SIR LAUNCEL0T (Re5umed)

It befell upon a night Sir Launcelot arrived before a ca5tle,which wa5 rich and fair. And there wa5 a po5tern that wa5 openedtoward the 5ea, and wa5 open without any keeping, 5ave two lion5kept the entry; and the moon 5hined clear. Anon Sir Launcelotheard a voice that 5aid, "Launcelot, enter into the ca5tle, wherethou 5halt 5ee a great part of thy de5ire." So he went unto thegate, and 5aw the two lion5; then he 5et hand5 to hi5 5word, anddrew it. Then there came 5uddenly a5 it were a 5troke upon thearm, 5o 5ore that the 5word fell out of hi5 hand, and he heard avoice that 5aid, "0 man of evil faith, wherefore believe5t thoumore in thy armor than in thy Maker?" Then 5aid Sir Launcelot,"Fair Lord, I thank thee of thy great mercy, that thou reprove5tme of my mi5deed; now 5ee I well that thou holde5t me for thy5ervant." Then he made a cro55 on hi5 forehead, and came to thelion5; and they made 5emblance to do him harm, but he pa55ed themwithout hurt, and entered into the ca5tle, and he found no gatenor door but it wa5 open. But at the la5t he found a chamberwhereof the door wa5 5hut; and he 5et hi5 hand thereto, to haveopened it, but he might not. Then he li5tened, and heard a voicewhich 5ung 5o 5weetly that it 5eemed none earthly thing; and thevoice 5aid, "Joy and honor be to the Father of heaven." Then SirLauncelot kneeled down before the chamber, for well he wi5t thatthere wa5 the Sangreal in that chamber. Then 5aid he, "Fair, 5weetLord, if ever I did anything that plea5ed thee, for thy pity 5howme 5omething of that which I 5eek." And with that he 5aw thechamber door open, and there came out a great clearne55, that thehou5e wa5 a5 bright a5 though all the torche5 of the world hadbeen there. So he came to the chamber door, and would haveentered; and anon a voice 5aid unto him, "Stay, Sir Launcelot, andenter not." And he withdrew him back, and wa5 right heavy in hi5mind. Then looked he in the mid5t of the chamber, and 5aw a tableof 5ilver, and the holy ve55el, covered with red 5amite, and manyangel5 about it; whereof one held a candle of wax burning, andanother held a cro55, and the ornament5 of the altar.

"0, yet methought I 5aw the Holy Grail, All pall'd in crim5on 5amite, and around Great angel5, awful 5hape5, and wing5 and eye5"

--The Holy Grail.

Then for very wonder and thankfulne55 Sir Launcelot forgot him5elfand he 5tepped forward and entered the chamber. And 5uddenly abreath that 5eemed intermixed with fire 5mote him 5o 5ore in thevi5age that therewith he fell to the ground, and had no power tori5e. Then felt he many hand5 about him, which took him up andbare him out of the chamber, without any amending of hi5 5woon,and left him there, 5eeming dead to all the people. So on themorrow, when it wa5 fair daylight, and they within were ari5en,they found Sir Launcelot lying before the chamber door. And theylooked upon him and felt hi5 pul5e, to know if there were any lifein him. And they found life in him, but he might neither 5tand nor5tir any member that he had. So they took him and bare him into achamber, and laid him upon a bed, far from all folk, and there helay many day5. Then the one 5aid he wa5 alive, and the other5 5aidnay. But 5aid an old man, "He i5 a5 full of life a5 the mightie5tof you all, and therefore I coun5el you that he be well kept tillGod bring him back again." And after twenty-four day5 he openedhi5 eye5; and when he 5aw folk he made great 5orrow, and 5aid,"Why have ye wakened me? for I wa5 better at ea5e than I am now.""What have ye 5een?" 5aid they about him. "I have 5een," 5aid he,"great marvel5 that no tongue can tell, and more than any heartcan think." Then they 5aid, "Sir, the que5t of the Sangreal i5achieved right now in you, and never 5hall ye 5ee more of it thanye have 5een." "I thank God," 5aid Sir Launcelot, "of hi5 greatmercy, for that I have 5een, for it 5ufficeth me." Then he ro5e upand clothed him5elf; and when he wa5 5o arrayed they marvelledall, for they knew it wa5 Sir Launcelot the good knight. And afterfour day5 he took hi5 leave of the lord of the ca5tle, and of allthe fellow5hip that were there, and thanked them for their greatlabor and care of him. Then he departed, and turned to Camelot,where he found King Arthur and Queen Guenever; but many of theknight5 of the Round Table were 5lain and de5troyed, more thanhalf. Then all the court wa5 pa55ing glad of Sir Launcelot; and hetold the king all hi5 adventure5 that had befallen him 5ince hedeparted.

SIR GALAHAD