‘Now,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘fadir, what shall I do?’
‘Now,’ seyde the good man, ‘I requyre you take thys hayre that was thys holy mannes and put hit nexte thy skynne, and hit shall prevayle the gretly.’
‘Sir, than woll I do hit,’ seyde sir Launcelot.
‘Also, sir, I charge the that thou ete no fleysshe as longe as ye be in the queste of Sankgreall, nother ye shall drynke no wyne, and that ye hyre masse dayly and ye may com thereto.’
So he toke the hayre and put hit uppon hym, and so departed at evynsonge, and so rode into a foreyste. And there he mette with a jantillwoman rydyng uppon a whyght palferey, and than she asked hym, ‘Sir knyght, whother ryde ye?’
‘Sertes, damesell,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘I wote nat whothir I ryde but as fortune ledith me.’
‘A, sir Launcelot,’ seyde she, ‘I wote what adventure ye seke, for ye were beforetyme nerar than ye be now, and yet shall ye se hit more opynly than ever ye dud, and that shall ye undirstonde in shorte tyme.’
Than sir Launcelot asked her where he myght be harberowde that nyght.
‘Ye shall none fynde thys day nor nyght, but to-morne ye shall fynde herberow goode, and ease of that ye bene in doute off.’
And than he commended hir unto God, and so he rode tylle that he cam to a crosse and toke that for hys oste as for that nyght. And [3] so he put hys horse to pasture and ded of hys helme and hys shylde and made hys prayers unto the crosse that he never falle in dedely synne agayne. And so he leyde hym downe to slepe.
And anone as he was on slepe hit befylle hym there a vision; that there com a man afore hym all bycompast with sterris, and that man had a crowne of golde on hys hede. And that man lad in hys felyship seven kynges and two knyghtes, and all thes worshipt the crosse, knelyng uppon their kneys, holdyng up their hondys towarde the hevyn, and all they seyde:
‘Swete Fadir of Hevyn, com and visite us, and yelde unto everych of us as we have deserved.’
Than loked sir Launcelot up to the hevyn and hym semed the clowdis ded opyn, and an olde man com downe with a company of angels and alyghte amonge them and gaff unto everych hys blyssynge and called them hys servauntes and hys good and trew knyghtes. And whan thys olde man had seyde thus he com to one of the knyghtes and seyde, ‘I have loste all that I have besette in the, for thou hast ruled the ayenste me as a warryoure and used wronge warris with vayneglory for the pleasure of the worlde more than to please me, therefore thou shalt be confounded withoute thou yelde me my tresoure.’ All thys avision saw sir Launcelot at the crosse, and on the morne he toke hys horse and rode tylle mydday. And there by adventure he mette the same knyght that toke hys horse, helme and hys swerde whan he slepte, whan the Sankgreall appered afore the crosse. So whan sir Launcelot saw hym he salewede hym nat fayre, but cryed on hyght, ‘Knyght, kepe the, for thou deddist me grete unkyndnes.’
And than they put afore them their spearis, and sir Launcelot com so fyersely that he smote hym and hys horse downe to the erthe, that he had nyghe brokyn hys neck. Than sir Launcelot toke the knyghtes horse that was hys owne beforehonde, and descended frome the horse he sate uppon, and mownted uppon hys horse, and tyed the knyghtes owne horse to a tre, that he myght fynde that horse whan he was rysen.
Than sir Launcelot rode tylle nyght, and by adventure he mette an ermyte, and eche of hem salewd other. And there he reste with that good man all nyght and gaff hys horse suche as he myght gete. Than seyde the good man unto sir Launcelot, ‘Of whens be ye?’
‘Sir,’ seyde he, ‘I am of Arthurs courte, and my name ys sir Launcelot de Lake, that am in the queste of the Sankegreall. And therefor, sir, I pray you counceile me of a vision that I saw thys nyght.’ And so he tolde hy in all.
‘Lo, sir Launcelot,’ seyde the good man, ‘there myght thou undir[4] stonde the hyghe lynayge that thou arte com off; that thyne avision betokenyth.
