The good men were there within with Perceval, that much loved their
company. Josephus witnesseth us that the ancient knights that were of
the household of King Fisherman, and the priests and damsels, departed
so soon as the King that slew himself had seized the castle, for that
they would not be at his court, and the Lord God preserved them from
him and made them go into such a place as that they should be in
safety. The Saviour of the World well knew that the Good Knight had
won the castle by his valour that should have been his own of right,
and sent back thither all them that had served King Fisherman.
Perceval made right great joy of them when he saw them, and they of
him. They seemed well to be a folk that had come from some place where
God and His commandments were honoured, and so indeed had they.
XXXVI.
The High History witnesseth us that when the conquest of the castle was
over, the Saviour of the World was right joyous and well pleased
thereof. The Graal presented itself again in the chapel, and the lance
whereof the point bleedeth, and the sword wherewith St John was
beheaded that Messire Gawain won, and the other holy relics whereof was
right great plenty. For our Lord God loved the place much. The
hermits went back to their hermitages in the forest and served Our Lord
as they had been wont. Joseus remained with Perceval at the castle as
long as it pleased him, but the Good Knight searched out the land there
where the New Law had been abandoned and its maintenance neglected. He
reft the lives of them that would not maintain it and believe. The
country was supported by him and made safe, and the Law of Our Lord
exalted by his strength and valour. The priests and knights that
repaired to the castle loved Perceval much, for, so far from his
goodness minishing in ought, they saw from day to day how his valour
and his faith in God increased and multiplied. And he showed them the
sepulchre of his uncle King Fisherman in the chapel before the altar.
The coffin was rich and the tabernacle costly and loaded of precious
stones. And the priests and knights bear witness that as soon as the
body was placed in the coffin and they were departed thence, they found
on their return that it was covered by the tabernacle all dight as
richly as it is now to be seen, nor might they know who had set it
there save only the commandment of Our Lord. And they say that every
night was there a great brightness of light as of candles there, and
they knew not whence it should come save of God. Perceval had won the
castle by the command of God. The Graal was restored in the holy
chapel, and the other hallows as you have heard. The evil believe was
done away from the kingdom, and all were assured again in the New Law
by the valour of the Good Knight.
BRANCH XIX.
TITLE I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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