When Perceval saw this he stopped and crossed himself in astonishment; then he began to roar with laughter. And when the knight saw him laughing at his sweetheart he was most upset, and rode up to Perceval and asked him what he was laughing about and why he had crossed himself three times.
‘I’ll tell you,’ Perceval replied. ‘When I saw that demon riding beside you I crossed myself in fear. And then when I saw her hugging and kissing you I began to laugh at the incongruity! But tell me now – kindly, and don’t be angry – where you found her and whether she’s a woman or a demon. For truly, I wouldn’t spend three days in her company for the whole kingdom of Logres: I’d be afraid she’d strangle or murder me!’
When the knight heard this he turned red with anger, and furiously answered: ‘I tell you, knight, nothing could have enraged me more than to hear you mock and laugh at the one I love with all my heart: she’s so fair in my eyes that no lady or damsel in the world can match her for beauty. I swear I’ll never eat again until I’ve taken revenge upon you! And if your insult was in her hearing I think she’d die of shame, she’s so sensitive – and if she died I’d kill myself for love of her. So I challenge you here and now.’
‘I think I can defend myself,’ said Perceval, ‘if it please God.’
They drew apart, putting the range of two bowshots9 between them, took their shields by the straps and levelled their lances, then let their horses go and struck each other so mightily that both were sent flying from their saddles. But they leapt to their feet as soon as they could and attacked each other with vigour, exchanging terrible blows with their swords, full on their helms; I tell you, there was little left of their shields: they dealt such sword-blows that it was a wonder they did not kill each other – indeed, they would have done so if they had been as fresh as they were at the outset, but they were so tired that their blows were greatly weakened. But then Perceval gathered new strength and, ashamed that the knight had held out so long, launched such a mighty attack that he wore him down and overpowered him; he brought him down in the middle of the field, and pulled his helmet from his head and hurled it thirty feet and more; he was about to cut off his head, but the knight cried for mercy in God’s name and to spare his life. And when Perceval heard him beg for mercy he did not deign to touch him more; he put his sword back in its scabbard and asked the knight his name. He replied that he was called the Handsome Coward.
‘By my life, sir,’ said Perceval, ‘there’s truth and falsehood in your name: you’re not a handsome bad knight but a handsome good one, so help me God!’
Then Perceval looked at the damsel and could not help but laugh; and he asked the knight what her name was. He replied that she was called Rosete the Fair.
‘And I tell you, she’s the loveliest damsel known to man, for in addition to her beauty she has the sweetest disposition. I’d sooner lose an eye than lose her, such is the depth of my love.’
‘By my faith, knight, then it would be very unkind to deprive you of her. But you must solemnly swear to me that you’ll go to the court of the great King Arthur and surrender to him as my prisoner. Take this damsel with you and present her to the queen.’
‘I’ll do so gladly, sir,’ the knight replied, ‘for I’d take her to any good court in the world and present her as a noble and worthy lady. But tell me on whose behalf I’m to declare myself prisoner.’
‘In the name of Perceval the Welshman,’ he said.
‘Certainly, sir,’ replied the knight. ‘Both she and I will do as you wish.’
And with that the knight left Perceval and made his way to Carduel in Wales. Many knights and barons and ladies and damsels were there with the queen, who treated them with great honour. The king had just heard mass with the queen and his barons and returned to the hall, the queen accompanied by Kay the seneschal. She had gone to her chamber; and Kay was leaning at a window when he saw the knight approaching, bringing his sweetheart with him to the court: they were riding very proudly. When he caught sight of the damsel Kay’s heart jumped for joy; he leapt down from the window and came running to the queen’s chamber, crying:
‘Lady! Come and see this! A knight’s on his way here, bringing with him the most beautiful damsel ever beheld by man! None of the ladies at your court can remotely match her beauty! In God’s name, prepare to honour her and have her stay with you; so help me God, I wish all the ladies of Logres were as lovely as her!’
