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    "endpoint": "/api/sources/grail-romances/high-history-of-the-holy-graal/05-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-iv.json"
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  "work": {
    "slug": "high-history-of-the-holy-graal",
    "name": "High History of the Holy Graal"
  },
  "parents": [
    {
      "slug": "grail-romances",
      "name": "Holy Grail Romances",
      "url": "/sources/grail-romances/"
    }
  ],
  "chapter": {
    "num": 5,
    "slug": "05-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-iv",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch IV",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 5221,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch IV\n\n\nINCIPIT.\n\nHere beginneth another branch of the Graal in the name of the\nFather, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.\n\nTITLE I.\n\nAnd the story is silent here of the mother of the Good Knight,\nand saith that Messire Gawain goeth so as God and adventure lead\nhim toward the land of the rich King Fisherman. And he entereth\ninto a great forest, all armed, his shield at his neck and his\nspear in his hand. And he prayeth Our Lord that He counsel him\nof this holy errand he hath emprised so as that he may honourably\nachieve it. He rode until that he came at evensong to a hold\nthat was in the midst of the forest. And it was compassed about\nof a great water, and had about it great clumps of trees so as\nthat scarce with much pains might he espy the hall, that was\nright large. The river that compassed it about was water royal,\nfor it lost not its right name nor its body as far as the sea.\nAnd Messire Gawain bethought him that it was the hold of a\nworshipful man, and draweth him thitherward to lodge. And as he\ndrew anigh the bridge of the hold, he looketh and seeth a dwarf\nsitting on a high bench. He leapeth up: \"Messire Gawain,\" saith\nhe, \"Welcome may you be!\"\n\n\"Fair, sweet friend,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"God give you good\nadventure! You know me, then?\" saith he.\n\n\"Well do I know you,\" saith the dwarf, \"For I saw you at the\ntournament. At a better moment could you not have come hither,\nfor my lord is not here. But you will find my lady, the fairest\nand most gentle and most courteous in the realm of Logres, and as\nyet is she not of twenty years.\"\n\n\"Fair friend,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"What name hath the lord of\nthe hold?\"\n\n\"Sir, he is called of Little Gomeret. I will go tell my lady\nthat Messire Gawain is come, the good knight, and bid her make\ngreat joy.\"\n\nHowbeit, Messire Gawain marvelleth much that the dwarf should\nmake him such cheer, for many knaveries hath he found in many\nplaces within the bodies of many dwarfs. The dwarf is come into\nthe chamber where the lady was.\n\n\"Now, haste, Lady!\" saith he, \"Make great joy, for Messire Gawain\nis come to harbour with you.\"\n\n\"Certes,\" saith she, \"Of this am I right glad and right sorry;\nglad, for that the good knight will lie here to-night, sorry, for\nthat he is the knight that my lord most hateth in the world.\nWherefore he warneth me against him for love of him, for\noftentimes hath he told me that never did Messire Gawain keep\nfaith with dame nor damsel but he would have his will of them.\"\n\n\"Lady,\" saith the dwarf, \"It is not true albeit it is so said.\"\n\nII.\n\nThereupon Messire Gawain entereth into the courtyard and\nalighteth, and the lady cometh to meet him and saith to him: \"May\nyou be come to joy and good adventure.\"\n\n\"Lady,\" saith he, \"May you also have honour and good adventure.\"\n\nThe lady taketh him by the hand and leadeth him into the hall and\nmaketh him be seated on a cushion of straw. And a squire leadeth\nhis horse to stable. And the dwarf summoneth two other squires\nand doeth Messire Gawain be disarmed, and helpeth them right\nbusily, and maketh fetch water to wash his hands and his face.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the dwarf, \"Your fists are still all swollen of the\nbuffets you gave and received at the tournament.\"\n\nMessire Gawain answered him nought. And the dwarf entereth into\nthe chamber and bringeth a scarlet robe furred of ermine and\nmaketh it be done on Messire Gawain. And meat was made ready and\nthe table set, and the lady sate to eat. Many a time looked he\nupon the lady by reason of her great beauty, and, had he been\nminded to trust to his heart and his eyes, he would have all\nto-changed his purpose; but so straitly was his heart bound up,\nand so quenched the desires thereof, that nought would he allow\nhimself to think upon that might turn to wickedness, for the sake\nof the high pilgrimage he had emprised. Rather 'gan he withdraw\nhis eyes from looking at the lady, that was held to be of passing\ngreat beauty. After meat Messire Gawain's bed was made, and he\napparelled himself to lie down. The lady bade him God give him\ngood adventure, and he made answer the like. When the lady was\nin her chamber, the dwarf said to Messire Gawain: \"Sir, I will\nlie before you, so as to keep you company until you be asleep.