Chapter Chapter 410 · Of the marvels of the sword and of the scabbard.

. Of the marvels of the sword and of the scabbard.

And then beheld they the scabbard, it seemed to be of a serpent’s skin,

and thereon were letters of gold and silver. And the girdle was but

poorly to come to, and not able to sustain such a rich sword. And the

letters said: He which shall wield me sought to be more harder than any

other, if he bear me as truly as me ought to be borne. For the body of

him which I ought to hang by, he shall not be shamed in no place while

he is girt with this girdle, nor never none be so hardy to do away this

girdle; for it ought not be done away but by the hands of a maid, and

that she be a king’s daughter and queen’s, and she must be a maid all

the days of her life, both in will and in deed. And if she break her

virginity she shall die the most villainous death that ever died any

woman. Sir, said Percivale, turn this sword that we may see what is on

the other side. And it was red as blood, with black letters as any

coal, which said: He that shall praise me most, most shall he find me

to blame at a great need; and to whom I should be most debonair shall I

be most felon, and that shall be at one time.

Fair brother, said she to Percivale, it befell after a forty year after

the passion of Jesu Christ that Nacien, the brother-in-law of King

Mordrains, was borne into a town more than fourteen days’ journey from

his country, by the commandment of Our Lord, into an isle, into the

parts of the West, that men cleped the Isle of Turnance. So befell it

that he found this ship at the entry of a rock, and he found the bed

and this sword as we have heard now. Not for then he had not so much

hardiness to draw it; and there he dwelled an eight days, and at the

ninth day there fell a great wind which departed him out of the isle,

and brought him to another isle by a rock, and there he found the

greatest giant that ever man might see. Therewith came that horrible

giant to slay him; and then he looked about him and might not flee, and

he had nothing to defend him with. So he ran to his sword, and when he

saw it naked he praised it much, and then he shook it, and therewith he

brake it in the midst. Ah, said Nacien, the thing that I most praised

ought I now most to blame, and therewith he threw the pieces of his

sword over his bed. And after he leapt over the board to fight with the

giant, and slew him.

And anon he entered into the ship again, and the wind arose, and drove

him through the sea, that by adventure he came to another ship where

King Mordrains was, which had been tempted full evil with a fiend in

the Port of Perilous Rock. And when that one saw the other they made

great joy of other, and either told other of their adventure, and how

the sword failed him at his most need. When Mordrains saw the sword he

praised it much: But the breaking was not to do but by wickedness of

thy selfward, for thou art in some sin. And there he took the sword,

and set the pieces together, and they soldered as fair as ever they

were to-fore; and there put he the sword in the sheath, and laid it

down on the bed. Then heard they a voice that said: Go out of this ship

a little while, and enter into the other, for dread ye fall in deadly

sin, for and ye be found in deadly sin ye may not escape but perish:

and so they went into the other ship. And as Nacien went over the board

he was smitten with a sword on the right foot, that he fell down

noseling to the ship’s board; and therewith he said: O God, how am I

hurt. And then there came a voice and said: Take thou that for thy

forfeit that thou didst in drawing of this sword, therefore thou

receivest a wound, for thou were never worthy to handle it, as the

writing maketh mention. In the name of God, said Galahad, ye are right

wise of these works.