber, and when she saw\nhim she cried aloud: O Sir Launcelot, ye have betrayed me and put me to\ndeath, for to leave thus my lord. Ah, madam, said Sir Launcelot, I pray you be\nnot displeased, for I shall come as soon as I may with my worship. Alas, said\nshe, that ever I saw you; but he that suffered death upon the cross for all\nmankind be to you good conduct and safety, and all the whole fellowship. Right\nso departed Sir Launcelot, and found his fellowship that abode his coming. And\nso they mounted upon their horses and rode through the streets of Camelot; and\nthere was weeping of the rich and poor, and the king turned away and might not\nspeak for weeping. So within a while they came to a city, and a castle that\nhight Vagon. There they entered into the castle, and the lord of that castle\nwas an old man that hight Vagon, and he was a good man of his living, and set\nopen the gates, and made them all the good cheer that he might. And so on the\nmorrow they were all accorded that they should depart every each from other;\nand then they departed on the morrow with weeping and mourning cheer, and\nevery knight took the way that him best liked.\nChapter IX\nHow Galahad Gat Him A Shield, And How They Sped That Presumed To Take Down The\nSaid Shield\nNow rideth Sir Galahad yet without shield, and so he rode four days\nwithout any adventure. And at the fourth day after evensong he came to\na White Abbey, and there he was received with great reverence, and led to a\nchamber, and there he was unarmed; and then was he ware of two knights of the\nRound Table, one was King Bagdemagus, and that other was Sir Uwaine. And when\nthey saw him they went unto him and made of him great solace, and so they went\nto supper. Sirs, said Sir Galahad, what adventure brought you hither? Sir,\nsaid they, it is told us that within this place is a shield that no man may\nbear about his neck but if that he be mischieved or dead within three days, or\nelse maimed for ever. Ah sir, said King Bagdemagus, I shall it bear to-morrow\nfor to essay this strange adventure. In the name of God, said Sir Galahad.\nSir, said Bagdemagus, an I may not achieve the adventure of this shield ye\nshall take it upon you, for I am sure ye shall not fail. Sir, said Galahad, I\nagree right well thereto, for I have no shield. So on the morn they arose and\nheard mass. Then King Bagdemagus asked where the adventurous shield was. Anon\na monk led him behind an altar where the shield hung as white as any snow, but\nin the middes was a red cross. Sir, said the monk, this shield ought not to be\nhanged about no knight's neck but he be the worthiest knight of the world, and\ntherefore I counsel you knights to be well advised. Well, said King\nBagdemagus, I wot well that I am not the best knight of the world, but yet\nshall I essay to bear it. And so he bare it out of the monastery; and then he\nsaid unto Sir Galahad: If it will please you I pray you abide here still, till\nye know how I shall speed. I shall abide you here, said Galahad. Then King\nBagdemagus took with him a squire, the which should bring tidings unto Sir\nGalahad how he sped. Then when they had ridden a two mile and came in a fair\nvalley afore an hermitage, then they saw a goodly knight come from that part\nin white armour, horse and all; and he came as fast as his horse might run,\nwith his spear in the rest, and King Bagdemagus dressed his spear against him\nand brake it upon the white knight. But the other struck him so hard that he\nbrake the mails, and thrust him through the right shoulder, for the shield\ncovered him not as at that time; and so he bare him from his horse. And\ntherewith he alighted and took the white shield from him saying: Knight, thou\nhas done thyself great folly, for this shield ought not to be borne but by him\nthat shall have no peer that liveth. And then he came to King Bagdemagus'\nsquire and said: Bear this shield unto the good knight Sir Galahad, that thou\nleft in the abbey, and greet him well from me. Sir, said the squire, what is\nyour name? Take thou no heed of my name, said the knight, for it is not for\nthee to know nor for none earthly man. Now, fair sir, said the squire, at the\nreverence of Jesu Christ, tell me for what cause this shield may not be borne\nbut if the bearer thereof be mischieved. Now sith thou hast conjured me so,\nsaid the knight, this shield behoveth unto no man but unto Galahad. And the\nsquire went unto Bagdemagus and asked whether he were sore wounded or not.