Bab Bab 358 · How King Arthur shewed the stone hoving on the water to

. How King Arthur shewed the stone hoving on the water to

Galahad, and how he drew out the sword.

The queen heard thereof, and came after with many ladies, and shewed

them the stone where it hoved on the water. Sir, said the king unto Sir

Galahad, here is a great marvel as ever I saw, and right good knights

have assayed and failed. Sir, said Galahad, that is no marvel, for this

adventure is not theirs but mine; and for the surety of this sword I

brought none with me, for here by my side hangeth the scabbard. And

anon he laid his hand on the sword, and lightly drew it out of the

stone, and put it in the sheath, and said unto the king: Now it goeth

better than it did aforehand. Sir, said the king, a shield God shall

send you. Now have I that sword that sometime was the good knight’s,

Balin le Savage, and he was a passing good man of his hands; and with

this sword he slew his brother Balan, and that was great pity, for he

was a good knight, and either slew other through a dolorous stroke that

Balin gave unto my grandfather King Pelles, the which is not yet whole,

nor not shall be till I heal him.

Therewith the king and all espied where came riding down the river a

lady on a white palfrey toward them. Then she saluted the king and the

queen, and asked if that Sir Launcelot was there. And then he answered

himself: I am here, fair lady. Then she said all with weeping: How your

great doing is changed sith this day in the morn. Damosel, why say you

so? said Launcelot. I say you sooth, said the damosel, for ye were this

day the best knight of the world, but who should say so now, he should

be a liar, for there is now one better than ye, and well it is proved

by the adventures of the sword whereto ye durst not set to your hand;

and that is the change and leaving of your name. Wherefore I make unto

you a remembrance, that ye shall not ween from henceforth that ye be

the best knight of the world. As touching unto that, said Launcelot, I

know well I was never the best. Yes, said the damosel, that were ye,

and are yet, of any sinful man of the world. And, Sir king, Nacien, the

hermit, sendeth thee word, that thee shall befall the greatest worship

that ever befell king in Britain; and I say you wherefore, for this day

the Sangreal appeared in thy house and fed thee and all thy fellowship

of the Round Table. So she departed and went that same way that she

came.