‘Also the wrytyng on the crosse was a significacyon of hevynly dedys, and of knyghtly dedys in Goddys workys, and no knyghtes dedys in worldly workis; and pryde ys hede of every synne: that caused thys knyght to departe frome sir Galahad. And where thou toke the crowne of golde thou ded syn in covetyse and in theffte. All this was no knyghtly dedys. And so, sir Galahad, the holy knyght which fought with the two knyghtes, the two knyghtes signyfyeth the two dedly synnes whych were holy in thys knyght, sir Melias; and they myght nat withstonde you, for ye ar withoute dedly synne.’
So now departed sir Galahad frome thens and betaughte hem all unto God. Than sir Melias seyde, ‘My lord, syr Galahad, as sone as I may ryde I shall seke you.’
‘God sende you helthe!’ seyde sir Galahad.
And so he toke hys horse and departed and rode many journeyes forewarde and bakwarde, and departed frome a place that hyght Abblasowre and had harde no masse. Than sir Galahad com to a mountayne where he founde a chapell passyng olde, and founde therein nobody, for all was desolate. And there he kneled before the awter and besought God of good counceyle, and so as he prayde he harde a voyce that seyd, ‘Go thou now, thou adventurous knyght, to the Castell of Madyns, and there do thou away the wycked customes!’
Whan sir Galahad harde thys he thanked God and toke hys horse, [15] and he had nat ryddyn but a whyle but he saw in a valey before hym a stronge castell with depe dychys, and there ran besyde hyt a fayre ryver that hyght Sevarne. And there he mette with a man of grete ayge, and ayther salewed other, and sir Galahad asked hym the castels name.
‘Fayre sir,’ seyde he, ‘hit ys the Castell of Maydyns. That ys a cursed castell and all they that be conversaunte therein, for all pité ys oute thereoff, and all hardynes and myschyff ys therein. Therefore I counceyle you, sir knyght, to turne agayne.’
‘Sir,’ sir Galahad seyde, ‘wete you welle that I shall nat turne agayne.’
Than loked sir Galahad on hys armys that nothyng fayled hym, and than he putte hys shylde before hym. And anone there mette hym seven fayre maydyns the whych seyde unto hym, ‘Sir knyght, ye ryde here in grete foly, for ye have the watir to passe over.’
‘Why shold I nat passe the watir?’ seyde sir Galahad.
So rode he away frome hem and mette with a squyre that seyde, ‘Knyght, thoo knyghtes in the castell defyeth you and defendith you ye go no farther tyll that they wete what ye wolde.’
‘Fayre sir,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘I com for to destroy the wycked custom of thys castell.’
‘Sir, and ye woll abyde by that ye shall have inowghe to do.’
‘Go ye now,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘and hast my nedys.’
Than the squyre entird into the castell, and anone aftir there com oute of the castell seven knyghtes, and all were brethirne. And whan they saw sir Galahad they cryed, ‘Knyght, kepe the! For we assure you nothyng but dethe.’
‘Why,’ seyd Galahad, ‘woll ye all have ado with me at onys?’
‘Yee,’ seyde they, ‘thereto mayste thou truste!’
Than Galahad put forth hys speare and smote the formyst to the erthe, that nerehonde he brake hys necke. And therewithal! the other six smote hym on hys shylde grete strokes, that their sperys brake. Than sir Galahad drew oute hys swerde and sette uppon hem so harde that hit was mervayle, and so thorow grete force he made hem for to forsake the fylde. And sir Galahad chased hem tylle they entird into the castell and so passed thorow the castell at another gate.
And anone there mette sir Galahalte an olde man clothyd in relygyous clothynge and seyde, ‘Sir, have here the kayes of thys castell.’
Than sir Galahad openyd the gatis and saw so muche people in the stretys that he myght nat numbir hem. And all they seyde, ‘Sir, ye be wellcom, for longe have we abydyn here oure delyveraunce!’