\nYea, forsooth, said he, I shall escape hard from the death. Then he fetched\nhis horse, and brought him with great pain unto an abbey. Then was he taken\ndown softly and unarmed, and laid in a bed, and there was looked to his\nwounds. And as the book telleth, he lay there long, and escaped hard with the\nlife.\nChapter X\nHow Galahad Departed With The Shield, And How King Evelake Had Received The\nShield Of Joseph Of Aramathie\nSir Galahad, said the squire, that knight that wounded Bagdemagus\nsendeth you greeting, and bad that ye should bear this shield, wherethrough\ngreat adventures should befall. Now blessed be God and fortune, said Galahad.\nAnd then he asked his arms, and mounted upon his horse, and hung the white\nshield about his neck, and commended them unto God. And Sir Uwaine said he\nwould bear him fellowship if it pleased him, Sir, said Galahad, that may\nye not, for I must go alone, save this squire shall bear me fellowship:\nand so departed Uwaine. Then within a while came Galahad there as the white\nknight abode him by the hermitage, and every each saluted other courteously.\nSir, said Galahad, by this shield be many marvels fallen? Sir, said the\nknight, it befell after the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ thirty-two year,\nthat Joseph of Aramathie, the gentle knight, the which took down our Lord off\nthe holy Cross, at that time he departed from Jerusalem with a great party of\nhis kindred with him. And so he laboured till that they came to a city that\nhight Sarras. And at that same hour that Joseph came to Sarras there was a\nking that hight Evelake, that had great war against the Saracens, and in\nspecial against one Saracen, the which was King Evelake's cousin, a rich king\nand a mighty, which marched nigh this land, and his name was called Tolleme la\nFeintes. So on a day these two met to do battle. Then Joseph, the son of\nJoseph of Aramathie, went to King Evelake and told him he should be discomfit\nand slain, but if he left his belief of the old law and believed upon the new\nlaw. And then there he shewed him the right belief of the Holy Trinity, to the\nwhich he agreed unto with all his heart; and there this shield was made for\nKing Evelake, in the name of Him that died upon the Cross. And then through\nhis good belief he had the better of King Tolleme. For when Evelake was in the\nbattle there was a cloth set afore the shield, and when he was in the\ngreatest peril he let put away the cloth, and then his enemies saw a figure of\na man on the Cross, wherethrough they all were discomfit. And so it befell\nthat a man of King Evelake's was smitten his hand off, and bare that hand in\nhis other hand; and Joseph called that man unto him and bade him go with good\ndevotion touch the Cross. And soon as that man had touched the Cross with his\nhand it was as whole as ever it was tofore. Then soon after there fell a great\nmarvel, that the cross of the shield at one time vanished away that no man\nwist where it became. And then King Evelake was baptised, and for the most\npart all the people of that city. So, soon after Joseph would depart, and King\nEvelake would go with him whether he would or nold. And so by fortune they\ncame into this land, that at that time was called Great Britain; and there\nthey found a great felon paynim, that put Joseph into prison. And so by\nfortune tidings came unto a worthy man that hight Mondrames, and he assembled\nall his people for the great renown he had heard of Joseph; and so he came\ninto the land of Great Britain and disinherited this felon paynim and consumed\nhim; and therewith delivered Joseph out of prison. And after that all the\npeople were turned to the Christian faith.\nChapter XI\nHow Joseph Made A Cross On The White Shield With His Blood, And How Galahad\nWas By A Monk Brought To A Tomb\nNot long after that Joseph was laid in his deadly bed. And when King\nEvelake saw that he made much sorrow, and said: For thy love I have left my\ncountry, and sith ye shall depart out of this world, leave me some token of\nyours that I may think on you. Joseph said: That will I do full gladly; now\nbring me your shield that I took you when ye went into battle against King\nTolleme. Then Joseph bled sore at the nose, so that he might not by no mean be\nstaunched. And there upon that shield he made a cross of his own blood. Now\nmay ye see a remembrance that I love you, for ye shall never see this shield\nbut ye shall think on me, and it shall be always as fresh as it is now. And\nnever shall man bear this shield about his neck but he shall repent it, unto\nthe time that Galahad, the good knight, bare it; and the last of my lineage\nshall have it about his neck, that shall do many marvellous deeds. Now, said\nKing Evelake, where shall I put this shield, that this worthy knight may have\nit? Ye shall leave it there as Nacien, the hermit, shall be put after his\ndeath; for thither shall that good knight come the fifteenth day after that he\nshall receive the order of knighthood: and so that day that they set is this\ntime that he have his shield, and in the same abbey lieth Nacien, the hermit.