The Story of the Grail and the Passing of ArthurPyle, Howard
General
The Story of the Grail and the Passing of Arthur
Pyle, Howard
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Grail -- Legends; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
Amongst the lords of the Court of King Arthur was a young knight and
lord, hight Sir Peregrans, who was son to King Ludd of Cornwall. This
noble young knight-royal was very full of joy and gladness. He was
ruddy-cheeked and gay, with broad black eyebrows and curly black hair,
and he was ever ready for any sport or pastime that fell his way.
It befell that he and Enid were much together in company and sports of
several kinds, and though Sir Geraint was too proud to appear to observe
this, yet he did observe it and was much affected by it. For he would
sometimes say to himself, “What pity it is that this dear lady of mine
should be bound to my age and sobriety instead of to one like this Sir
Peregrans who is in all ways suited to her!” Yet Sir Geraint would say
nothing to Enid concerning his thoughts, but only kept those thoughts
locked in his own heart, and so withdrew himself from her afar off.
This and several other things the Lady Enid observed, and it sometimes
seemed to her either that her lord was in trouble or that he was
offended, yet she wist not what offence she could have given to him in
any way. For it did not seem to her that it could be any offence for her
to play in the same sports with Sir Peregrans, but only that it was
natural and seemly upon her part to do so.
[Sidenote: _Sir Geraint sits in thought._]
Now one day Sir Geraint sat meditating concerning these things, and as
he sat he gazed out of the window at the King’s Castle. What time his
eyes beheld a wide and fruitful stretch of meadow-land and fields, of
glebe and of a river that wound through all this fair level fruitful
campagne like to a ribbon of pure and shining silver. The sun at that
hour shot his slanting rays across the earth, so that all this fair
prospect appeared, as it were, to be bathed in a pure golden brightness.
From the level stretch of horizon, great clouds climbed up into the blue
and radiant sky, peeping, as it were, over one another’s shoulders down
upon the peaceful earth.
All this the eyes of Sir Geraint beheld, yet he saw nothing of it. For
the sight of his soul was turned away from such things, and was directed
inward upon himself, and there he beheld naught but gloom and darkness.
To that place where he sat came the Lady Enid, and she beheld him where
he was, but he did not turn his eyes upon her, nor seem to know that she
was there.
[Sidenote: _Enid comes to Sir Geraint._]
Then she came to him and seated herself upon his knee. She put her thin
fair arms about his neck, and interwove her fingers into one another.
Then she said, “Dear my Lord, I pray thee tell me in what way I have
offended thee. Thou art no longer toward me as thou wert when first I
came hitherward to this court.”
He said to her, speaking very gently, “Enid, thou hast in no wise
offended me.”
Then she said, “What is it that troubles thee, my husband?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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