Then com to hym a jantillwoman and seyde, ‘Sir, thes knyghtes be fledde, but they woll com agayne thys nyght, and here to begyn agayne their evyll custom.’
‘What woll ye that I do?’ seyde sir Galahad.
‘Sir,’ seyde the jantillwoman, ‘that ye sende aftir all the knyghtes hydir that holde their londys of thys castell, and make hem all to swere for to use the customs that were used here of olde tyme.’
‘I woll well,’ seyde sir Galahad.
And there she brought hym an horne of ivery boundyn with golde rychely, and seyde, ‘Sir, blow thys horne whiche woll be harde two myles aboute.’ Whan sir Galahad had blowyn the horne he sette hym downe uppon a bedde. Than com a pryste to Galahad and seyde, ‘Sir, hit ys past a seven yere agone that thes seven brethirne com into thys castell and herberowde with the lorde of the castell that hyght the dyuke Lyanowre, and he was lorde of all this contrey. And whan they had aspyed the dyukes doughter that was a full fayre woman, than by there false covyn they made a bate betwyxte hemselff. And the deuke of hys goodnes wolde have departed them, and there they slew hym and hys eldyst sonne. And than they toke the maydyn and the tresoure of the castell, and so by grete force they helde all the knyghtes of the contrey undir grete servayge and trewayge. So on a day the deukes doughter seyde to them, ‘ “Ye have done grete wronge to sle my fadir and my brothir and thus to holde oure londys. Natforthan,” she seyde, “ye shall nat holde thys castell many yerys, for by one knyght ye shall all be overcom.” Thus she prophecyed seven yerys agone.
‘ “Well,” seyde the seven knyghtes, “sytthyn ye sey so, there shall never lady nother knyght passe thys castell but they shall abyde magre their hedys other dye therefore tyll that knyght be com by whom we shall lose thys castell.”
‘And therefore hit ys called the Maydyns Castell, for they have devoured many maydyns.’
‘Now,’ seyde sir Galahad, ‘ys she here for whom thys castell was loste?’
‘Nay, sir,’ seyde the pryste, she was dede within three nyghtes aftir that she was thus forsed, and sytthen have they kepte their yonger syster whych enduryth grete payne with me other ladyes.’
By thys were the knyghtes of the contrey com, and than he made hem to do omage and feawté to the dukes doughter and sette them in grete ease of harte. And in the morne there com one and tolde sir Galahad how that sir Gawayne, sir Gareth and sir Uwayne had slayne the seven brethirne.
‘I supposse well,’ seyde sir Galahad, and toke hys armoure and hys horse, and commaunded hem unto God.
HERE LEVITH THE TALE OF SIR GALAHAD AND SPEKITH OF SIR GAWAYNE.
Now seyth the tale, aftir sir Gawayne departed he rode many [16] journeys both towarde and frowarde, and at the laste he com to the abbey where sir Galahad had the whyght shylde. And there sir Gawayne lerned the way to sewe aftir sir Galahad, and so he rode to the abbey where Melyas lay syke. And there sir Melyas tolde sir Gawayne of the mervaylous adventures that sir Galahad dud.
‘Certes,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘I am nat happy that I toke nat the way that he wente. For and I may mete with hym I woll nat departe from hym lyghtly, for all mervaylous adventures sir Galahad enchevith.’
‘Sir,’ seyde one of the munkes, ‘he woll nat of youre felyship.’
‘Why so?’ seyde sir Gawayne.
‘Sir,’ seyd he, ‘for ye be wycked and synfull, and he ys full blyssed.’ So ryght as they thus talked there com in rydynge sir Gareth, and than they made grete joy aythir of other. And on the morne they harde masse and so departed, and by the way they mett with sir Uwayne le Avowtres. And there sir Uwayne tolde sir Gawayne that he had mette with none adventures syth he departed frome the courte.
‘Nother yet we,’ seyd sir Gawayne.