\nAnd then the white knight vanished away. Anon as the squire had heard these\nwords, he alit off his hackney and kneeled down at Galahad's feet, and prayed\nhim that he might go with him till he had made him knight. If I would not\nrefuse you? Then will ye make me a knight? said the squire, and that order, by\nthe grace of God, shall be well set in me. So Sir Galahad granted him, and\nturned again unto the abbey where they came from; and there men made great joy\nof Sir Galahad. And anon as he was alit there was a monk brought him unto a\ntomb in a churchyard, where there was such a noise that who that heard it\nshould verily nigh be mad or lose his strength: and Sir, they said, we deem it\nis a fiend.\nChapter XII\nOf The Marvel That Sir Galahad Saw And Heard In The Tomb, And How He Made\nMelias Knight\nNow lead me thither, said Galahad. And so they did, all armed save his\nhelm. Now, said the good man, go to the tomb and lift it up. So he did, and\nheard a great noise; and piteously it said, that all men might hear it: Sir\nGalahad, he servant of Jesus Christ, come thou not nigh me, for thou shalt\nmake me go again there where I have been so long. But Galahad was nothing\nafraid, but lifted up the stone; and there came out so foul a smoke, and after\nhe saw the foulest figure leap thereout that ever he saw in the likeness of a\nman; and then he blessed him and wist will it was a fiend. Then heard he a\nvoice say: Galahad, I see there environ about thee so many angels that my\npower may not dare thee. Right so Sir Galahad saw a body all armed lie in that\ntomb, and beside him a sword. Now, fair brother, said Galahad, let us remove\nthis body, for it is not worthy to lie in this churchyard, for he was a false\nChristian man. And therewith they all departed and went to the abbey. And anon\nas he was unarmed a good man came and set him down by him and said: Sir, I\nshall tell you what betokeneth all that ye saw in the tomb; for that covered\nbody betokeneth the duresse of the world, and the great sin that our Lord\nfound in the world. For there was such wretchedness that the father loved not\nthe son, nor the son loved not the father; and that was one of the causes that\nour Lord took flesh and blood of a clene maiden, for our sins were so great at\nthat time that wellnigh all was wickedness. Truly, said Galahad, I believe you\nright well. So Sir Galahad rested him there that night; and upon the morn he\nmade the squire knight, and asked him his name, and of what kindred he was\ncome. Sir, said he, men calleth me Melias de Lile, and I am the son of the\nking of Denmark. Now, fair sir, said Galahad, sith that ye be come of kings\nand queens, now look that knighthood be well set in you, for ye ought to be a\nmirror unto all chivalry. Sir, said Sir Melias, ye say sooth. But, sir, sithen\nye have made me a knight ye must of right grant me my first desire that is\nreasonable. Ye say sooth, said Galahad. Melias said: Then that ye will suffer\nme to ride with you in this quest of the Sangreal, till that some adventure\ndepart us. I grant you sir. Then men brought Sir Melias his armour and his\nspear and his horse, and so Sir Galahad and he rode forth all that week or\nthey any found adventure. And then upon a Monday in the morning, as they were\ndeparted from an abbey, they came to a cross which departed two ways, and in\nthat cross were letters written that said thus: Now, ye knights errant, the\nwhich goeth to seek knights adventurous, see here two ways; that one way\ndefendeth thee that thou ne go that way, for he shall not go out of the way\nagain but if he a good man and a worthy knight; and if thoN go on the left\nhand, thou shalt not lightly there win prowess, for thou shalt in this way be\nsoon essayed. Sir, said Melias to Galahad, if it like you to suffer me to take\nthe way on the left hand, tell me, for there I shall well prove my strength.\nIt were better, said Galahad, ye rode not that way, for I deem I should better\nescape in that way than ye. Nay, my lord, I pray you let me have that\nadventure. Take it in God's name, said Galahad.","title":"Malory: Book Thirteen, Part I","type":"page"}