King Arthur and the Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
General
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthurian romances
As soon as they were come into the castle, a voice cried in the midst of
the chamber, "Let them who ought not now to sit at the table of the Lord
rise and depart hence!" Then all, save those three knights, departed.
Anon they saw other knights come in with haste at the hall doors and
take their harness off, who said to Sir Galahad, "Sir, we have tried
sore to be with you at this table."
"Ye be welcome," said he, "but whence are ye?"
So three of them said they were from Gaul; and three from Ireland; and
three from Denmark.
Then came forth the likeness of a bishop, with a cross in his hand, and
four angels stood by him, and a table of silver was before them, whereon
was set the vessel of the Sangreal. Then came forth other angels
also--two bearing burning candles, and the third a towel, and the
fourth a spear which bled marvelously, the drops wherefrom fell into a
box he held in his left hand. Anon the bishop took the wafer up to
consecrate it, and at the lifting up, they saw the figure of a Child,
whose visage was as bright as any fire, which smote itself into the
midst of the wafer and vanished, so that all saw the flesh made bread.
Thereat the bishop went to Galahad and kissed him, and bade him go and
kiss his fellows; and said, "Now, servants of the Lord, prepare for food
such as none ever yet were fed with since the world began."
With that he vanished, and the knights were filled with a great dread
and prayed devoutly.
Then saw they come forth from the holy vessel the vision of a man
bleeding all openly, whom they knew well by the tokens of His passion
for the Lord Himself. At that they fell upon their faces and were dumb.
Anon he brought the Holy Grail to them and spake high words of comfort,
and, when they drank therefrom, the taste thereof was sweeter than any
tongue could tell or heart desire. Then a voice said to Galahad, "Son,
with this blood which drippeth from the spear anoint thou the maimed
king and heal him. And when thou hast this done, depart hence with thy
brethren in a ship that ye shall find, and go to the city of Sarras. And
bear with thee the holy vessel, for it shall no more be seen in the
realm of Logris."
At that Sir Galahad walked to the bleeding spear, and therefrom
anointing his fingers went out straightway to the maimed King Pelles,
and touched his wound. Then suddenly he uprose from his bed as whole a
man as ever he was, and praised God passing thankfully with all his
heart.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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