Chương Chương 377 · How Sir Percivale saw many men of arms bearing a dead

. How Sir Percivale saw many men of arms bearing a dead

knight, and how he fought against them.

When the king thus had made his prayers he heard a voice that said:

Heard be thy prayers, for thou shalt not die till he have kissed thee.

And when that knight shall come the clearness of your eyes shall come

again, and thou shalt see openly, and thy wounds shall be healed, and

erst shall they never close. And this befell of King Evelake, and this

same king hath lived this three hundred winters this holy life, and men

say the knight is in the court that shall heal him. Sir, said the good

man, I pray you tell me what knight that ye be, and if ye be of King

Arthur’s court and of the Table Round. Yea forsooth, said he, and my

name is Sir Percivale de Galis. And when the good man understood his

name he made great joy of him.

And then Sir Percivale departed and rode till the hour of noon. And he

met in a valley about a twenty men of arms, which bare in a bier a

knight deadly slain. And when they saw Sir Percivale they asked him of

whence he was. And he answered: Of the court of King Arthur. Then they

cried all at once: Slay him. Then Sir Percivale smote the first to the

earth and his horse upon him. And then seven of the knights smote upon

his shield all at once, and the remnant slew his horse so that he fell

to the earth. So had they slain him or taken him had not the good

knight, Sir Galahad, with the red arms come there by adventure into

those parts. And when he saw all those knights upon one knight he

cried: Save me that knight’s life. And then he dressed him toward the

twenty men of arms as fast as his horse might drive, with his spear in

the rest, and smote the foremost horse and man to the earth. And when

his spear was broken he set his hand to his sword, and smote on the

right hand and on the left hand that it was marvel to see, and at every

stroke he smote one down or put him to a rebuke, so that they would

fight no more but fled to a thick forest, and Sir Galahad followed

them.

And when Sir Percivale saw him chase them so, he made great sorrow that

his horse was away. And then he wist well it was Sir Galahad. And then

he cried aloud: Ah fair knight, abide and suffer me to do thankings

unto thee, for much have ye done for me. But ever Sir Galahad rode so

fast that at the last he passed out of his sight. And as fast as Sir

Percivale might he went after him on foot, crying. And then he met with

a yeoman riding upon an hackney, the which led in his hand a great

steed blacker than any bear. Ah, fair friend, said Sir Percivale, as

ever I may do for you, and to be your true knight in the first place ye

will require me, that ye will lend me that black steed, that I might

overtake a knight the which rideth afore me. Sir knight, said the

yeoman, I pray you hold me excused of that, for that I may not do. For

wit ye well, the horse is such a man’s horse, that an I lent it you or

any man, that he would slay me. Alas, said Sir Percivale, I had never

so great sorrow as I have had for losing of yonder knight. Sir, said

the yeoman, I am right heavy for you, for a good horse would beseem you

well; but I dare not deliver you this horse but if ye would take him

from me. That will I not do, said Sir Percivale. And so they departed;

and Sir Percivale set him down under a tree, and made sorrow out of

measure. And as he was there, there came a knight riding on the horse

that the yeoman led, and he was clean armed.