The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
General
The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
And so he prayed all that night, till on the morn that it was day. Then
he saw that he was in a wild mountain the which was closed with the sea
nigh all about, that he might see no land about him which might relieve
him, but wild beasts. And then he went into a valley, and there he
saw a young serpent bring a young lion by the neck, and so he came by
Sir Percival. With that came a great lion crying and roaring after the
serpent. And as fast as Sir Percival saw this, he marvelled, and hied
him thither, but anon the lion had overtaken the serpent, and began
battle with him. And then Sir Percival thought to help the lion, for he
was the more natural beast of the two; and therewith he drew his sword,
and set his shield afore him, and there gave the serpent such a buffet
that he had a deadly wound. When the lion saw that, he made no semblant
to fight with him, but made him all the cheer that a beast might make a
man. Then Sir Percival perceived that, and cast down his shield, which
was broken, and then he did off his helm for to gather wind, for he was
greatly enchafed with the serpent. And the lion went alway about him
fawning as a spaniel. And then he stroked him on the neck and on the
shoulders. And then he thanked God of the fellowship of that beast. And
about noon, the lion took his little whelp, and trussed him, and bare
him there he came from. Then was Sir Percival alone.
Thus when Sir Percival had prayed, he saw the lion come towards him,
and then he couched down at his feet. And so all that night the lion
and he slept together; and when Sir Percival slept he dreamed a
marvellous dream, that there two ladies met with him, and that one sat
upon a lion, and that other sat upon a serpent, and that one of them
was young, and the other was old, and the youngest him thought said,
"Sir Percival, my lord saluteth thee, and sendeth thee word that thou
array thee and make thee ready, for to-morrow thou must fight with the
strongest champion of the world."
* * * * *
[Then, after many great deeds, it befell on a certain day that as the
good knight Galahad rode, he was met by a damsel on a palfrey, and
she led him towards the sea. And so at the seaside they found a ship
wherein they entered, and Sir Bors and Sir Percival being in that ship
greeted them with joy.]
By then the ship went from the land of Logris, and by adventure it
arrived up betwixt two rocks passing great and marvellous, but there
they might not land, for there was a swallow of the sea, save there was
another ship, and upon it they might go without danger.
"Go we thither," said the gentlewoman, "and there shall we see
adventures, for so is our Lord's will."
And when they came thither, they found the ship rich enough, but they
found neither man nor woman therein. But they found in the end of
the ship two fair letters written, which said a dreadful word and a
marvellous:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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