Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory

by Thomas Malory

  Than the quene departed into the chambir and holde hir there, that no man shold perceyve hir grete sorowys. Whan sir Launcelot myssed the quene he wente tyll hir chambir, and whan she saw hym she cryed alowde and seyde, ‘A, sir Launcelot, Launcelot! Ye have betrayde me and putte me to the deth, for to leve thus my lorde!’

  ‘A, madam, I pray you be nat displeased, for I shall com agayne as sone as I may with my worship.’

  ‘Alas,’ seyde she, ‘that ever I syghe you! But He that suffird dethe uppon the Crosse for all menkynde, He be unto you good conduyte and saufté, and all the hole felyshyp!’

  Ryght so departed sir Launcelot and founde hys felyship that abode hys commyng, and than they toke their horsys and rode thorow the strete of Camelot. And there was wepyng of ryche and poore, and the kynge turned away and myght nat speke for wepyng.

  So within a whyle they rode all togydirs tyll that they com to a cité, and a castell that hyght Vagon. And so they entird into the castell, and the lorde thereof was an olde man that hyght Vagon, and good of hys lyvyng, and sette opyn the gatis and made hem all the chere that he myght.

  And so on the morne they were all accorded that they sholde departe everych from othir. And on the morne they departed with wepyng chere, and than every knyght toke the way that hym lyked beste.

  II. THE MIRACLES

  [9] Now rydith Galahad yet withouten shylde, and so rode four dayes withoute ony adventure, and at the fourthe day aftir evynsonge he com to a whyght abbay. And there was he resceyved with grete reverence and lad untyll a chambir, and there was he unarmed.

  And than was he ware of two knyghtes of the Table Rounde, one was sir Bagdemagus, and sir Uwayne, and whan they sy hym they went to sir Galahad and made of hym grete solace. And so they wente unto supper.

  ‘Sirs,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘what adventure brought you hydir?’

  ‘Sir,’ they seyde, ‘hit ys tolde us that in thys place ys a shylde that no man may bere hit aboute his necke but he be myscheved other dede within three dayes, other maymed for ever. But, sir,’ seyde kynge Bagdemagus, ‘I shall beare hit to-morne for to assay thys adventure.’

  ‘In the name of God!’ seyde sir Galahad.

  ‘Sir,’ seyde Bagdemagus, ‘and I may nat encheve the adventure of thys shylde ye shall take hit uppon you, for I am sure ye shall nat fayle.’

  ‘Sir, I ryght well agré me thereto, for I have no shylde.’

  So on the morne they arose and herde masse. Than syr Bagdemagus asked where the adventures shylde was. Anone a munke ledde hym behynde an awter where the shylde hynge as whyght as ony snowe, but in the myddys was a rede crosse.

  ‘Syrres,’ seyde the monke, ‘thys shylde oughte nat to be honged aboute the nek of no knyght but he be the worthyest knyght of the worlde. Therefore I counceyle you, knyghtes, to be well avysed.”Well,’ seyde sir Bagdemagus, ‘I wote well I am nat the beste knyght, but I shall assay to bere hit,’ and so bare hit oute of the monaster. Than he seyde unto sir Galahad, ‘And hit please you to abyde here styll tylle that ye wete how that I spede.’

  ‘Sir, I shall abyde you,’ seyde sir Galahad.

  Than kynge Bagdemagus toke with hym a good squyre, to brynge tydynges unto sir Galahad how he spedde. Than they rode two myle and com to a fayre valey before an ermytayge, and than they saw a knyght com frome that partyes in whyght armour, horse and all, and he com as faste as hys horse myght renne, and hys speare in hys reeste. Than sir Bagdemagus dressed hys speare ayenste hym and brake hit uppon the whyght knyght, but the othir stroke hym so harde that he braste the mayles and threste hym thorow the ryght sholdir, for the shylde coverde hym nat as at that tyme. And so he bare hym frome hys horse, and therewith he alyght and toke hys whyght shylde from hym, saynge, ‘Knyght, thou hast done thyselff grete foly, for thys shylde ought nat to be borne but by hym that shall have no pere that lyvith.’

  And than he com to Bagdemagus squyre and bade hym ‘bere thys shylde to the good knyght sir Galahad that thou leffte in the abbey, and grete hym well by me.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde the squyre, ‘what ys youre name?’

  ‘Take thou none hede of my name,’ seyde the k nyghte, ‘for hit ys nat for the to know, nother none erthely man.’

  ‘Now, fayre sir,’ seyde the squyre, ‘at the reverence of Jesu Cryst, telle me be what cause thys shylde may nat be borne but if the berer therof be myscheved.’

  ‘Now syn thou hast conjoured me,’ seyde the knyght, ‘thys shelde behovith unto no man but unto sir Galahad.’

