{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart413.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart413.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart413.htm","text":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER VII\n \n Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends and Sagas\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n BOOK XVII\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n CHAPTER VII\n \n A wonderful tale of King Solomon and his wife.\n \n \n THAT night lay Solomon before the ship with little\n fellowship. And when he was asleep him thought there came\n from heaven a great company of angels, and alighted into\n the ship, and took water which was brought by an angel,\n in a vessel of silver, and sprent all the ship. And after\n he came to the sword, and drew letters on the hilt. And\n after went to the ship's board, and wrote there other letters\n which said: Thou man that wilt enter within me, beware\n that thou be full within the faith, for I ne am but Faith\n and Belief. When Solomon espied these letters he was\n abashed, so that he durst not enter, and so drew him\n aback; and the ship was anon shoven in the sea, and he\n went so fast that he lost sight of him within a little while.\n And then a little voice said: Solomon, the last knight of\n thy lineage shall rest in this bed. Then went Solomon\n and awaked his wife, and told her of the adventures of\n the ship.\n \n Now saith the history that a great while the three\n fellows beheld the bed and the three spindles. Then they\n were at certain that they were of natural colours without\n painting. Then they lift up a cloth which was above the\n ground, and there found a rich purse by seeming. And\n Percivale took it, and found therein a writ and so he read\n it, and devised the manner of the spindles and of the ship,\n whence it came, and by whom it was made. Now, said\n Galahad, where shall we find the gentlewoman that shall\n make new girdles to the sword? Fair sir, said Percivale's\n sister, dismay you not, for by the leave of God I shall let\n make a girdle to the sword, such one as shall long thereto.\n And then she opened a box, and took out girdles which\n were seemly wrought with golden threads, and upon that\n were set full precious stones, and a rich buckle of gold.\n Lo, lords, said she, here is a girdle that ought to be set\n about the sword. And wit ye well the greatest part of\n this girdle was made of my hair, which I loved well while\n that I was a woman of the world. But as soon as I wist\n that this adventure was ordained me I clipped off my hair,\n and made this girdle in the name of God. Ye be well\n found, said Sir Bors, for certes ye have put us out of great\n pain, wherein we should have entered ne had your tidings\n been.\n \n Then went the gentlewoman and set it on the girdle of\n the sword. Now, said the fellowship, what is the name of\n the sword, and what shall we call it? Truly, said she, the\n name of the sword is the Sword with the Strange Girdles;\n and the sheath, Mover of Blood; for no man that hath\n blood in him ne shall never see the one part of the sheath\n which was made of the Tree of Life. Then they said to\n Galahad: In the name of Jesu Christ, and pray you that\n ye gird you with this sword which hath been desired so\n much in the realm of Logris. Now let me begin, said\n Galahad, to grip this sword for to give you courage; but\n wit ye well it longeth no more to me than it doth to you.\n And then he gripped about it with his fingers a great deal;\n and then she girt him about the middle with the sword.\n Now reck I not though I die, for now I hold me one of the\n blessed maidens of the world, which hath made the worthiest\n knight of the world. Damosel, said Galahad, ye have done\n so much that I shall be your knight all the days of my life.\n \n Then they went from that ship, and went to the other.\n And anon the wind drove them into the sea a great pace,\n but they had no victuals: but it befell that they came on\n the morn to a castle that men call Carteloise, that was in\n the marches of Scotland. And when they had passed the\n port, the gentlewoman said: Lords, here be men arriven\n that, an they wist that ye were of King Arthur's court, ye\n should be assailed anon. Damosel, said Galahad, He that\n cast us out of the rock shall deliver us from them.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER VII","type":"page"}