Then Sir Percivale asked one of the brethren what he was. Sir, said the
good man, ye have heard much of Joseph of Aramathie, how he was sent by
Jesu Christ into this land for to teach and preach the holy Christian
faith; and therefore he suffered many persecutions the which the
enemies of Christ did unto him, and in the city of Sarras he converted
a king whose name was Evelake. And so this king came with Joseph into
this land, and ever he was busy to be thereas the Sangreal was; and on
a time he nighed it so nigh that Our Lord was displeased with him, but
ever he followed it more and more, till God struck him almost blind.
Then this king cried mercy, and said: Fair Lord, let me never die till
the good knight of my blood of the ninth degree be come, that I may see
him openly that he shall enchieve the Sangreal, that I may kiss him.
CHAPTER IV. How Sir Percivale saw many men of arms bearing a dead
knight, and how he fought against them.
When the king thus had made his prayers he heard a voice that said:
Heard be thy prayers, for thou shalt not die till he have kissed thee.
And when that knight shall come the clearness of your eyes shall come
again, and thou shalt see openly, and thy wounds shall be healed, and
erst shall they never close. And this befell of King Evelake, and this
same king hath lived this three hundred winters this holy life, and men
say the knight is in the court that shall heal him. Sir, said the good
man, I pray you tell me what knight that ye be, and if ye be of King
Arthur’s court and of the Table Round. Yea forsooth, said he, and my
name is Sir Percivale de Galis. And when the good man understood his
name he made great joy of him.
And then Sir Percivale departed and rode till the hour of noon. And he
met in a valley about a twenty men of arms, which bare in a bier a
knight deadly slain. And when they saw Sir Percivale they asked him of
whence he was. And he answered: Of the court of King Arthur. Then they
cried all at once: Slay him. Then Sir Percivale smote the first to the
earth and his horse upon him. And then seven of the knights smote upon
his shield all at once, and the remnant slew his horse so that he fell
to the earth. So had they slain him or taken him had not the good
knight, Sir Galahad, with the red arms come there by adventure into
those parts. And when he saw all those knights upon one knight he
cried: Save me that knight’s life. And then he dressed him toward the
twenty men of arms as fast as his horse might drive, with his spear in
the rest, and smote the foremost horse and man to the earth. And when
his spear was broken he set his hand to his sword, and smote on the
right hand and on the left hand that it was marvel to see, and at every
stroke he smote one down or put him to a rebuke, so that they would
fight no more but fled to a thick forest, and Sir Galahad followed
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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