Chapter Chapter 413 · A wonderful tale of King Solomon and his wife.

Chapter 413. A wonderful tale of King Solomon and his wife.

That night lay Solomon before the ship with little fellowship. And when

he was asleep him thought there came from heaven a great company of

angels, and alighted into the ship, and took water which was brought by

an angel, in a vessel of silver, and sprent all the ship. And after he

came to the sword, and drew letters on the hilt. And after went to the

ship’s board, and wrote there other letters which said: Thou man that

wilt enter within me, beware that thou be full within the faith, for I

ne am but Faith and Belief. When Solomon espied these letters he was

abashed, so that he durst not enter, and so drew him aback; and the

ship was anon shoven in the sea, and he went so fast that he lost sight

of him within a little while. And then a little voice said: Solomon,

the last knight of thy lineage shall rest in this bed. Then went

Solomon and awaked his wife, and told her of the adventures of the

ship.

Now saith the history that a great while the three fellows beheld the

bed and the three spindles. Then they were at certain that they were of

natural colours without painting. Then they lift up a cloth which was

above the ground, and there found a rich purse by seeming. And

Percivale took it, and found therein a writ and so he read it, and

devised the manner of the spindles and of the ship, whence it came, and

by whom it was made. Now, said Galahad, where shall we find the

gentlewoman that shall make new girdles to the sword? Fair sir, said

Percivale’s sister, dismay you not, for by the leave of God I shall let

make a girdle to the sword, such one as shall long thereto. And then

she opened a box, and took out girdles which were seemly wrought with

golden threads, and upon that were set full precious stones, and a rich

buckle of gold. Lo, lords, said she, here is a girdle that ought to be

set about the sword. And wit ye well the greatest part of this girdle

was made of my hair, which I loved well while that I was a woman of the

world. But as soon as I wist that this adventure was ordained me I

clipped off my hair, and made this girdle in the name of God. Ye be

well found, said Sir Bors, for certes ye have put us out of great pain,

wherein we should have entered ne had your tidings been.

Then went the gentlewoman and set it on the girdle of the sword. Now,

said the fellowship, what is the name of the sword, and what shall we

call it? Truly, said she, the name of the sword is the Sword with the

Strange Girdles; and the sheath, Mover of Blood; for no man that hath

blood in him ne shall never see the one part of the sheath which was

made of the Tree of Life. Then they said to Galahad: In the name of

Jesu Christ, and pray you that ye gird you with this sword which hath

been desired so much in the realm of Logris. Now let me begin, said

Galahad, to grip this sword for to give you courage; but wit ye well it

longeth no more to me than it doth to you. And then he gripped about it

with his fingers a great deal; and then she girt him about the middle

with the sword. Now reck I not though I die, for now I hold me one of

the blessed maidens of the world, which hath made the worthiest knight

of the world. Damosel, said Galahad, ye have done so much that I shall

be your knight all the days of my life.

Then they went from that ship, and went to the other. And anon the wind

drove them into the sea a great pace, but they had no victuals: but it

befell that they came on the morn to a castle that men call Carteloise,

that was in the marches of Scotland. And when they had passed the port,

the gentlewoman said: Lords, here be men arriven that, an they wist

that ye were of King Arthur’s court, ye should be assailed anon.

Damosel, said Galahad, He that cast us out of the rock shall deliver us

from them.