And so he fell asleep; and half waking and sleeping he saw come by him
two palfreys all fair and white, the which bare a litter, therein lying
a sick knight. And when he was nigh the cross he there abode still. All
this Sir Launcelot saw and beheld, for he slept not verily; and he
heard him say: O sweet Lord, when shall this sorrow leave me? and when
shall the holy vessel come by me, wherethrough I shall be blessed? For
I have endured thus long, for little trespass. A full great while
complained the knight thus, and always Sir Launcelot heard it. With
that Sir Launcelot saw the candlestick with the six tapers come before
the cross, and he saw nobody that brought it. Also there came a table
of silver, and the holy vessel of the Sangreal, which Launcelot had
seen aforetime in King Pescheour’s house. And therewith the sick knight
set him up, and held up both his hands, and said: Fair sweet Lord,
which is here within this holy vessel; take heed unto me that I may be
whole of this malady. And therewith on his hands and on his knees he
went so nigh that he touched the holy vessel and kissed it, and anon he
was whole; and then he said: Lord God, I thank thee, for I am healed of
this sickness.
So when the holy vessel had been there a great while it went unto the
chapel with the chandelier and the light, so that Launcelot wist not
where it was become; for he was overtaken with sin that he had no power
to rise again the holy vessel; wherefore after that many men said of
him shame, but he took repentance after that. Then the sick knight
dressed him up and kissed the cross; anon his squire brought him his
arms, and asked his lord how he did. Certes, said he, I thank God right
well, through the holy vessel I am healed. But I have marvel of this
sleeping knight that had no power to awake when this holy vessel was
brought hither. I dare right well say, said the squire, that he
dwelleth in some deadly sin whereof he was never confessed. By my
faith, said the knight, whatsomever he be he is unhappy, for as I deem
he is of the fellowship of the Round Table, the which is entered into
the quest of the Sangreal. Sir, said the squire, here I have brought
you all your arms save your helm and your sword, and therefore by mine
assent now may ye take this knight’s helm and his sword: and so he did.
And when he was clean armed he took Sir Launcelot’s horse, for he was
better than his; and so departed they from the cross.
CHAPTER XIX. How a voice spake to Sir Launcelot, and how he found his
horse and his helm borne away, and after went afoot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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