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The High History of the Holy Graal

U >> Unkown >> The High History of the Holy Graal




"Lords," saith Lancelot, "Of such a kingdom have I no need, and
God defend me from it."

"Sir," they say, "You may not be defended thereof, for you come
into this land at hazard, and great grief would it be that so
good land as you see this is were burnt and melted away by the
default of one single man, and the lordship is right great, and
this will be right great worship to yourself, that on New Year's
Day you should be crowned in the fire and thus save this city and
this great people, and thereof shall you have great praise."


V.

Much marvelleth Lancelot of this that they say. They come round
about him on all sides and lead him into the city. The ladies
and damsels are mounted to the windows of the great houses and
make great joy, and say the one to another, "Look at the new king
here that they are leading in. Now will he quench the fire on
New Year's Day."

"Lord!" say the most part, "What great pity is it of so comely a
knight that he shall end on such-wise!"

"Be still!" say the others. "Rather should there be great joy
that so fair city as is this should be saved by his death, for
prayer will be made throughout all the kingdom for his soul for
ever!"

Therewith they lead him to the palace with right great joy and
say that they will crown him. Lancelot found the palace all
strown with rushes and hung about with curtains of rich cloths of
silk, and the lords of the city all apparelled to do him homage.
But he refuseth right stoutly, and saith that their king nor
their lord will he never be in no such sort. Thereupon behold
you a dwarf that entereth into the city, leading one of the
fairest dames that be in any kingdom, and asketh whereof this joy
and this murmuring may be. They tell him they are fain to make
the knight king, but that he is not minded to allow them, and
they tell him the whole manner of the fire.


VI.

The dwarf and the damsel are alighted, then they mount up to the
palace. The dwarf calleth the provosts of the city and the
greater lords.

"Lords," saith he, "sith that this knight is not willing to be
king, I will be so willingly, and I will govern the city at your
pleasure and do whatsoever you have devised to do."

"In faith, sith that the knight refuseth this honour and you
desire to have it, willingly will we grant it you, and he may go
his way and his road, for herein do we declare him wholly quit."

Therewithal they set the crown on the dwarf's head, and Lancelot
maketh great joy thereof. He taketh his leave, and they command
him to God, and so remounteth he on his horse and goeth his way
through the midst of the city all armed. The dames and damsels
say that he would not be king for that he had no mind to die so
soon. When he came forth of the city right well pleased was he.
He entereth a great forest and rideth on till daylight began to
fall, and seeth before him a hermitage newly stablished, for the
house and the chapel were all builded new. He cometh thitherward
and alighteth to lodge. The hermit, that was young without beard
or other hair on his face, issued from his chapel.

"Sir," saith he to Lancelot, "you are he that is welcome."

"And you, sir, good adventure to you," saith Lancelot. "Never
have I seen hermit so young as you."

"Sir, of this only do I repent me, that I came not hither ere
now."


VII.

Therewith he maketh his horse be stabled, and leadeth him into
his hermitage, and so maketh disarm him and setteth him at ease
as much as he may.

"Sir," saith the hermit, "Can you tell me any tidings of a knight
that hath lain sick of a long time in the house of a hermit?"

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "it is no long time agone sithence I saw
him in the house of the good King Hermit, that hath tended me and
healed me right sweetly of the wounds that the knight gave me."

"And is the knight healed, then?" saith the hermit.

"Yea, Sir," saith Lancelot, "Whereof is right great joy. And
wherefore do you ask me?"

"Well ought I to ask it," saith the hermit, "For my father is
King Pelles, and his mother is my father's own sister."

"Ha, Sir, then is the King Hermit your father?"

"Yea, Sir, certes."

"Thereof do I love you the better," saith Lancelot, "For never
found I any man that hath done me so much of love as hath he.
And what, Sir, is your name?"

"Sir," saith he, "My name is Joseus, and yours, what?"

"Sir," saith he, "I am called Lancelot of the Lake."

"Sir," saith the hermit, "Right close are we akin, I and you."

"By my head," saith Lancelot, "Hereof am I right glad at heart."

Lancelot looketh and seeth in the hermit's house shield and
spear, javelins and habergeon. "Sir," saith Lancelot, "What do
you with these arms?"

"Sir," saith he, "this forest is right lonely, and this
hermitage is far from any folk, and none are there here-within
save me and my squire. So, when robbers come hither, we defend
ourselves therewith."

"But hermits, methought, never assaulted nor wounded nor slew."

