Bab Bab 409 · How Sir Galahad entered into the ship, and of a fair bed

. How Sir Galahad entered into the ship, and of a fair bed

therein, with other marvellous things, and of a sword.

In the meanwhile Galahad blessed him, and entered therein; and then

next the gentlewoman, and then Sir Bors and Sir Percivale. And when

they were in, it was so marvellous fair and rich that they marvelled;

and in midst of the ship was a fair bed, and Galahad went thereto, and

found there a crown of silk. And at the feet was a sword, rich and

fair, and it was drawn out of the sheath half a foot and more; and the

sword was of divers fashions, and the pommel was of stone, and there

was in him all manner of colours that any man might find, and everych

of the colours had divers virtues; and the scales of the haft were of

two ribs of divers beasts, the one beast was a serpent which was

conversant in Calidone, and is called the Serpent of the fiend; and the

bone of him is of such a virtue that there is no hand that handleth him

shall never be weary nor hurt. And the other beast is a fish which is

not right great, and haunteth the flood of Euphrates; and that fish is

called Ertanax, and his bones be of such a manner of kind that who that

handleth them shall have so much will that he shall never be weary, and

he shall not think on joy nor sorrow that he hath had but only that

thing that he beholdeth before him. And as for this sword there shall

never man begrip him at the handles but one; but he shall pass all

other. In the name of God, said Percivale, I shall assay to handle it.

So he set his hand to the sword, but he might not begrip it. By my

faith, said he, now have I failed. Bors set his hand thereto and

failed.

Then Galahad beheld the sword and saw letters like blood that said: Let

see who shall assay to draw me out of my sheath, but if he be more

hardier than any other; and who that draweth me, wit ye well that he

shall never fail of shame of his body, or to be wounded to the death.

By my faith, said Galahad, I would draw this sword out of the sheath,

but the offending is so great that I shall not set my hand thereto. Now

sirs, said the gentlewoman, wit ye well that the drawing of this sword

is warned to all men save all only to you. Also this ship arrived in

the realm of Logris; and that time was deadly war between King Labor,

which was father unto the maimed king, and King Hurlame, which was a

Saracen. But then was he newly christened, so that men held him

afterward one of the wittiest men of the world. And so upon a day it

befell that King Labor and King Hurlame had assembled their folk upon

the sea where this ship was arrived; and there King Hurlame was

discomfit, and his men slain; and he was afeard to be dead, and fled to

his ship, and there found this sword and drew it, and came out and

found King Labor, the man in the world of all Christendom in whom was

then the greatest faith. And when King Hurlame saw King Labor he

dressed this sword, and smote him upon the helm so hard that he clave

him and his horse to the earth with the first stroke of his sword. And

it was in the realm of Logris; and so befell great pestilence and great

harm to both realms. For sithen increased neither corn, nor grass, nor

well-nigh no fruit, nor in the water was no fish; wherefore men call it

the lands of the two marches, the waste land, for that dolorous stroke.

And when King Hurlame saw this sword so carving, he turned again to

fetch the scabbard, and so came into this ship and entered, and put up

the sword in the sheath. And as soon as he had done it he fell down

dead afore the bed. Thus was the sword proved, that none ne drew it but

he were dead or maimed. So lay he there till a maiden came into the

ship and cast him out, for there was no man so hardy of the world to

enter into that ship for the defence.