Kabanata Kabanata 390 · How Sir Gawaine was nigh weary of the quest of the Sangreal,

. How Sir Gawaine was nigh weary of the quest of the Sangreal,

and of his marvellous dream.

When Sir Gawaine was departed from his fellowship he rode long without

any adventure. For he found not the tenth part of adventure as he was

wont to do. For Sir Gawaine rode from Whitsuntide until Michaelmas and

found none adventure that pleased him. So on a day it befell Gawaine

met with Sir Ector de Maris, and either made great joy of other that it

were marvel to tell. And so they told everych other, and complained

them greatly that they could find none adventure. Truly, said Sir

Gawaine unto Sir Ector, I am nigh weary of this quest, and loath I am

to follow further in strange countries. One thing marvelled me, said

Sir Ector, I have met with twenty knights, fellows of mine, and all

they complain as I do. I have marvel, said Sir Gawaine, where that Sir

Launcelot, your brother, is. Truly, said Sir Ector, I cannot hear of

him, nor of Sir Galahad, Percivale, nor Sir Bors. Let them be, said Sir

Gawaine, for they four have no peers. And if one thing were not in Sir

Launcelot he had no fellow of none earthly man; but he is as we be, but

if he took more pain upon him. But an these four be met together they

will be loath that any man meet with them; for an they fail of the

Sangreal it is in waste of all the remnant to recover it.

Thus Ector and Gawaine rode more than eight days, and on a Saturday

they found an old chapel, the which was wasted that there seemed no man

thither repaired; and there they alighted, and set their spears at the

door, and in they entered into the chapel, and there made their orisons

a great while, and set them down in the sieges of the chapel. And as

they spake of one thing and other, for heaviness they fell asleep, and

there befell them both marvellous adventures. Sir Gawaine him seemed he

came into a meadow full of herbs and flowers, and there he saw a rack

of bulls, an hundred and fifty, that were proud and black, save three

of them were all white, and one had a black spot, and the other two

were so fair and so white that they might be no whiter. And these three

bulls which were so fair were tied with two strong cords. And the

remnant of the bulls said among them: Go we hence to seek better

pasture. And so some went, and some came again, but they were so lean

that they might not stand upright; and of the bulls that were so white,

that one came again and no mo. But when this white bull was come again

among these other there rose up a great cry for lack of wind that

failed them; and so they departed one here and another there: this

advision befell Gawaine that night.