\"\n\n\"Gramercy,\" saith he, \"And God allow me at some time to reward\nyou of the service.\"\n\nThe dwarf laid himself down on a mattress before Messire Gawain,\nand when he saw that he slept, he ariseth as quickly as he may,\nand cometh to a boat that was on the river that ran behind the\nhall, and entereth thereinto and roweth up-stream of the river.\nAnd he cometh to a fishery, where was a right fair hall on a\nlittle eyot enclosed by a marshy arm of the river. The jealous\nknight was come thither for disport, and lay in the midst of the\nhall upon a couch. The dwarf cometh forth of his boat thereinto,\nand lighteth a great candle in his fist and cometh before the\ncouch. \"What ho, there!\" saith the dwarf, \"Are you sleeping?\"\n\nAnd the other waketh up sore startled, and asketh what is the\nmatter and wherefore is he come?\n\n\"In God's name,\" saith he, \"You sleep not so much at your ease as\ndoth Messire Gawain!\"\n\n\"How know you that?\" saith he.\n\n\"Well know I,\" saith the dwarf, \"For I left him but now in your\nhall, and methinketh he and your lady are abed together arm to\narm.\"\n\n\"How?\" saith he, \"I forbade her she should ever harbour Messire\nGawain.\"\n\n\"In faith,\" said the dwarf, \"She hath made him greater cheer than\never saw I her make to none other! But haste you and come, for\ngreat fear have I lest he carry her away!\"\n\n\"By my head!\" saith the knight; \"I will go not, howsoever it be!\nBut she shall pay for it, even though she go!\"\n\n\"Then of wrong will it be!\" saith the dwarf, \"as methinketh!\"\n\nIII.\n\nMessire Gawain lay in the hall that was ware of nought of this.\nHe seeth that day hath broken fair and clear, and ariseth up.\nThe lady cometh to the door of the hall and seeth not the dwarf,\nwhereby well she understandeth his treachery. She saith to\nMessire Gawain, \"Sir, for God's sake have pity upon me, for the\ndwarf hath betrayed me! And you withdraw yourself forth of our\nforest and help not to rescue me from the smart that my lord\nwill make me suffer, great sin will you have thereof. For well\nknow you. that of right ought I not to be held guilty toward my\nlord nor toward any other, for aught that you have done toward me\nor I toward you.\"\n\n\"You say true,\" saith Messire Gawain. Thereupon is he armed, and\ntaketh leave of the lady and issueth forth of the fair hold and\nsetteth him in an ambush in the forest nigh thereby. Straightway\nbehold the jealous knight where he cometh, he and his dwarf. He\nentereth into the hall. The lady cometh to meet him.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Welcome may you be!\"\n\n\"And you,\" saith he, \"Shame and evil adventure may you have, as\nthe most disloyal dame on live, for that this night have you\nharboured in my hostel and in my bed him that most have I warned\nyou against!\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"In your hostel did I harbour him, but never\nhath your bed been shamed by me, nor never shall be!\"\n\n\"You lie!\" saith he, \"like a false woman!\"\n\nHe armeth himself all incontinent and maketh his horse be armed,\nthen maketh the lady go down and despoil her to her shirt, that\ncrieth him mercy right sweetly and weepeth. He mounteth his\nhorse and taketh his shield and his spear, and maketh the lady be\ntaken of the dwarf by her tresses and maketh her be led before\nhim into the forest. And he bideth above a pool where was a\nspring, and maketh her enter into the water that flowed forth\nfull cold, and gathereth saplings in the forest for rods and\nbeginneth to smite and beat her across upon her back and her\nbreast in such sort that the stream from the spring was all\nbloody therewithal. And she began to cry out right loud, until\nat last Messire Gawain heareth her and draweth forth of the\nambush wherein he was, and cometh thitherward a great gallop.\n\n\"By my faith,\" saith the dwarf, \"Look you here where Messire\nGawain cometh!\"\n\n\"By my faith,\" saith the knight, \"Now know I well that nought is\nthere here but treachery, and that the matter is well proven!