  Than the squyre wente unto Bagdemagus and asked hym whethir he were sore wounded or none.

  ‘Ye forsoth,’ seyde he, ‘I shall ascape harde frome the deth.’

  Than he fette hys horse and ledde hym with a grete payne tylle they cam unto the abbay. Than he was takyn downe sofftely and unarmed and leyde in hys bedde and loked there to hys woundys. And as the booke tellith, he lay there longe and ascaped hard with the lyff.

  [10] ‘Sir Galahad,’ seyde the squyre, ‘that knyght that wounded Bagdemagus sende you gretyng, and bade that ye sholde bere thys shylde wherethorow grete adventures sholde befalle.’

  ‘Now blyssed be good fortune!’ seyde sir Galahad.

  And than he asked hys armys and mownted uppon hys horse backe and hanged the whyght shylde aboute hys necke and commaunded hem unto God. So sir Uwayne seyde he wolde beare hym felyshyp if hit pleased hym.

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘that may ye nat, for I must go alone, save thys squyre shall bere me felyship.’

  And so departed sir Uwayne. Than within a whyle cam sir Galahad thereas the whyght knyght abode hym by the ermytayge, and everych salewed other curteysly.

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘by thys shylde bene many mervayles fallen.’

  ‘Syr,’ seyde the knyght, ‘hit befelle aftir the Passion of oure Lorde Jesu Cryste two and thirty yere that Joseph of Aramathy, that jantyll knyght the whych toke downe our Lorde of the holy Crosse, at that tyme he departed frome Jerusalem with a grete party of hys kynrede with hym. And so he labourde tyll they com to a cité whych hyght Sarras. And that same owre that Joseph com to Sarras, there was a kynge that hyght Evelake that had grete warre ayenst the Sarezens, and in especiall ayenste one Sarezyn the whych was kynge Evelakes cousyn, a ryche kynge and a myghty, whych marched nyghe hys londe, and hys name was called Tholome la Feyntis. So on a day thes two mette to do batayle.

  ‘Than Joseph, the sonne of Aramathy, wente to kyng Evelake and tolde hym he sholde be discomfite and slayne but he leffte hys beleve of the olde law and beleeve uppon the new law. And anone he shewed hym the ryght beleve of the Holy Trynyté, for the whyche he agreed unto with all hys herte.

  ‘And there thys shylde was made for kynge Evelake in the name of Hym that dyed on the Crosse. And than thorow hys goodly belyeve he had the bettir of kynge Tholome. For whan kynge Evelake was in the batayle there was a clothe sette afore the shylde, and whan he was in the grettist perell he lett put awey the cloth, and than hys enemyes saw a vigoure of a man on the crosse, wherethorow they all were discomfite.

  ‘And so hit befelle that a man of kynge Evelakes was smytten hys honde off, and bare that honde in hys other honde. And Joseph called that man unto hym and bade hym with good devocion touche the crosse. And as sone as that man had towched the crosse with hys honde hit was as hole as ever hit was tofore.

  ‘Than sone afftir there felle a grete mervayle, that the crosse of the shylde at one tyme vanysshed, that no man wyste where hit becam. And than kynge Evelake was baptyzed, and the moste party of all the people of that cité.

  ‘So sone aftir Joseph wolde departe, and kynge Evelake wolde nedys go with hym whethir he wolde or nolde. And so by fortune they com into thys londe that at that tyme was called Grete Bretayne, and there they founde a grete felon paynym that put Joseph into preson. And so by fortune that tydynges com unto a worthy man that hyght Mondrames, and he assembled all hys people for the grete renowne he had herde of Joseph. And so he com into the londe of Grete Bretaygne and disheryted thys fellon
paynym, and confounded hym, and therewith delyverde Joseph oute of preson. And after that all the people withturned to the Crystyn feythe.

  ‘So nat longe afftir Joseph was leyde in hys dedly bedde, and whan [11] kyng Evelake saw that, he had muche sorow, and seyde, * “For thy love I leffte my contrey, and syth ye sholl departe frome me oute of thys worlde, leve me som tokyn that I may thynke on you.”’

  ‘Than Joseph seyde, “That woll I do full gladly. Now brynge me youre shylde that I toke you whan ye wente into batayle ayenst kyng Tholome.”

  ‘Than Joseph bledde sore at the nose, that he myght nat by no meane be staunched, and there, uppon that shylde, he made a crosse of hys owne bloode and seyd, ‘ “Now may ye se a remembrance that I love you, for ye shall never se thys shylde but ye shall thynke one me. And hit shall be allwayes as freysh as hit ys now, and never shall no man beare thys shylde aboute hys necke but he shall repente hit, unto the tyme that Galahad, the good knyght, beare hit. And laste of my lynayge have hit aboute hys necke, that shall do many mervaylous dedys.”

