And on the morn he took his horse and rode till mid-day; and there by
adventure he met with the same knight that took his horse, helm, and
his sword, when he slept when the Sangreal appeared afore the Cross.
When Sir Launcelot saw him he saluted hin not fair, but cried on high:
Knight, keep thee, for thou hast done to me great unkindness. And then
they put afore them their spears, and Sir Launcelot came so fiercely
upon him that he smote him and his horse down to the earth, that he had
nigh broken his neck. Then Sir Launcelot took the knight’s horse that
was his own aforehand, and descended from the horse he sat upon, and
mounted upon his own horse, and tied the knight’s own horse to a tree,
that he might find that horse when that he was arisen. Then Sir
Launcelot rode till night, and by adventure he met an hermit, and each
of them saluted other; and there he rested with that good man all
night, and gave his horse such as he might get. Then said the good man
unto Launcelot: Of whence be ye? Sir, said he, I am of Arthur’s court,
and my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake that am in the quest of the
Sangreal, and therefore I pray you to counsel me of a vision the which
I had at the Cross. And so he told him all.
CHAPTER IV. How the hermit expounded to Sir Launcelot his advision, and
told him that Sir Galahad was his son.
Lo, Sir Launcelot, said the good man, there thou mightest understand
the high lineage that thou art come of, and thine advision betokeneth.
After the passion of Jesu Christ forty year, Joseph of Aramathie
preached the victory of King Evelake, that he had in the battles the
better of his enemies. And of the seven kings and the two knights: the
first of them is called Nappus, an holy man; and the second hight
Nacien, in remembrance of his grandsire, and in him dwelled our Lord
Jesu Christ; and the third was called Helias le Grose; and the fourth
hight Lisais; and the fifth hight Jonas, he departed out of his country
and went into Wales, and took there the daughter of Manuel, whereby he
had the land of Gaul, and he came to dwell in this country. And of him
came King Launcelot thy grandsire, the which there wedded the king’s
daughter of Ireland, and he was as worthy a man as thou art, and of him
came King Ban, thy father, the which was the last of the seven kings.
And by thee, Sir Launcelot, it signifieth that the angels said thou
were none of the seven fellowships. And the last was the ninth knight,
he was signified to a lion, for he should pass all manner of earthly
knights, that is Sir Galahad, the which thou gat on King Pelles’
daughter; and thou ought to thank God more than any other man living,
for of a sinner earthly thou hast no peer as in knighthood, nor never
shall be. But little thank hast thou given to God for all the great
virtues that God hath lent thee. Sir, said Launcelot, ye say that that
good knight is my son. That oughtest thou to know and no man better,
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