‘Aftir the Passion of Jesu Cryste fourty yere, Joseph of Aramathy preched of the victory of kynge Evelake, that he had in hys batayles the bettir of hys enemyes. And of the seven kynges and the two knyghtes the firste of hem ys called Nappus, an holy man, and the secunde hyght Nacien in remembraunce of hys grauntesyre, and in hym dwelled oure Lorde Jesu Cryst. And the third was called Hellyas le Grose, and the fourth hyght Lysays, and the fifth hyght Jonas; he departed oute of hys contrey and wente into Walis and toke there the doughter of Manuell, whereby he had the londe Gaule. And he com to dwelle in thys contrey, and of hym com kynge Launcelot, thy grauntesyre, whych were wedded to the kynges doughter of Irelonde, and he was as worthy a man as thou arte. And of hym cam kynge Ban, thy fadir, whych was the laste of the seven kynges. And by the, sir Launcelot, hit signyfieth that the angels seyde thou were none of the seven felysship. And the last was the ninth knyght, he was signyfyed to a lyon, for he sholde passe all maner of erthely knyghtes: that ys sir Galahad whych thou gate on kynge Pelles doughter. And thou ought to thanke God more than ony othir man lyvyng, for of a synner erthely thou hast no pere as in knyghthode nother never shall have. But lytyll thanke hast thou yevyn to God for all the grete vertuys that God hath lente the.’
‘Sir,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘ye sey that good knyght ys my sonne?”That ought thou to know,’ seyde the good man, ‘for thou knew the doughter of kyng Pelles fleyshly, and on her thou begatist sir Galahad, and that was he that at the feste of Pentecoste sate in the Syge Perelous. And therefore make thou hit to be known opynly that he ys of thy begetyn ge. And I counceyle the, in no place prees nat uppon hym to have ado with hym, for hit woll nat avayle no knyght to have ado with hym.’
‘Well,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘mesemyth that good knyght shold pray for me unto the Hyghe Fadir, that I falle nat to synne agayne.”Truste thou well,’ seyde the good man, ‘thou faryst muche the better for hys prayer, for the sonne shall nat beare the wyckednesse of the fader, nor the fader shall nat beare the wyckednesse of the” sonne, but every man shall beare hys owne burdon. And therefore beseke thou only God, and He woll helpe the in all thy nedes.’
And than sir Launcelot and he wente to supere. And so leyde hem to reste, and the heyre prycked faste sir Launcelots skynne and greved hym sore, but he toke hyt mekely and suffirde the payne. And so on the morne he harde hys masse and toke hys armys and so toke [5] hys leve, and mownted uppon hys horse and rode into a foreyst and helde no hygheway.
And as he loked before hym he sye a fayre playne, and besyde that a fayre castell, and before the castell were many pavelons of sylke and of dyverse hew. And hym semed that he saw there fyve hondred knyghtes rydynge on horsebacke, and there was two partyes: they that were of the castell were all on black horsys and their trappoures black, and they that were withoute were all on whyght horsis and trappers. So there began a grete turnemente, and every che hurteled with other, that hit mervayled sir Launcelot gretly. And at the laste hym thought they of the castell were putt to the wars.
Than thought sir Launcelot for to helpe there the wayker party in incresyng of his shevalry. And so sir Launcelot threste in amonge the party of the castell and smote downe a knyght, horse and man, to the erthe, and then he russhed here and there and ded many mervaylous dedis of armys. And than he drew oute hys swerde and strake many knyghtes to the erth, that all that saw hym mervayled that ever one knyght myght do so grete dedis of armys.
But allwayes the whyght knyghtes hylde them nyghe aboute sir Launcelot for to tire hym and wynde hym, and at the laste, as a man may not ever endure, sir Launcelot waxed so faynt of fyghtyng and travaillyng, and was so wery of hys grete dedis, that he myght nat lyffte up hys armys for to gyff one stroke, that he wente never to have borne armys.
And than they all toke and ledde hym away into a foreyste and there made hym to alyght to reeste hym. And than all the felyship of the castell were overcom for the defaughte of hym. Than they seyd all unto sir Launcelot, ‘Blessed be God that ye be now of oure felyship, for we shall holde you in oure preson.’
And so they leffte hym with few wordys, and than sir Launcelot made grete sorowe
: ‘For never or now was I never at turnemente nor at justes but I had the beste. And now I am shamed, and am sure that I am more synfuller than ever I was.’
Thus he rode sorowyng halff a day oute of dispayre, tyll that he cam into a depe valey. And whan sir Launcelot sye he myght nat ryde up unto the mountayne, he there alyght undir an appyll-tre. And there he leffte hys helme and hys shylde, and put hys horse unto pasture, and than he leyde hym downe to slepe.
And than hym thought there com an olde man afore hym whych seyde, ‘A, Launcelot, of evill, wycked fayth and poore beleve! Wherefore ys thy wyll turned so lyghtly toward dedly synne?’
And whan he had seyde thus he vanysshed away, and sir Launcelot wyst nat where he becom. Than he toke hys horse and armed hym. And as he rode by the hygheway he saw a chapell where was a recluse, which had a wyndow, that she myght se up to the awter. And all aloudie she called sir Launcelot for that he semed a knyght arraunte.