And so ayther promysed othir of the three knyghtes nat to departe whyle they were in that queste but if suddayne fortune caused hyt. So they departed and rode by fortune tyll that they cam by the Castell of Maydyns. And there the seven brethirn aspyed the three knyghtes and seyde, ‘Sytthyn we be flemyd by one knyght from thys castell, we shall destroy all the knyghtes of kyng Arthurs that we may overcom, for the love of sir Galahad.’
And therewith the seven knyghtes sette uppon hem three knyghtes. And by fortune sir Gaway
ne slew one of the brethren, and ech one of hys felowys overthrew anothir, and so slew all the remenaunte. And than they toke the wey undir the castell, and there they loste the way that sir Galahad rode. And there everych of hem departed from other.
And sir Gawayne rode tyll he com to an ermytayge, and there he founde the good man seyynge hys evynsonge of oure Lady. And there sir Gawayne asked herberow for charité, and the good man graunted hym gladly. Than the good man asked hym what he was.
‘Sir,’ he seyde, ‘I am a knyght of kynge Arthures that am in the queste of the Sankgreall, and my name ys sir Gawayne.’
‘Sir,’ seyde the good man, ‘I wolde wete how hit stondith betwyxte God and you.’
‘Sir,’ seyd sir Gawayne, ‘I wyll with a good wyll shew you my lyff if hit please you.’
There he tolde the eremyte how a monke of an abbay ‘called me wycked knyght’.
‘He myght well sey hit,’ seyde the eremyte, ‘for whan ye were made first knyght ye sholde have takyn you to knyghtly dedys and vertuous lyvyng. And ye have done the contrary, for ye have lyved myschevously many wyntirs. And sir Galahad ys a mayde and synned never, and that ys the cause he shall enchyve where he goth that ye nor none suche shall never attayne, nother none in youre felyship, for ye have used the moste untrewyst lyff that ever I herd knyght lyve. For sertes, had ye nat bene so wycked as ye ar, never had the seven brethirne be slayne by you and youre two felowys: for sir Galahad hymself alone bete hem all seven the day toforne, but hys lyvyng ys such that he shall sle no man lyghtly.
‘Also I may sey you that the Castell of Maydyns betokenyth the good soulys that were in preson before the Incarnacion of oure Lorde Jesu Cryste. And the seven knyghtes betokenyth the seven dedly synnes that regned that tyme in the worlde. And I may lyckyn the good knyght Galahad unto the Sonne of the Hyghe Fadir that lyght within a maydyn and bought all the soules oute of thralle: so ded sir Galahad delyver all the maydyns oute of the woofull castell. Now, sir Gawayne,’ seyde the good man, ‘thou muste do penaunce for thy synne.’
‘Sir, what penaunce shall I do?’
‘Such as I woll gyff the,’ seyde the good man.
‘Nay,’ seyd sir Gawayne, ‘I may do no penaunce, for we knyghtes adventures many tymes suffir grete woo and payne.’
‘Well,’ seyde the good man, and than he hylde hys pece.
And on the morne than sir Gawayne departed frome the ermyte and bytaught hym unto God. And by adventure he mette wyth sir Agglovale and sir Gryfflet, two knyghtes of the Rounde Table, and so they three rode four dayes withoute fyndynge of ony adventure. And at the fifth day they departed and everych hylde as felle them by adventure.
HERE LEVITH THE TALE OF SYR GAWAYNE AND HYS FELOWYS AND SPEKITH OF SIR GALAHAD.
So whan sir Galahad was departed frome the Castell of Maydyns [17] he rode tyll he com to a waste forest, and there he mette with sir Launcelot and sir Percivale. But they knew hym nat, for he was new dysgysed. Ryght so hys fadir, sir Launcelot, dressed hys speare and brake hit uppon sir Galahad, and sir Galahad smote hym so agayne that he bare downe horse and man. And than he drew his swerde and dressed hym unto sir Percyvall and smote hym so on the helme that hit rooff to the coyff of steele, and had nat the swerde swarved sir Percyvale had be slayne. And with the stroke he felle oute of hys sadyll.
