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
Then forthwith there came out of the chapel a bright shining spear, and
two fair hands held the spear by the butt, yet Sir Launcelot could not
behold the body to whom those two hands belonged. And after the spear
there came forth a chalice, and two fair, white hands held that chalice,
but neither could Sir Launcelot behold any body to which those hands
belonged. And the chalice seemed to send forth a light of such dazzling
radiance that it was as though one looked at the bright and shining sun
in his glory.
[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot beholdeth the Grail in a dream._]
Then Sir Launcelot was aware that this was the Holy Grail of which he
was in search, and he strove with all his might to arouse himself, but
he could not do so. Then the tears burst out from his eyes and traced
down his cheeks in streams, but still he could not arouse himself, but
lay chained in that waking sleep.
So the chalice advanced toward that knight, but the knight had not
strength to reach forth and touch it. Then the esquire took the arm of
the knight and raised it, and he raised the hand of the knight so that
the hand touched the chalice.
[Sidenote: _The Grail healeth the wounded knight._]
Then it was as though Sir Launcelot beheld the virtue of the Grail go
forth from it, and that it passed through the hand of the wounded
knight, and that it passed through his arm and penetrated into his body.
For he beheld that the blood ceased to flow from that wounded knight,
and that the color flooded back into his cheeks and that the light came
back into his eyes and that the strength returned to his body.
Then the knight arose and he kneeled down before the Grail, and he set
his palms together and he prayed before the Grail.
Then, slowly, the light that had been so bright from the Grail began to
wane. First the spear disappeared, and then the hands that held it
disappeared. Then, for awhile, the Grail glowed with a faint, pallid
light, and then it, too, vanished, and all was dark as it had been
before.
So Sir Launcelot beheld the vision of the Grail, but as in the vision of
a dream as I have told it here to you. And still the tears rained from
his eyes, for he could not rouse himself to behold it with his waking
eyes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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