  ‘”Now,” seyde kyng Evelake, “where shall I put thys shylde, that thys worthy knyght may have hit?”

  ‘ “Sir, ye shall leve hit thereas Nacien the ermyte shall put hit afftir hys dethe, for thydir shall that good knyght com the fiftenth day afftir that he shall reseyve the Order of Knyghthode.”

  And so that day that they sette ys thys tyme that he have hys shylde. And in the same abbay lyeth Nacien the eremyte.’

  And the whyght knyght vanyshed. Anone as the squyre had herde thes wordis he alyght of hys hakenay and kneled downe at Galahadys feete, and pray de hym that he myght go with hym tyll he had made hym knyght.

  ‘If I wolde have ony felyshyp I wolde nat refuse you.’

  ‘Than woll ye make me a knyght?’ seyde the squyre. ‘And that Order, by the grace of God, shall be well besette in me.’

  So sir Galahad graunted hym and turned ayen unto the abbay there they cam fro, and there men made grete joy of sir Galahad.

  And anone as he was alyght there was a munke brought hym unto a tombe in a chircheyarde, ‘where ys such a noyse that who hyryth hit veryly shall nyghe be madde other lose hys strengthe. And, sir, we deme hit ys a fyende.’

  ‘Now lede me thydir,’ seyd sir Galahad.

  And so they dud, all armed sauff hys helme.

  ‘Now,’ seyde the good man, ‘go to the tombe and lyffte hit up.’ And so he dud, and herde a grete noyse; and pyteuously he seyde, that all men myght hyre, ‘Sir Galahad, the servaunte of Jesu Crist, com thou nat nyghe me, for thou shalt make me go agayne there where I have bene so longe.’ But sir Galahad was nothynge aferde, but heve up the stone. And there com oute a fowle smoke, and aftir that he saw the fowlyst vygoure lepe thereoute that ever he saw in the lyknes of a man. And than he blyssed hym and wyst well hit was a fyende. Than herde he a voyce sey, ‘Sir Galahad, I se there envyrowne aboute the so many angels that my power may nat deare the!’

  Ryght so sir Galahad saw a body all armed lye in that tombe and besyde hym a swerde.

  ‘Now, fayre brothir,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘lette remeve thys body. For he ys nat worthy to lye within thys chyrcheyarde, for he was a false Crysten man.’

  And therewithall they departed and wente to the abbay. And anone as he was unarmed a good man cam and set hym downe by hym and seyd, ‘Sir, I shall telle you what betokenyth of that ye saw in the tombe. Sir, that that coverde the body, hit betokenyth the duras of the worlde, and the grete synne that oure Lorde founde in the worlde. For there was suche wrecchydnesse that the fadir loved nat the sonne, nother the sonne loved nat the fadir. And that was one of the causys that oure Lorde toke fleysh and bloode of a clene maydyn; for oure synnes were so grete at that tyme that well-nyghe all was wyckednesse.’

  ‘Truly,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘I beleve you ryght well.’

  So sir Galahad rested hym there that nyght, and uppon the morne he made the squyre a knyght and asked hym hys name and of what kynred he was com.

  ‘Sir,’ he seyde, ‘men calle me Melyas de Lyle, and I am the sonne of the kynge of Denmarke.’

  ‘Now, fayre sir,’ seyde Galahad, sitthyn that ye be com of kynges and quenys, now lokith that knyghthode be well sette in you, for ye ought to be a myrroure unto all chevilry.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Melyas, ‘ye sey soth. But, sir, sytthyn ye have made me a knyght ye must of ryght graunte me my first desyre that ys resonable.’

  ‘Ye say soth,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘I graunte hit you.’

  ‘Grauntmercy, myne owne lorde,’ seyde he, and that ye woll suffir me to ryde with you in thys queste of the Sankgreall tyll that som adventure departe us.’

  ‘I graunte you, sir.’

  Than men brought sir Melias hys armour and his speare and hys horse. And so sir Galahad and he rode forth all that wyke or ever they founde ony adventure. And than uppon a Munday in the mornynge, as they were departed frome an abbay, they com to a crosse whych departed two wayes, and in that crosse were letters wretyn that seyd thus:

  ‘Now YE KNYGHTES ARRAUNTE WHICH GOTH TO SEKE KNYGHTES ADVENTURYS, SE HERE TWO WAYES: THAT ONE WAY DEFENDITH THE THAT THOU NE GO THAT

  AY, FOR HE SHALL NAT GO OUTE OF THE WAY AGAYNE BUT IF HE BE A GOOD MAN AND A WORTHY KNYGHT. AND IF THOU GO ON THE LYFFTE HONDE THOU SHALL NAT THERE LYGHTLY WYNNE PROUESSE, FOR THOU SHALT IN THYS WAY BE SONE ASSAYDE.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde Melyas unto sir Galahad, ‘if hit lyke you to suffir me to take the way on the lyffte honde lette me, for I shall well preve my strength.’