\"\n\nBy this time, Messire Gawain is come, and saith: \"Avoid, Sir\nknight! Wherefore slay you the best lady and most loyal that\never have I seen? Never tofore have I found lady that hath done\nme so much honour, and this ought you to be well pleased to know,\nfor neither in her bearing, nor in her speech, nor in herself\nfound I nought save all goodness only. Wherefore I pray you of\nfranchise and of love that you forbear your wrath and that you\nset her forth of the water. And so will I swear on all the\nsacred hallows in this chapel that never did I beseech her of\nevil nor wantonness nor never had I no desire thereof.\"\n\nThe knight was full of great wrath when he saw that Messire\nGawain had not gone his way thence, and an anguish of jealousy\nburneth him heart and body and overburdeneth him of folly and\noutrage, and Messire Gawain that is still before him moveth him\nto yet further transgression. Natheless, for the fear that he\nhath of him he speaketh to him: \"Messire Gawain,\" saith he, \"I\nwill set her forth thence on one condition, that you joust at me\nand I at you, and, so you conquer me, quit shall she be of\nmisdoing and of blame, but and if I shall conquer you, she shall\nbe held guilty herein. Such shall be the judgment in this\nmatter.\"\n\n\"I ask no better,\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\nIV.\n\nThereupon, the knight biddeth the dwarf make set the lady forth\nof the pool of the spring and make her sit in a launde whereas\nthey were to joust. The knight draweth him back the better to\ntake his career, and Messire Gawain cometh as fast as his horse\nmay carry him toward Marin the Jealous. And when Marin seeth him\ncoming, he avoideth his buffet and lowereth his spear and cometh\nto his wife that was right sore distraught, and wept as she that\nsuffered blameless, and smote her through, out the body and slew\nher, and then turneth him again so fast as his horse might carry\nhim toward his hold. Messire Gawak seeth the damsel dead and the\ndwarf that fleeth full speed after his lord. He overtaketh him\nand trampleth him under his horses feet so that he bursteth his\nbelly in the midst. Then goeth he toward the hold, for he\nthinketh to enter therein. But he found the bridge shut up and\nthe gate barred. And Marin crieth out upon him.\n\n\"This shame and misadventure hath befallen me along of you, but\nyou shall pay for it yet and I may live.\"\n\nMessire Gawain hath no mind to argue with him, but rather draweth\nhim back and cometh again to where the lady lay dead, and setteth\nher on the neck of his horse all bleeding, and then beareth her\nto a chapel that was without the entrance of the hold. Then he\nalighted and laid her within the chapel as fairly as most he\nmight, as he that was sore grieved and wrathful thereof. After\nthat, he shut the door of the chapel again as he that was afeared\nof the body for the wild beasts, and bethought him that one\nshould come thither to set her in her shroud and bury her after\nthat he was departed.\n\nV.\n\nThereupon Messire Gawain departeth, sore an-angered, for it\nseemed him that never had no thing tofore befallen him that\nweighed so heavy on his heart. And he rideth thoughtful and\ndown-cast through the forest, and seeth a knight coming along the\nway he came. And in strange fashion came he. He bestrode his\nhorse backwards in right outlandish guise, face to tail, and he\nhad his horse's reins right across his breast and the base of his\nshield bore he topmost and the chief bottommost, and his spear\nupside down and his habergeon and chausses of iron trussed about\nhis neck. He seeth Messire Gawain coming beside the forest, that\nhath great wonderment of him when he seeth him. Natheless, when\nthey draw nigh, he turneth him not to look at Messire Gawain, but\ncrieth to him aloud: \"Gentle knight, you that come there, for\nGod's sake do me no hurt, for I am the Knight Coward.\"\n\n\"By God,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"You look not like a man to whom\nany ought to do hurt!\" And, but for the heaviness of his heart\nand the sore wrath that he had, he would have laughed at his\nbearing with a right good will.\n\n\"Sir Knight,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"nought have you to be afeard\nof from me!\"\n\nWith that he draweth anigh and looketh on him in the face and the\nKnight Coward on him. \"Sir,\" saith he, \"Welcome may you be!\"\n\n\"And you likewise!\" saith Messire Gawain. \"And whose man are\nyou, Sir knight?\"\n\n\"The Damsel's man of the Car.\"\n\n\"Thereof I love you the better,\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"God be praised thereof,\" saith the Knight Coward, \"For now shall\nI have no fear of you.\"\n\n\"Nay, truly,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Thereof be well assured!\"\n\nThe Knight Coward seeth Messire Gawain\"s shield and knoweth it.