Kabanata Kabanata 426 · How Galahad and his fellows were fed of the Holy Sangreal,

. How Galahad and his fellows were fed of the Holy Sangreal,

and how Our Lord appeared to them, and other things.

Then King Pelles and his son departed. And therewithal beseemed them

that there came a man, and four angels from heaven, clothed in likeness

of a bishop, and had a cross in his hand; and these four angels bare

him up in a chair, and set him down before the table of silver where

upon the Sangreal was; and it seemed that he had in midst of his

forehead letters the which said: See ye here Joseph, the first bishop

of Christendom, the same which Our Lord succoured in the city of Sarras

in the spiritual place. Then the knights marvelled, for that bishop was

dead more than three hundred year to-fore. O knights, said he, marvel

not, for I was sometime an earthly man. With that they heard the

chamber door open, and there they saw angels; and two bare candles of

wax, and the third a towel, and the fourth a spear which bled

marvellously, that three drops fell within a box which he held with his

other hand. And they set the candles upon the table, and the third the

towel upon the vessel, and the fourth the holy spear even upright upon

the vessel. And then the bishop made semblaunt as though he would have

gone to the sacring of the mass. And then he took an ubblie which was

made in likeness of bread. And at the lifting up there came a figure in

likeness of a child, and the visage was as red and as bright as any

fire, and smote himself into the bread, so that they all saw it that

the bread was formed of a fleshly man; and then he put it into the Holy

Vessel again, and then he did that longed to a priest to do to a mass.

And then he went to Galahad and kissed him, and bade him go and kiss

his fellows: and so he did anon. Now, said he, servants of Jesu Christ,

ye shall be fed afore this table with sweet meats that never knights

tasted. And when he had said, he vanished away. And they set them at

the table in great dread, and made their prayers.

Then looked they and saw a man come out of the Holy Vessel, that had

all the signs of the passion of Jesu Christ, bleeding all openly, and

said: My knights, and my servants, and my true children, which be come

out of deadly life into spiritual life, I will now no longer hide me

from you, but ye shall see now a part of my secrets and of my hidden

things: now hold and receive the high meat which ye have so much

desired. Then took he himself the Holy Vessel and came to Galahad; and

he kneeled down, and there he received his Saviour, and after him so

received all his fellows; and they thought it so sweet that it was

marvellous to tell. Then said he to Galahad: Son, wottest thou what I

hold betwixt my hands? Nay, said he, but if ye will tell me. This is,

said he, the holy dish wherein I ate the lamb on Sheer-Thursday. And

now hast thou seen that thou most desired to see, but yet hast thou not

seen it so openly as thou shalt see it in the city of Sarras in the

spiritual place. Therefore thou must go hence and bear with thee this

Holy Vessel; for this night it shall depart from the realm of Logris,

that it shall never be seen more here. And wottest thou wherefore? For

he is not served nor worshipped to his right by them of this land, for

they be turned to evil living; therefore I shall disherit them of the

honour which I have done them. And therefore go ye three to-morrow unto

the sea, where ye shall find your ship ready, and with you take the

sword with the strange girdles, and no more with you but Sir Percivale

and Sir Bors. Also I will that ye take with you of the blood of this

spear for to anoint the Maimed King, both his legs and all his body,

and he shall have his health. Sir, said Galahad, why shall not these

other fellows go with us? For this cause: for right as I departed my

apostles one here and another there, so I will that ye depart; and two

of you shall die in my service, but one of you shall come again and

tell tidings. Then gave he them his blessing and vanished away.