And than he cam, and she asked hym what he was, and of what place, and where aboute he wente to seke. And than he tolde hir alltogydir worde by worde, and the trouth how hit befelle hym at the turnemente, and aftir that he tolde hir hys avision that he had that nyght in hys slepe, and prayd her to telle hym what hit myght mene ‘A, Launcelot,’ seyde she, ‘as longe as ye were knyght of erthly knyghthode ye were the moste mervayloust man of the worlde, and moste adventurest. Now,’ seyde the lady, ‘sitthen ye be sette amonge the knyghtis of hevynly adventures, if adventure falle thee contrary have thou no mervayle; for that turnamente yestirday was but a tokenynge of oure Lorde. And natforethan there was none enchauntemente, for they at the turnemente were erthely knyghtes. The turnamente was tokyn to se who sholde have moste knyghtes of Eliazar, the sonne of kynge Pelles, or Argustus, the sonne of kynge Harlon. But Eliazar was all clothed in whyght, and Argustus were coverde in blacke. And what thys betokenyth I shall telle you.
‘The day of Pentecoste, whan kynge Arthure hylde courte, hit befelle that erthely kynges and erthely knyghtes toke a turnemente togydirs, that ys to sey the queste of the Sankgreall. Of thes the erthely knyghtes were they which were clothed all in blake, and the coveryng betokenyth the synnes whereof they be nat confessed. And they with the coverynge of whyght betokenyth virginité, and they that hath chosyn chastité. And thus was the queste begonne in them. Than thou behelde the synners and the good men. And whan thou saw the synners overcom thou enclyned to that party for bobbaunce and pryde of the worlde, and all that muste be leffte in that queste; for in thys queste thou shalt have many felowis and thy bettirs, for thou arte so feble of evyll truste and good beleve. Thys made hit whan thou were where they toke the, and ladde the into the foreyste.
‘And anone there appered the Sankgreall unto the whyght knyghtes, but thou were so fyeble of good beleve and fayth that thou myght nat abyde hit for all the techyng of the good man before. But anone thou turned to the synners, and that caused thy mysseaventure, that thou sholde know God frome vayneglory of the worlde; hit ys nat worth a peare. And for grete pryde thou madist grete sorow that thou haddist nat overcom all the whyght knyghtes. Therefore God was wrothe with you, for in thys queste God lovith no such dedis. And that made the avision to say to the that thou were of evyll faythe and of poore belyeve, the which woll make the to falle into the depe pitte of helle, if thou kepe the nat the bettir.
‘Now have I warned the of thy vayneglory and of thy pryde, that thou haste many tyme arred ayenste thy Maker. Beware of everlastynge payne, for of all erthly knyghtes I have moste pité of the, for I know well thou haste nat thy pere of ony erthly synfull man.’
And so she commaunded sir Launcelot to dyner. And aftir dyner he toke hys horse and commaunde her to God, and so rode into a depe valey. And there he saw a ryver that hyght Mortays. And thorow the watir he muste nedis passe, the whych was hedyous. And than in the name of God he toke hit with good herte.
And whan he com over he saw an armed knyght, horse and man all black as a beré. Withoute ony worde he smote sir Launcelottis horse to the dethe. And so he paste on and wyst nat where he was becom.
And than he toke hys helme and hys shylde, and thanked God of hys adventure.
HERE LEVITH THE TALE OF SIR LAUNCELOT AND SPEKITH OF SIR GAWAYNE.
V. SIR GAWAIN
WHAN sir Gawayne was departed frome hys felyship he rode [1] longe withoute ony adventure, for he founde nat the tenthe parte of aventures as they were wonte to have. For sir Gawayne rode frome Whytsontyde tylle a Mychaellmasse, and founde never adventure that pleased hym.
So on a day hit befelle that Gawayne mette with sir Ector de Maris, and aythir made grete joy of othir. And so they tolde everyche othir, and complayned them gretely, that they coude fynde none adventure.
‘Truly,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘I am ny wery of thys queste, and lothe I am to folow further in straunge contreyes.’
‘One thynge mervaylith me muche,’ seyde sir Ector, ‘I have mette with twenty knyghtes that be felowys of myne, and all they complayne as I do.’
‘I have mervayle,’ seyd sir Gawayne, ‘where that sir Launcelot, your brothir, ys.’
‘Truly,’ seyde sir Ector, ‘I can nat hyre of hym, nother of sir Galahad, sir Percivale, and sir Bors.’
‘Lette hem be,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘for they four have no peerys. And if one thynge were nat, sir Launcelot he had none felow of an erthely man; but he ys as we be, but if he take the more payne uppon hym. But and thes four be mette togydyrs they woll be lothe that ony man mete with hem; for and they fayle of Sankgreall, hit ys in waste of all the remenaunte to recover hit.’
