Truly,said the good man,an ye might live as long as the world might endure,ne might ye have done so great an alms-deed as this.Sir,said Galahad,I repent me much,inasmuch as they were christened.Nay,repent you not,said he,for they were not christened,and I shall tell you how that I wot of this castle.Here was Lord Earl Hernox not but one year,and he had three sons,good knights of arms,and a daughter,the fairest gentlewoman that men knew.So those three knights loved their sister so sore that they brent in love,and so they lay by her,maugre her head.And for she cried to her father they slew her,and took their father and put him in prison,and wounded him nigh to the death,but a cousin of hers rescued him.And then did they great untruth:they slew clerks and priests,and made beat down chapels,that Our Lord's service might not be served nor said.And this same day her father sent to me for to be confessed and houseled;but such shame had never man as I had this day with the three brethren,but the earl bade me suffer,for he said they should not long endure,for three servants of Our Lord should destroy them,and now it is brought to an end.And by this may ye wit that Our Lord is not displeased with your deeds.
Certes,said Galahad,an it had not pleased Our Lord,never should we have slain so many men in so little a while.
And then they brought the Earl Hernox out of prison into the midst of the hall,that knew Galahad anon,and yet he saw him never afore but by revelation of Our Lord.
CHAPTER IX
How the three knights,with Percivale's sister,came unto the same forest,and of an hart and four lions,and other things.
THEN began he to weep right tenderly,and said:Long have I abiden your coming,but for God's love hold me in your arms,that my soul may depart out of my body in so good a man's arms as ye be.Gladly,said Galahad.And then one said on high,that all heard:Galahad,well hast thou avenged me on God's enemies.Now behoveth thee to go to the Maimed King as soon as thou mayest,for he shall receive by thee health which he hath abiden so long.
And therewith the soul departed from the body,and Galahad made him to be buried as him ought to be.
Right so departed the three knights,and Percivale's sister with them.And so they came into a waste forest,and there they saw afore them a white hart which four lions led.Then they took them to assent for to follow after for to know whither they repaired;and so they rode after a great pace till that they came to a valley,and thereby was an hermitage where a good man dwelled,and the hart and the lions entered also.So when they saw all this they turned to the chapel,and saw the good man in a religious weed and in the armour of Our Lord,for he would sing mass of the Holy Ghost;and so they entered in and heard mass.And at the secrets of the mass they three saw the hart become a man,the which marvelled them,and set him upon the altar in a rich siege;and saw the four lions were changed,the one to the form of a man,the other to the form of a lion,and the third to an eagle,and the fourth was changed unto an ox.Then took they their siege where the hart sat,and went out through a glass window,and there was nothing perished nor broken;and they heard a voice say:In such a manner entered the Son of God in the womb of a maid Mary,whose virginity ne was perished ne hurt.And when they heard these words they fell down to the earth and were astonied;and therewith was a great clearness.
And when they were come to theirself again they went to the good man and prayed him that he would say them truth.What thing have ye seen?said he.And they told him all that they had seen.Ah lords,said he,ye be welcome;now wot I well ye be the good knights the which shall bring the Sangreal to an end;for ye be they unto whom Our Lord shall shew great secrets.And well ought Our Lord be signified to an hart,for the hart when he is old he waxeth young again in his white skin.Right so cometh again Our Lord from death to life,for He lost earthly flesh that was the deadly flesh,which He had taken in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary;and for that cause appeared Our Lord as a white hart without spot.And the four that were with Him is to understand the four evangelists which set in writing a part of Jesu Christ's deeds that He did sometime when He was among you an earthly man;for wit ye well never erst ne might no knight know the truth,for ofttimes or this Our Lord showed Him unto good men and unto good knights,in likeness of an hart,but I suppose from henceforth ye shall see no more.
And then they joyed much,and dwelled there all that day.
And upon the morrow when they had heard mass they departed and commended the good man to God:and so they came to a castle and passed by.So there came a knight armed after them and said:Lords,hark what I shall say to you.
CHAPTER X
How they were desired of a strange custom,the which they would not obey;wherefore they fought and slew many knights.
THIS gentlewoman that ye lead with you is a maid?
Sir,said she,a maid I am.Then he took her by the bridle and said:By the Holy Cross,ye shall not escape me to-fore ye have yolden the custom of this castle.Let her go,said Percivale,ye be not wise,for a maid in what place she cometh is free.So in the meanwhile there came out a ten or twelve knights armed,out of the castle,and with them came gentlewomen which held a dish of silver.
And then they said:This gentlewoman must yield us the custom of this castle.Sir,said a knight,what maid passeth hereby shall give this dish full of blood of her right arm.Blame have ye,said Galahad,that brought up such customs,and so God me save,I ensure you of this gentlewoman ye shall fail while that I live.So God me help,said Percivale,I had liefer be slain.And I also,said Sir Bors.By my troth,said the knight,then shall ye die,for ye may not endure against us though ye were the best knights of the world.