So thys justis was done tofore the ermytayge where a recluse dwelled. And whan she saw sir Galahad ryde she seyde, ‘God be with the, beste knyght of the worlde! A, sertes,’ seyde she all alowde, that sir Launc elot and Percyvall myght hyre, ‘and yondir two knyghtes had knowyn the as well as I do, they wolde nat have encountird with the.’
Whan sir Galahad herde hir sey so he was adrad to be knowyn, and therewith he smote hys horse with his sporys and rode a grete pace toward them. Than perceyved they bothe that he was sir Galahad, and up they gate on their horsys and rode faste aftir hym. But within a whyle he was oute of hir syght, and than they turned agayne wyth hevy chere and seyde, ‘Lat us spyrre som tydynges,’ seyde Percyvale, ‘at yondir rekles.”Do as ye lyst,’ seyde sir Launcelot.
So whan sir Percyvale com to the recluse she knew hym well ynoughe and sir Launcelot both.
But syr Launcelot rode overthwarte and endelonge a wylde foreyst and hylde no patthe but as wylde adventure lad hym. And at the last he com to a stony crosse whych departed two wayes in waste londe, and by the crosse was a stone that was a marble, but hit was so durke that sir Launcelot myght nat wete what hyt was. Than sir Launcelot loked bysyde hym and saw an olde chapell, and there he wente to have founde people.
And anone sir Launcelot fastenyd hys horse tylle a tre, and there he dud of hys shylde and hynge hyt uppon a tre, and than he wente to the chapell dore and founde hit waste and brokyn. And within he founde a fayre awter full rychely arayde with clothe of clene sylke, and there stoode a clene fayre candyllstykke whych bare six grete candyls therein, and the candilstyk was of sylver; and whan sir Launcelot saw thys lyght he had grete wylle for to entir into the chapell, but he coude fynde no place where he myght entir. Than was he passyng hevy and dysmayed, and returned ayen and cam to hys horse, and dud of hys sadyll and brydyll and leete hym pasture hym, and unlaced hys helme and ungerde hys swerde and layde hym downe to slepe uppon hys shylde tofore the crosse.
And so he felle on slepe; and half wakyng and half slepynge he [18] saw commyng by hym two palfreyes, all fayre and whyght, whych bare a lytter, and therein lyyng a syke knyght. And whan he was nyghe the crosse he there abode stylle. All thys sir Launcelot sye and behylde hit, for he slepte nat veryly, and he herde hym sey, A, sweete Lorde! Whan shall thys sorow leve me, and whan shall the holy vessell com by me wherethorow I shall be heled?
For I have endured thus longe for litill trespasse, a full grete whyle!’ Thus complayned the knyght and allways sir Launcelot harde hit.
So with that sir Launcelot sye the candyllstyk with the six tapirs cam before the crosse, and he saw nobody that brought hit. Also there cam a table of sylver and the holy vessell of the Sankgreall which sir Launcelot had sene toforetyme in kynge Pe scheo rs house. And therewith the syke knyght sette hym up, and hylde up both hys hondys, and seyde, ‘Fayre swete Lorde whych ys here within the holy vessell, take hede unto me, that I may be hole of thys malody!’
And therewith on hys hondys and kneys he wente so nyghe that he towched the holy vessell and kyst hit, and anone he was hole. And than he seyde, ‘Lorde God, I thanke The, for I am helyd of thys syknes!’
So whan the holy vessell had bene there a grete whyle hit went unto the chapell with the chaundeler and the lyght, so that sir Launcelot wyst nat where hit was becom; for he was overtakyn with synne, that he had no power to ryse agayne the holy vessell. Wherefore aftir that many men seyde hym shame, but he toke repentaunce aftir that.
Than the syke knyght dressed hym up and kyssed the crosse. Anone hys squyre brought hym hys armys and asked hys lorde how he ded.
