{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart376.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart376.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart376.htm","text":"CHAPTER III\nHow Sir Percivale came into a monastery, where he found\nKing Evelake, which was an old man.\nTHEN departed Sir Percivale from his aunt, either making\ngreat sorrow. And so he rode till evensong time. And\nthen he heard a clock smite; and then he was ware of an\nhouse closed well with walls and deep ditches, and there he\nknocked at the gate and was let in, and he alighted and\nwas led unto a chamber, and soon he was unarmed. And\nthere he had right good cheer all that night; and on the\nmorn he heard his mass, and in the monastery he found a\npriest ready at the altar. And on the right side he saw a\npew closed with iron, and behind the altar he saw a rich\nbed and a fair, as of cloth of silk and gold.\nThen Sir Percivale espied that therein was a man or a\nwoman, for the visage was covered; then he left off his\nlooking and heard his service. And when it came to the\nsacring, he that lay within that parclos dressed him up, and\nuncovered his head; and then him beseemed a passing old\nman, and he had a crown of gold upon his head, and his\nshoulders were naked and unhilled unto his navel. And\nthen Sir Percivale espied his body was full of great wounds,\nboth on the shoulders, arms, and visage. And ever he held\nup his hands against Our Lord's body, and cried: Fair,\nsweet Father, Jesu Christ, forget not me. And so he lay\ndown, but always he was in his prayers and orisons; and\nhim seemed to be of the age of three hundred winter. And\nwhen the mass was done the priest took Our Lord's body\nand bare it to the sick king. And when he had used it he\ndid off his crown, and commanded the crown to be set on\nthe altar.\nThen Sir Percivale asked one of the brethren what he\nwas. Sir, said the good man, ye have heard much of\nJoseph of Aramathie, how he was sent by Jesu Christ into\nthis land for to teach and preach the holy Christian faith;\nand therefore he suffered many persecutions the which the\nenemies of Christ did unto him, and in the city of Sarras\nhe converted a king whose name was Evelake. And so\nthis king came with Joseph into this land, and ever he was\nbusy to be thereas the Sangreal was; and on a time he\nnighed it so nigh that Our Lord was displeased with him,\nbut ever he followed it more and more, till God struck\nhim almost blind. Then this king cried mercy, and\nsaid: Fair Lord, let me never die till the good knight\nof my blood of the ninth degree be come, that I may\nsee him openly that he shall enchieve the Sangreal, that\nI may kiss him.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIV CHAPTER III","type":"page"}