"Sir," saith the hermit, "God forbid I should wound any man or
slay!"

"And how, then, do you defend yourselves?" saith Lancelot.

"Sir, I will tell you thereof. When robbers come to us, we arm
ourselves accordingly. If I may catch hold of any in my hands,
he cannot escape me. Our squire is so well-grown and hardy that
he slayeth him forthwith or handleth him in such sort that he may
never help himself after."

"By my head," saith Lancelot, "Were you not hermit, you would be
valiant throughout."

"By my head," saith the squire. "You say true, for methinketh
there is none so strong nor so hardy as he in all the kingdom of
Logres."

The lodged Lancelot the night the best he could.


VIII.

When as they were in their first sleep, come four robber-knights
of the forest that knew how a knight was lodged therewithin, and
had coveted his horse and his arms. The hermit that was in his
chapel saw them first, and awoke his squire and made him bring
his arms all secretly; then he made his squire arm. "Sir," saith
the squire, "Shall I waken the knight?"

"In nowise," saith the hermit, "until such time as we shall know
wherefore."

He maketh open the door of the chapel and taketh a great coil of
rope, and they issue forth, he and his squire, and they perceived
the robbers in the stable where Lancelot's horse was. The hermit
crieth out: the squire cometh forward and thereupon beareth one
to the ground with his spear. The hermit seizeth him and bindeth
him to a tree so strait that he may not move. The other three
think to defend them and to rescue their fellow. Lancelot
leapeth up all startled when he heareth the noise and armeth
himself as quickly as he may, albeit not so quickly but that or
ever he come, the hermit hath taken the other three and bound
them with the fourth. But of them were some that were wounded
right sore.

"Sir," saith the hermit to Lancelot, "It grieveth me that you
have been awakened."

"Rather," saith Lancelot, "have you done me great wrong for that
you ought to have awakened me sooner."

"Sir," saith the hermit, "We have assaults such as this often
enough."

The four robbers cry mercy of Lancelot that he will pray the
hermit to have pity upon them. And Lancelot saith God help not
him that shall have pity on thieves! As soon as it was daylight,
Lancelot and the squire led them into the forest, their hands all
tied behind their backs, and have hanged them in a waste place
far away from the hermitage. Lancelot cometh back again and
taketh leave of Joseus the young hermit, and saith it is great
loss to the world that he is not knight.

"Sir," saith the squire, "to me is it great joy, for many a man
should suffer thereby."

Lancelot is mounted, and Joseus commendeth him to God, praying
him much that he salute his father and cousin on his behalf, and
Messire Gawain likewise that he met in the forest what time he
came all weeping to the hermitage.


IX.

Lancelot hath set him forth again upon his way, and rideth by the
high forests and findeth holds and hermitages enough, but the
story maketh not remembrance of all the hostels wherein he
harboured him. So far hath he ridden that he is come forth of
the forest and findeth a right fair meadow-land all loaded with
flowers, and a river ran in the midst there of that was right
fair and broad, and there was forest upon the one side and the
other, and the meadow lands were wide and far betwixt the river
and the forest. Lancelot looketh on the river before him and
seeth a man rowing a great boat, and seeth within the boat two
knights, white and bald, and a damsel, as it seemed him, that
held in her lap the head of a knight that lay upon a mattress of
straw and was covered with a coverlid of marten's fur, and
another damsel sate at his feet. There was a knight within in
the midst of the boat that was fishing with an angle, the rod
whereof seemeth of gold, and right great fish he took. A little
cock-boat followed the boat, wherein he set the fish he took.
Lancelot cometh anigh the bank the swiftest he may, and so
saluteth the knights and damsels, and they return his salute
right sweetly.

"Lords," saith Lancelot, "is there no castle nigh at hand nor no
harbour?"

"Yea, Sir," say they, "Beyond that mountain, right fair and rich,
and this river runneth thither all round about it."

"Lords, whose castle is it?"

"Sir," say they, "It is King Fisherman's, and the good knights
lodge there when he is in this country; but such knights have
been harboured there as that the lord of the land hath had good
right to plain him thereof."

The knights go rowing along the river, and Lancelot rideth until
he cometh to the foot of the mountain and findeth a hermitage
beside a spring, and bethinketh him, since it behoveth him to go
to so high a hostel and so rich, where the Holy Graal appeareth,
he will confess him to the good man. He alighteth and confesseth
to the good man, and rehearseth all his sins, and saith that of
all thereof doth he repent him save only one, and the hermit
asketh him what it is whereof he is unwilling to repent.

