{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart370.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart370.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart370.htm","text":"CHAPTER XVII\nHow Sir Galahad met with Sir Launcelot and Sir Percivale,\nand smote them down, and departed from them.\nSo when Sir Galahad was departed from the Castle of\nMaidens he rode till he came to a waste forest, and\nthere he met with Sir Launcelot and Sir Percivale, but\nthey knew him not, for he was new disguised. Right so\nSir Launcelot, his father, dressed his spear and brake it\nupon Sir Galahad, and Galahad smote him so again\nthat he smote down horse and man. And then he\ndrew his sword, and dressed him unto Sir Percivale, and\nsmote him so on the helm, that it rove to the coif of\nsteel; and had not the sword swerved Sir Percivale had\nbeen slain, and with the stroke he fell out of his saddle.\nThis jousts was done to-fore the hermitage where a\nrecluse dwelled. And when she saw Sir Galahad ride,\nshe said: God be with thee, best knight of the world.\nAh certes, said she, all aloud that Launcelot and Percivale\nmight hear it: An yonder two knights had known thee\nas well as I do they would not have encountered with\nthee. Then Sir Galahad heard her say so he was adread\nto be known: therewith he smote his horse with his\nspurs and rode a great pace froward them. Then\nperceived they both that he was Galahad; and up they\ngat on their horses, and rode fast after him, but in a\nwhile he was out of their sight. And then they turned\nagain with heavy cheer. Let us spere some tidings,\nsaid Percivale, at yonder recluse. Do as ye list, said Sir\nLauncelot.\nWhen Sir Percivale came to the recluse she knew him\nwell enough, and Sir Launcelot both. But Sir Launcelot\nrode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest, and held\nno path but as wild adventure led him. And at the last\nhe came to a stony cross which departed two ways in\nwaste land; and by the cross was a stone that was of\nmarble, but it was so dark that Sir Launcelot might\nnot wit what it was. Then Sir Launcelot looked by\nhim, and saw an old chapel, and there he weened to\nhave found people; and Sir Launcelot tied his horse till\na tree, and there he did off his shield and hung it upon\na tree, and then went to the chapel door, and found\nit waste and broken. And within he found a fair altar,\nfull richly arrayed with cloth of clean silk, and there\nstood a fair clean candlestick, which bare six great\ncandles, and the candlestick was of silver. And when\nSir Launcelot saw this light he had great will for to enter\ninto the chapel, but he could find no place where he\nmight enter; then was he passing heavy and dismayed.\nThen he returned and came to his horse and did off his\nsaddle and bridle, and let him pasture, and unlaced his\nhelm, and ungirt his sword, and laid him down to sleep\nupon his shield to-fore the cross.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIII CHAPTER XVII","type":"page"}