‘I don’t, good sir Kay!’ the queen replied. ‘It would put me in a terrible position! For you and the other knights here would want to take them all away from me!’ Then she said to her attendants: ‘Let’s go and see if this damsel is as beautiful as Kay would have us believe.’
So they came to the windows of the hall; and when they saw the knight and the damsel approaching they were astonished and crossed themselves fervently and began to laugh. The queen called to her maids and, amidst her laughter, said: ‘Damsels, Kay obviously loves you dearly, wishing you blessed with such beauty!’
And Kay went to the king and the barons and told them to come and look; and they joined the queen at the windows and began to laugh and joke. And when the queen told them what Kay had wished, they all burst into peals of delighted laughter.
Just then the knight arrived and dismounted outside the hall, and he took the damsel in his arms and gently helped her from her palfrey. Into the hall they came together, hand in hand, and walked towards King Arthur; and the knight stopped in the middle of the hall and greeted the king and all his barons on behalf of Perceval the Welshman and declared himself a prisoner in his name.
‘And my sweetheart Rosete with her shining face, whom I love more than my own life, he has sent to the queen to stay with her in her chambers.’
When Kay the seneschal heard this he could not contain himself, and said to the queen: ‘Thank him, lady, on bended knees! What a gift he’s given you today! It’ll bring you and the damsels of your chambers eternal honour! Mind you, if you keep her with you I’m afraid the king might love her as much as you!’
Then he begged the king, by the faith he owed him, to ask the knight where he had found her, and if there were more like her that he could have if he went there. The king was angered by Kay’s words and said: ‘By the faith you owe God, Kay, stop this now: it’s very wrong to mock a stranger. It does you no good at all – it earns only hatred.’
‘Sire,’ Kay replied, ‘I don’t mean any harm: I’m saying it for the knight’s own good, for truly, if I were to take her to some other court I’d be afraid they’d abduct her!’
The king was furious at this, and said: ‘Kay, if only you realised the effect of your words. I forbid you to say more.’
And he walked up to the knight and embraced him and declared him free from imprisonment, and said he wished him to be a member of his household from that time on, and that the damsel should join the queen in her chambers.
Kay the seneschal could not restrain himself; he said: ‘Sire, you’d better declare her out of bounds to the barons! They’ll all be after her for her beauty! And if she were mistreated I’m sure that knight would sue you! And I’m damned if I’d defend you!’
When Arthur heard this he was filled with rage and said: ‘Kay, you have a cruel and biting tongue. By the faith I owe God and the soul of my father Utherpendragon, were it not for the promise I made to your father Entor, you wouldn’t be my seneschal.’ Then he bowed his head and said to himself: ‘But I must bear with him, for whatever faults he has came from the woman who nursed him when he was taken from his mother for my sake.’
Then Kay came up, looking very angry, and said: ‘I’m damned if I’ll ever look after him – it’s up to you.’
And so, as you have heard, the damsel stayed at the court of the great King Arthur. And know this: she became thereafter the most beautiful damsel anywhere.
*
Now the book says that when Perceval left the knight, he wandered for a very long while from land to land and castle to castle, but could never
find the house of his grandfather. He encountered many adventures, however, and one day, as he was riding through a great forest, he looked ahead and saw one of the most beautiful meadows in the world. Beside this meadow was a pleasant ford, and beyond the ford stood a pavilion. Perceval rode swiftly towards it, and came to the ford and was about to ride in; but just as he was about to let his horse drink, a magnificently armed knight came from the pavilion and galloped towards Perceval, crying:
‘By God, sir knight, you’ll be sorry you entered that ford: you’ll have to pay for your passage!’