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "it seemeth to me the fairest sin and the
sweetest that ever I committed."

"Fair Sir," saith the hermit, "Sin is sweet to do, but right
bitter be the wages thereof; neither is there any sin that is
fair nor seemly, albeit there be some sins more dreadfuller than
other."

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "this sin will I reveal to you of my lips,
but of my heart may I never repent me thereof. I love my Lady,
which is the Queen, more than aught else that liveth, and albeit
one of the best Kings on live hath her to wife. The affection
seemeth me so good and so high that I cannot let go thereof, for,
so rooted is it in my heart that thence may it nevermore depart,
and the best knighthood that is in me cometh to me only of her
affection."

"Alas!" saith the hermit, "Sinner of mortal sin, what is this
that you have spoken? Never may no knighthood come of such
wantonness that shall not cost you right dear! A traitor are you
toward our earthly lord, and a murderer toward Our Saviour. Of
the seven deadly sins, you are labouring under the one whereof
the delights are the falsest of any, wherefore dearly shall you
aby thereof, save you repent you forthwith."

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "never the more do I desire to cast it
from me."

"As much," saith the hermit, "is that as to say that you ought
long since to have cast it from you and renounced it. For so
long as you maintain it, so long are you an enemy of the
Saviour!"

"Ha, Sir," saith Lancelot, "She hath in her such beauty and worth
and wisdom and courtesy and nobleness that never ought she to be
forgotten of any that hath loved her!"


X.

"The more of beauty and worth she hath in her," saith the hermit,
"so much the more blame hath she of that she doeth, and you
likewise. For of that which is of little worth is the loss not
so great as of that which is much worth. And this is a Queen,
blessed and anointed, that was thus, therefore, in her beginning
vowed to God; yet now is she given over to the Devil of her love
for you, and you of your love for her. Fair, sweet my friend,"
saith the hermit, "Let go this folly, which is so cruel, that you
have taken in hand, and be repentant of these sins! So every day
will I pray to the Saviour for you, that so truly as He pardoned
His death to him that smote Him with a lance in His side, so may
He pardon you of this sin that you have maintained, and that so
you be repentant and truly confessed thereof, I may take the
penance due thereunto upon myself!"

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "I thank you much, but I am not minded to
renounce it, nor have I no wish to speak aught wherewith my heart
accordeth not. I am willing enough to do penance as great as is
enjoined of this sin, but my lady the Queen will I serve so long
as it may be her pleasure, and I may have her good will. So
dearly do I love her that I wish not even that any will should
come to me to renounce her love, and God is so sweet and so full
of right merciful mildness, as good men bear witness, that He
will have pity upon us, for never no treason have I done toward
her, nor she toward me."

"Ha, fair sweet friend," saith the hermit, "Nought may you avail
you of whatsoever I may say, wherefore God grant her such will
and you also, that you may be able to do the will of Our Saviour.
But so much am I fain to tell you, that and if you shall lie in
the hostel of King Fisherman, yet never may you behold the Graal
for the mortal sin that lieth at your heart."

"May our Lord God," saith Lancelot, "counsel me therein at His
pleasure and at His will!"

"So may He do!" saith the hermit, "For of a truth you may know
thereof am I right fain."


XI.

Lancelot taketh leave of the hermit, and is mounted forthwith and
departeth from the hermitage. And evening draweth on, and he
seeth that it is time to lodge him. And he espieth before him
the castle of the rich King Fisherman. He seeth the bridges,
broad and long, but they seem not to him the same as they had
seemed to Messire Gawain. He beholdeth the rich entrance of the
gateway there where Our Lord God was figured as He was set upon
the rood, and seeth two lions that guard the entrance of the
gate. Lancelot thinketh that sith Messire Gawain had passed
through amidst the lions, he would do likewise. He goeth toward
the gateway, and the lions that were unchained prick up their
ears and look at him. Howbeit Lancelot goeth his way between
them without heeding them, and neither of them was fain to do him
any hurt. He alighteth before the master-palace, and mounteth
upward all armed. Two other knights come to meet him and receive
him with right great joy, then they make him be seated on a couch
in the midst of the hall and be disarmed of two servants. Two
damsels bring him a right rich robe and make him be apparelled
therewithal. Lancelot beholdeth the richness of the hall and
seeth nought figured there save images of saints, men or women,
and he seeth the hall hung about with cloths of silk in many
places. The knights lead him before King Fisherman in a chamber
where he lay right richly. He findeth the King, that lieth on a
bed so rich and so fair apparelled as never was seen a better,
and one damsel was at his head and another at his feet. Lancelot
saluteth him right nobly, and the King answereth him full fairly
as one that is a right worshipful man. And such a brightness of
light was there in the chamber as that it seemed the sun were
beaming on all sides, and albeit the night was dark, no candles,
so far as Lancelot might espy, were lighted therewithin.