‘Sertes,’ seyde he, ‘I thanke God, ryght well! Thorow the holy vessell I am heled. But I have mervayle of thys slepyng knyght that he had no power to awake whan thys holy vessell was brought hydir.’
‘I dare well sey,’ seyde the squyre, ‘that he dwellith in som dedly synne whereof he was never confessed.’
‘Be my fayth,’ seyde the knyght, ‘whatsomever he be, he ys unhappy. For as I deme he ys of the felyship of the Rounde Table whych ys entird in the queste of the Sankgreall.’
‘Sir,’ seyde the squyre, ‘here I have brought you all youre armys save youre helme and youre swerde, and therefore, be myne assente, now may ye take thys knyghtes helme and his swerde.’
And so he dud. And whan he was clene armed he toke there sir Launcelottis horse, for he was bettir than hys, and so departed they frome the crosse.
Than anone sir Launcelot waked and sett hym up and bethought hym what he had sene there and whether hit were dremys or nat. Ryght so harde he a voyse that seyde, “Sir Launcelot, more harder than ys the stone, and more bitter than ys the woode, and more naked and barer than ys the lyeff of th
e fygge-tre! Therefore go thou from hens, and withdraw the from thys holy places!’
And whan sir Launcelot herde thys he was passyng hevy and wyst nat what to do. And so departed sore wepynge and cursed the tyme that he was borne, for than he demed never to have worship more. For the wordis wente to hys herte, tylle that he knew wherefore he was called so.
Than sir Launcelot wente to the crosse and founde hys helme, hys swerde, and hys horse away. And than he called hymselff a verry wrecch and moste unhappy of all knyghtes, and there he seyde, ‘My synne and my wyckednes hath brought me unto grete dishonoure! For whan I sought worldly adventures for worldely desyres I ever encheved them and had the bettir in every place, and never was I discomfite in no quarell, were hit ryght were hit wronge. And now I take uppon me the adventures to seke of holy thynges, now I se and undirstonde that myne olde synne hyndryth me and shamyth me, that I had no power to stirre nother speke whan the holy bloode appered before me.’
So thus he sorowed tyll hit was day, and harde the fowlys synge; than somwhat he was comforted. But whan sir Launcelot myssed his horse and hys harneyse than he wyst well God was displesed with hym. And so he departed frome the crosse on foote into a fayre foreyste, and so by pryme he cam to an hyghe hylle and founde an ermytage and an ermyte therein whych was goyng unto masse.
And than sir Launcelot kneled downe and cryed on oure Lorde mercy for hys wycked workys. So whan masse was done sir Launcelot called hym, and prayde hym for seynte charité for to hyre hys lyff.
‘With a good wylle,’ seyde the good man, and asked hym whethir he was of kyng Arthurs and of the felyship of the Table Rounde.
‘Ye, forsoth, sir, and my name ys sir Launcelot du Lake, that hath bene ryght well seyde off. And now my good fortune ys chonged, for I am the moste wrecch of the worlde.’
The ermyte behylde hym and had mervayle whye he was so abaysshed.
‘Sir,’ seyde the ermyte, ye ought to thanke God more than ony knyght lyvynge, for He hath caused you to have more worldly worship than ony knyght that ys now lyvynge. And for youre presumpcion to take uppon you in dedely synne for to be in Hys presence, where Hys fleyssh and Hys blood was, which caused you ye myght nat se hyt with youre worldely yen, for He woll nat appere where such synners bene but if hit be unto their grete hurte other unto their shame. And there is no knyght now lyvynge that ought to yelde God so grete thanke os ye, for He hath yevyn you beauté, bownté, semelynes, and grete strengthe over all other knyghtes. And therefore ye ar the more beholdyn unto God than ony other man to love Hym and drede Hym, for youre strengthe and your manhode woll litill avayle you and God be agaynste you.’
Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory Page 74