And with that he came charging at Perceval, aiming to strike him with his lance; but when he saw that he had neither lance nor shield – for Perceval had been in combat with a knight who had smashed his shield to pieces – he turned back to a damsel who was standing at the door of the tent and told her to bring the knight the lance and shield which were hanging inside, for he felt it would be shameful to joust against a shieldless knight. She did as he commanded and presented them to Perceval – who was very glad to have them. Then the knight called to him to defend himself, for he had done wrong in entering the ford without leave, and to be on his mettle, for he would make him pay if he could. Then they charged furiously at each other and exchanged mighty blows; their lances shattered, and Perceval’s blow was so formidable that he sent the knight flying from his horse: he lay stretched out in the middle of the field. The laces of his helmet were broken, and as he fell it flew from his head. Perceval stepped down and dismounted, thinking it dishonourable to fight an unhorsed man; and he attacked him with his sword and dealt him such blows that he vanquished him; and the knight begged for mercy and declared himself his prisoner. But Perceval said he would have no mercy unless he first explained why he forbade men to water a horse at the ford and attacked and abused knights for doing so.
‘Sir,’ he replied, ‘I’ll tell you. My name, sir, is Urbain. I’m the son of the Queen of the Black Thorn, and King Arthur knighted me in his hall at Carduel. After he had made me a knight I wandered the country and encountered many knights and did battle with them – and I promise you, I outfought every knight I met. I was riding along one night as chance led me, when it began to rain with all the force God could muster: thunder crashed and the sky was riven by lightning bolts so frightening that I didn’t know what to do – I rode as if demons were after me! My horse was so terrified that I couldn’t control him – he bore me on, helpless. And then, I tell you, behind me came a tumult so terrible that it seemed as if the trees were being torn from the ground. But in the midst of my despair I saw a damsel ahead of me on a mule, the finest I’d ever seen; she was riding swiftly, but as soon as I saw her I headed after her and tried desperately to catch up, but it was so pitch dark that I could only see her in the lightning flashes that split the sky. I followed her until she rode into one of the most beautiful castles in the world; I spurred after her, and caught up with her just as she entered the castle hall. And when she saw me beside her she came and embraced me, and made me lay aside my arms and gave me the finest lodging that night. I fell in love with her, and plucked up the courage to ask for her love; and she said she would gladly grant it on one condition. I replied that I’d do exactly as she asked, no matter what. And she said that if I’d stay there with her and venture abroad no more, she would be my love. I agreed to this, but said it would grieve me to abandon deeds of chivalry. And she said:
‘“Dear friend, you see that ford? Pitch a pavilion there, and prevent any knight who passes this way from seeing the castle beyond, and joust with any who try to water their horses at the ford. That way you can take your pleasure with me and continue to perform knightly deeds. ‘’
‘I agreed to this, and I’ve spent almost a year here at the ford with my sweetheart and all the while have had all I could wish. The castle stands just beyond the pavilion, but no man has been able to set eyes upon it except me and my love and the girls who accompany her. In just eight days I’d have completed a year: if those eight days had passed I’d have been the greatest knight in the world; but God has not granted me that honour. And now I’m at your mercy, either to kill me or to let me live; and you can stay here and guard the ford for a year if you wish: if you do stay for a year without being defeated you’ll achieve worldly fame.’
‘My friend,’ Perceval replied, ‘I’ve no intention of staying, but I want you to give up this defence of the ford and stop troubling knights who pass this way.’
‘Sir,’ said the knight, ‘I’ll do whatever you wish, for you’ve clearly got the better of me.’
But while Perceval was speaking to the knight and forbidding him to guard the Perilous Ford, he heard a tumult so great that it sounded as if the whole forest were crumbling into an abyss; and the deafening noise was accompanied by smoke and a darkness so dense that for half a league around no man could have seen his neighbour. And out of the darkness came a mighty, anguished voice that said:
‘Perceval the Welshman, we ladies curse you with all our power, for today you’ve inflicted the deepest woe upon us that we’ve ever endured. And be sure of this: you’ll suffer greatly for it!’ Then the voice cried to the knight beside Perceval: ‘Be quick!’ – meaning he should not linger, and said: ‘If you stay longer you’ll lose me!’
When the knight heard the voice he was most distressed, and came to Perceval and begged for mercy a hundred times and more; Perceval was bewildered, and asked him why he was so desperate for mercy; and the knight replied: ‘Oh, sir knight, in God’s name give me leave and let me go!’