"Sir," saith King Fisherman, "Can you tell me tidings of my
sister's son, that was son of Alain li Gros of the Valleys of
Camelot, whom they call Perceval?"

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "I saw him not long time sithence in the
house of King Hermit, his uncle."

"Sir," saith the King, "They tell me he is a right good knight?"

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "He is the best knight of the world. I
myself have felt the goodness of his knighthood and his valour,
for right sorely did he wound me or ever I knew him or he me."

"And what is your name?" saith the King.

"Sir, I am called Lancelot of the Lake, King Ban's son of
Benoic."

"Ha," saith the King, "you are nigh of our lineage, you ought to
be good knight of right, and so are you as I have heard witness,
Lancelot," saith the King. "Behold there the chapel where the
most Holy Graal taketh his rest, that appeared to two knights
that have been herewithin. I know not what was the name of the
first, but never saw I any so gentle and quiet, nor had better
likelihood to be good knight. It was through him that I have
fallen into languishment. The second was Messire Gawain."

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "the first was Perceval your nephew."

"Ha!" saith King Fisherman, "take heed that you speak true!"

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "I ought to know him well!"

"Ha, God!" saith the King, "Wherefore then did I know him not?
Through him have I fallen into this languishment, and had I only
known then that it was he, should I now be all whole of my limbs
and of my body, and right instantly do I pray you, when you shall
see him, that he come to see me or ever I die, and that he be
fain to succour and help his mother, whose men have been slain,
and whose land hath been reaved in such sort that never may she
have it again save by him alone. And his sister hath gone in
quest of him throughout all kingdoms."

"Sir," saith Lancelot, "This will I tell him gladly, if ever I
may find him in any place, but it is great adventure of finding
him, for oft-times will he change his cognizance in divers
fashion and conceal his name in many places."


XII.

King Fisherman is right joyous of the tidings he hath heard of
his nephew, wherefore he maketh Lancelot be honoured greatly.
The knights seat them in the hall at a table of ivory at meat,
and the King remaineth in his chamber. When they had washen, the
table was dight of rich sets of vessels of gold and silver, and
they were served of rich meats of venison of hart and wild boar.
But the story witnesseth that the Graal appeared not at this
feast. It held not aloof for that Lancelot was not one of the
three knights of the world of the most renown and mightiest
valour, but for his great sin as touching the Queen, whom he
loved without repenting him thereof, for of nought did he think
so much as of her, nor never might he remove his heart therefrom.
When they had eaten they rose from the tables. Two damsels
waited on Lancelot at his going to bed, and he lay on a right
rich couch, nor were they willing to depart until such time as he
was asleep. He rose on the morrow as soon as he saw the day, and
went to hear mass. Then he took leave of King Fisherman and the
knights and damsels, and issued forth of the castle between the
two lions, and prayeth God that He allow him to see the Queen
again betimes, for this is his most desire. He rideth until he
hath left the castle far behind and entereth the forest, and is
in right great desire to see Perceval, but the tidings of him
were right far away. He looketh before him in the forest and
seeth come right amidst the launde a knight, and a damsel clad in
the richest robe of gold and silk that ever he had seen tofore.


XIII.

The damsel came weeping by the side of the knight and prayed him
oftentimes that he would have mercy upon her. The knight is
still and holdeth his peace, and saith never a word.

"Ha, Sir," saith the damsel to Lancelot, "Be pleased to beseech
this knight on my behalf."

"In what manner?" saith Lancelot.

"Sir," saith she, "I will tell you. He hath shown me semblance
of love for more than a year, and had me in covenant that he
would take me to wife, and I apparelled myself in the richest
garments that I had to come to him. But my father is of greater
power and riches than is he, and therefore was not willing to
allow the marriage. Wherefore come I with him in this manner,
for I love him better than ever another knight beside. Now will
he do nought of that he had me in covenant to do, for he loveth
another, better, methinketh, than me. And this hath he done, as
I surmise, to do shame to my friends and to me."