Thus sir Ector and sir Gawayne rode more than eyght dayes. And on a Satirday they founde an auncyant chapell which was wasted, that there semed no man nor woman thydir repayred. And there they alyght and sette their sperys at the dore. And so they entirde into the chapell and there made their orysons a grete whyle.
And than they sette hem downe in the segys of the chapell, and as they spake of one thynge and of othir, for hevynesse they felle on slepe. And there befelle hem bothe mervaylous adventures.
Sir Gawayne hym semed he cam into a medow full of herbis and floures, and there he saw a rake of bullis, an hundrith and fyffty, that were proude and black, save three of hem was all whyght, and one had a blacke spotte. And the othir two were so fayre and so whyght that they myght be no whytter. And thes three bullis which were so fayre were tyed with two stronge cordis. And the remnaunte of the bullis seyde amonge them, ‘Go we hens to seke bettir pasture!’
And so som wente and som com agayne, but they were so megir that they myght nat stonde upryght. And of the bullys that were so whyght that one com agayne and no mo. But whan thys whyght bulle was com agayne and amonge thes other, there rose up a grete crye for lacke of wynde that fayled them. And so they departed, one here and anothir there.
Thys avision befelle sir Gawayne that nyght.
But to sir Ector de Mares befelle another avision, the contrary. For hit semed hym that hys brothir, sir Launcelot, and he alyght oute of a chayre and lepte uppon two horsis. And the one sa yde to the othir, ‘Go we to seke that we shall nat fynde.’
And hym thought thatt a man bete sir Launcelot and dispoyled hym, and clothed hym in another aray whych was all fulle of knottis, and sette hym uppon an asse. And so he rode tylle that he cam unto the fayryst welle that ever he saw. And there sir Launcelot alyght and wolde have dronke of that welle; and whan he stowped to drynke of that watir the watir sanke frome hym. And whan sir Launcelot saw that, he turned and wente thidir as he had com fro. And in the meanewhyle he trowed that hymself, sir Ector, rode tylle that he com to a ryche mannes house where there was a weddynge. And there he saw a kynge whych seyd, ‘Sir knyght, here ys no place for you.’
And than he turned agayne unto the chayre that he cam fro.
And so within a whyle both sir Gawayne and sir Ector awaked, and ayther tolde other of their avision, whych mervayled hem gretly.
‘Truly,’ seyde sir Ector, ‘I shall never be myrry tyll I hyre tydynges of my brothyr
sir Launcelot.’
So as they sate thus talkynge they saw an honde shewynge unto the elbow, and was coverde with rede samyte, and uppon that a brydill nat ryght ryche, that hylde within the fyste a grete candill whych brenned ryght clere; and so passed before them and entird into the chapell, and than vanyshed away they wyste nat whydir. And anone com downe a voice which seyde, ‘Knyghtes full of evyll fayth and of poore beleve, thes two thynges have fayled you, and therefore ye may nat com to the aventures of the Sankgreall!’
Than first spake sir Gawayne and seyde, ‘Sir Ector, have ye herde thes wordys?’
‘Ye truly,’ seyde sir Ector, ‘I herde all. Now go we,’ seyde sir Ector, ‘unto some ermyte that woll telle us of oure avision, for hit semyth me we laboure all in waste.’
And so they departe and rode into a valey, and there they mette with a squyre which rode on an hakeney, and anone they salew hym fayre.
‘Sir,’ seyde sir Gawayne, ‘can thou teche us to ony ermyte?’
‘Sir, here ys one in a litill mountayne, but hit ys so rowghe there, may no horse go thydir. And therefore ye muste go on foote. And there ye shall fynde a poore house, and therein ys Nacien the ermyte, whych ys the holyeste man in thys contrey.’ And so they departed aythir frome othir. And than in a valey they mette with a knyght all armed which profirde hem to fyght and juste as sone as he saw them.
‘In the name of God,’ seyde Gawayne, ‘for sitthyn I departed frome Camelot there was none that profirde me to juste but onys.”And now, sir,’ seyde sir Ector, ‘lat me juste with hym.’
‘Nay, ye shall nat, but if I be betyn. Hit shall nat than forthynke me if ye go to hym after me.’
And than aythir enbraced other to juste, and so they cam togydirs as faste as the ir horses myght renne, that they braste their shyldis and mayles, and that one more than the tother. But sir Gawayne was wounded in the lyffte syde, and thys other knyght was smytten thorow the breste, that the speare com oute on the other syde. And so they felle bothe oute of their sadyls, and in the fallynge they brake both their spearys.
Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory Page 77