  ‘Hit were bettir,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘ye rode nat that way, for I deme I sholde bettir ascape in that way, better than ye.’

  ‘Nay, my lorde, I pray you lette me have that adventure.’

  ‘Take hit in Goddys name,’ seyde sir Galahad.

  Now TURNYTH THE TALE UNTO SYR MELYAS DE LYLE.

  And than rode sir Melyas into an olde foreyste, and therin he rode two dayes and more. And than he cam into a fayre medow, and there was a fayre lodge of bowys. And than he aspyed in that lodge a chayre wherein was a crowne of golde, ryche and subtyly wrought. Also there was clothys coverde uppon the erthe, and many delycious metis sette thereon.

  So sir Melyas behylde thys adventure and thought hit mervaylous, but he had no hungir. But of the crowne of golde he toke much kepe, and therewith he stowped downe and toke hit up, and rode hys way with hit. And anone he saw a knyght com rydyng aftir hym and seyde, ‘Sett downe that crowne whych ys nat youres, and therefore defende you!’

  Than sir Melyas blyssed hym and seyde, ‘Fayre Lorde of Hevyn, helpe and save thy new-made knyght!’

  And than they lette their horses renne as faste as they myght, and so they smote togydirs. But the othir knyght smote sir Melyas thorow hawbirke and thorow the lyfft syde, that he felle to the erth nyghe dede, and than he toke hys crowne and yode hys way. And sir Melyas lay stylle and had no power to styrre hym. So in the meanewhyle by fortune com sir Galahad and founde hym there in perell of dethe. And than he seyde, ‘Sir Melyas, who hath wounded you? Therefore hit had bene better to have ryddyn the other way.’

  And whan sir Melyas herde hym speke,’Sir,’ he seyde, ‘for Goddys love, lat me nat dye in thys foreyst, but brynge me to the abbey here besyde, that I may be confessed and have my ryghtes.”Hit shall be done,’ seyde sir Galahad. ‘But where ys he that hath wounded you?’

  So with that sir Galahad herde on amonge the levys cry on hyght, ‘Knyght, kepe the from me!’

  ‘A, sir!’ seyde sir Melyas, “beware, for that ys he that hath slayne me.’

  Sir Galahad answerde and seyde, ‘Sir knyght, com on your perell!’ Than aythir dressed to other and com as fast as they myght dryve. And sir Galahad smote hym so that hys speare wente thorow his shuldir, and smote hym downe of hys horse, and in the fallyng sir Galahaddis speare brake. So with that com oute another knyght oute of the grene levys and brake a spere uppon sir Galahad or ever he myght turne hym. Than sir Galahad drew oute hys swerde and smote the lyffte arme off, that hit fe
lle to the erthe; and than he fledde and sir Galahad sewed faste aftir hym.

  And than he turned agayne unto sir Melyas, and there he alyght and dressed hym softely on hys horse tofore hym, for the truncheon of hys speare was in hys body. And sir Galahad sterte up behynde hym and hylde hym in hys armys, and so brought hym to the abbay, and there unarmed hym and brought hym to hys chambir. And than he asked hys Saveoure, and whan he had reseyved Hym he seyde unto sir Galahad, ‘Syr, latte dethe com whan hit pleasith Hym.’

  And therewith he drew the truncheon of the speare oute of hys body, and than he sowned. Than com there an olde monke whych somtyme had bene a knyght, and behylde sir Melyas. And anone he ransaked hym, and than he seyde unto sir Galahad, ‘I shall heale hym of hys play, by the grace of God, within the terme of seven wykes.’

  Than was sir Galahad glad and unarmed hym and seyde he wolde abyde there stylle all that nyght. Thus dwelled he there three dayes, and than he asked sir Melyas how hit stood with hym. Than he seyde he was turned into helpynge, God be thanked.

  [14] ‘Now woll I departe,’ sir Galahad seyde, ‘for I have much on honde, for many good knyghtes be fulle bysy aboute hit. And thys knyght and I were in the same quest of the Sankgreal.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde a good man, ‘for hys synne he was thus wounded. And I mervayle,’ seyde the good man, ‘how ye durste take uppon you so rych a thynge as the hyghe Order of Knyghthode ys withoute clene confession. That was the cause that ye were bittirly wounded, for the way on the ryght hande betokenyd the hygheway of oure Lorde Jesu Cryst, and the way of a good trew lyver. And the othir way betokenyth the way of synnars and of myssebelevers. And whan the devyll saw your pryde and youre persumpcion for to take you to the queste of the Sankgreal, and that made you to be overthrowyn, for hit may nat be encheved but by vertuous lyvynge.