Lancelot seeth the damsel of right great beauty and weeping
tenderly, whereof hath he passing great pity.

"Hold, Sir!" saith Lancelot to the knight, "this shall you not
do! You shall not do such shame to so fair a damsel as that you
shall fail to keep covenant with her. For not a knight is there
in the kingdom of Logres nor in that of Wales but ought to be
right well pleased to have so fair a damsel to wife, and I pray
and require that you do to the damsel that whereof you held her
in covenant. This will be a right worshipful deed, and I pray
and beseech that you do it, and thereof shall I be much beholden
unto you."

"Sir," saith the knight, "I have no will thereunto, nor for no man
will I do it, for ill would it beseem me."

"By my head, then," saith Lancelot, "the basest knight are you
that ever have I seen, nor ought dame nor damsel ever hereafter
put trust in you, sith that you are minded to put such disgrace
upon this lady."

"Sir," saith the knight, "a worthier lover have I than this, and
one that I more value; wherefore as touching this damsel will I
do nought more than I have said."

"And whither, then, mean you to take her?" saith Lancelot.

"I mean to take her to a hold of mine own that is in this forest,
and to give her in charge to a dwarf of mine that looketh after
my house, and I will marry her to some knight or some other man."

"Now never God help me," saith Lancelot, "but this is foul
churlishness you tell me, and, so you do not her will, it shall
betide you ill of me myself, and, had you been armed as I am, you
should have felt my first onset already."

"Ha," saith the damsel to Lancelot, "Be not so ready to do him
any hurt, for nought love I so well as I love his body,
whatsoever he do unto me. But for God's sake pray him that he do
me the honour he hath promised me."

"Willingly," saith Lancelot. "Sir Knight, will you do this
whereof you had the damsel in covenant?"

"Sir," saith the knight, "I have told you plainly that I will
not."

"By my head," saith Lancelot, "you shall do it, or otherwise
sentence of death hath passed upon you, and this not so much for
the sake of the damsel only, but for the churlishness that hath
taken possession of you, that it be not a reproach to other
knights. For promise that knight maketh to dame or damsel
behoveth him to keep. And you, as you tell me, are knight, and
no knight ought to do churlishly to his knowledge, and this
churlishness is so far greater than another, that for no prayer
that the damsel may make will I suffer that it shall be done, but
that if you do not that whereof you held her in covenant, I shall
slay you, for that I will not have this churlishness made a
reproach unto other knights."

He draweth his sword and would have come toward him, when the
knight cometh over against him and saith to him: "Slay me not.
Tell me rather what you would have me do?"

"I would," saith he, "that you take the damsel to wife without
denial."

"Sir," saith he, "it pleaseth me better to take her than to die.
Sir, I will do your will."

"I thank you much therefor," saith Lancelot. "Damsel, is this
your pleasure also?"

"Yea, Sir, but, so please you, take not your departure from us
until such time as he shall have done that which you tell him."

"I will, well that so it be," saith Lancelot, "for love of you."

They ride together right through the forest, until they came to a
chapel at a hermitage, and the hermit wedded them and made much
joy thereof. When it cometh to after-mass, Lancelot would fain
depart, but the damsel prayeth him right sweetly that he should
come right to her father's house to witness that the knight had
wedded her.


XIV.

"Sir," saith she, "My father's hold is not far away."

"Lady," saith Lancelot, "Willingly will I go sith that you
beseech me thereof."

They ride so long right amidst the forest, that presently they
come to the castle of the Vavasour, that was sitting on the
bridge of his castle, right sorrowful and troubled because of his
daughter. Lancelot is gone on before and alighteth. The
Vavasour riseth up to meet him, and Lancelot recounteth unto him
how his daughter hath been wedded, and that he hath been at the
wedding. Thereof the Vavasour maketh right great joy.
Therewithal, behold you, the knight and the Vavasour's daughter
that are straightway alighted, and the Vavasour thanketh Lancelot
much of the honour he hath done his daughter. Therewith he
departeth from the castle and rideth amidst the forest the day
long, and meeteth a damsel and a dwarf that came a great gallop.

"Sir," saith the damsel to Lancelot, "From whence come you?"

"Damsel," saith he, "I come from the Vavasour's castle that is in
this forest."

"Did you meet," saith she, "a knight and a damsel on your way?"

"Yea," saith Lancelot, "He hath wedded her."

"Say you true?" saith she.

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