Perceval said nothing, filled with wonder at the voice. The knight ran to his horse and was about to mount, but Perceval grabbed him by the skirt of his mailcoat and said: ‘By my life, knight, you’re not going to escape me like this!’
The knight was distraught, and turned to him and cried for mercy a hundred times more, begging him in God’s name not to stop him, for if he stayed longer he would kill himself. Once again the voice rang out, saying: ‘Urbain, hurry, or you’ll lose me forever!’
When the knight heard this he fainted, and Perceval was dumbfounded and gazed at him in amazement. Then suddenly he found himself surrounded by a vast flock of birds, filling all the air about him; they were blacker than anything he had ever seen, and came flying at his helmet, trying to claw the eyes from his head. Perceval was horrified. Then the knight came out of his swoon, and seeing Perceval surrounded by the birds he leapt up, rejoicing and roaring with laughter, and cried: ‘I’m damned if I’m going to help you!’
And he gripped his shield and clutched his sword and attacked Perceval once more; Perceval was enraged and cried: ‘So, sir knight, you want to do battle again?’
‘I defy you!’ said the knight; and they launched themselves at each other in a fury with naked swords. But Perceval had the worst of it, for the birds were pressing so hard upon him that they almost beat him to the ground. It filled Perceval with anger, and clutching his sword in his right hand he struck a bird that was attacking him most fiercely clean through the body, spilling its entrails and bringing it plummeting to the ground. And the moment it fell it turned into a dead woman – and she was the loveliest he had ever seen: Perceval was most distressed when he realised she was dead. The birds that surrounded him drew back and then flew to the body and bore it away into the air. Then Perceval, seeing that he was rid of them, ran towards the knight, who begged him to have mercy in God’s name and to spare his life. And Perceval replied: ‘Then explain to me the marvel I’ve just seen.’
‘Gladly, sir,’ he said. ‘Know then that the great noise and tumult you heard was the sound of my damsel destroying her castle out of love for me; and the voice was hers, crying out to me. And when she saw that I couldn’t escape you, she turned herself and her damsels into the shape of birds and came here to attack you and rescue me. When I saw them I couldn’t help but run to their aid; and we’d have killed you – but I see now that none can harm you: you’re a worthy, godly man and one of the finest knights in the
world. The one you wounded was my sweetheart’s sister – but she’s in no danger: she’ll now be in Avalon. But I beg you, in God’s name, let me go to my damsel: she’s waiting for me still.’
At this Perceval began to laugh, and graciously gave him leave. The knight was overjoyed and rushed away – on foot: he forgot all about his horse in his delight at being released. And he had not gone two bowshots10 before Perceval saw him being led away with the greatest jubilation in the world. Then Perceval came to his horse and mounted, intending to catch up with them, but he was hardly in the saddle before he realised that the damsels and the knight – and even the horse that had been standing beside him – had disappeared. Perceval was astounded; he turned back, saying to himself that it would be madness to go after them.
*
So he left that place and rode on, thinking deeply about his quest – and a good deal about the amazing adventure he had just encountered. He rode all that day without anything to eat or drink, and again he had to spend the night in the forest as he had done the night before.
Next morning he set off again and rode as chance led him; but all that day he journeyed on without finding any adventure or any house where he could lodge. He was most displeased, you may be sure, at finding nothing but hedges and bushes and woods, and he became very downhearted; and as he rode on, deep in troubled thought, it was well past the ninth hour11 when he looked ahead and saw one of the loveliest trees he had ever beheld: it stood beside a beautiful cross at the meeting of four roads. He headed that way and halted there for a good while. And while he sat gazing at the tree in delight, he saw two naked children climbing from branch to branch, each, he thought, about six years old, and they were hugging each other and playing together. After watching them for a while he called to them, entreating them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to speak to him, if they were creatures of God. At that, one of the children stopped and sat down, and said to him:
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