\n\"Ha, Sir,\" saith he, \"Now know I well who you are. Now will I\nalight and ride the right way and set my arms to rights. For you\nare Messire Gawain, nor hath none the right to claim this shield\nbut only you.\"\n\nThe knight alighteth and setteth his armour to rights, and\nprayeth Messire Gawain abide until he be armed. So he abideth\nright willingly, and helpeth him withal. Thereupon behold you a\nknight where he cometh a great gallop athwart the forest like a\ntempest, and he had a shield party black and white. \"Abide,\nMessire Gawain!\" saith he, \"For on behalf of Marin the Jealous do\nI defy you, that hath slain his wife on your account.\"\n\n\"Sir knight,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Thereof am I right heavy of\nheart, for death had she not deserved.\"\n\n\"That availeth nor,\" saith the Party Knight, \"For I hold you to\nanswer for the death. So I conquer you, the wrong is yours; but,\nand you conquer me, my lord holdeth his blame and shame for known\nand will hold you to forfeit and you allow me to escape hence on\nlive.\"\n\n\"To this will I not agree,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"For God well\nknoweth that no blame have I herein.\"\n\n\"Ha, Messire Gawain,\" saith the Knight Coward, \"Fight him not as\nhaving affiance in me, for of me will you have neither succour\nnor help!\"\n\n\"Heretofore,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"have I achieved adventures\nwithout you, and this also, and God help me, will I yet achieve.\"\n\nThey come together a full career and break their lances on their\nshields, and Messire Gawain hurtleth against the horse and\npasseth beyond and overthroweth him and his horse together. Then\ndraweth he his sword and runneth upon him. And the knight crieth\nout: \"Hold, Messire Gawain! Are you minded to slay me? I yield\nme conquered, for no mind have I to die for another's folly, and\nso I cry you mercy hereof.\"\n\nMessire Gawain thinketh that he will do him no further harm, for\nthat of right behoveth him do his lord's bidding. Messire Gawain\nholdeth his hands, and he doth him homage on behalf of his lord\nfor his hold and all of his land and becometh his man.\n\nVI.\n\nThereupon the knight departeth and Messire Gawain remaineth\nthere.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the Knight Coward to Messire Gawain, \"I have no mind\nto be so hardy as are you; for, so God help me, had he defied me\nin such-wise as he defied you, should have fled away forthwith,\nor elsewise I should hay fallen at his feet and cried him of\nmercy.\"\n\n\"You wish for nought but peace,\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"By S. James,\" saith the Coward, \"Therein are you quite right,\nfor of war cometh nought but evil; nor never have I had no hurt\nnor wound saw some branch of a tree or the like gave it me, and I\nsee your face all seamed and scarred in many places. So God help\nme, of such hardiesse make I but small account, and every day I\npray God that He defend me. And so to God I commend you, for I\nam going after my Damsel of the Car.\"\n\n\"Not thus shall you go,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"save you tell me\nfirst wherefore your Damsel of the Car beareth her arm slung to\nher neck in such-wise.\"\n\n\"Sir, this may I will tell you. With this hand serve she of the\nmost Holy-Graal the knight that was in the hostel of King\nFisherman that would not ask whereof the Graal served; for that\nshe held therein the precious vessel whereinto the glorious blood\nfell drop by drop from the point of the lance, so that none other\nthing is she minded to hold therein until such time as she shall\ncome back to the holy place where it is. Sir,\" saith the Knight\nCoward, \"Now, so please you, may I well go hence, and see, here\nis my spear that I give you, for nought is there that I have to\ndo therewithal.\"\n\nMessire Gawain taketh it, for his own was broken short, and\ndeparteth from the knight and commendeth him to God. And he\ngoeth his way a great pace, and Messire Gawain also goeth amidst\nthe forest, and full weary is he and forspent with travail. And\nhe rode until the sun was due to set. And he meeteth a knight\nthat was coming athwart the forest and came toward Messire Gawain\na great gallop like as he were smitten through the body, and\ncrieth over all the forest: \"What is your name, Sir knight?\"\n\n\"My name is Gawain.\"\n\n\"Ha, Messire Gawain,\" saith the other, \"In your service am I\nwounded thus!\"\n\n\"How in my service?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"Sir, I was minded to bury the damsel that you bare into the\nchapel, and Marin the Jealous ran upon me and wounded me in many\nplaces in such manner as you see. And I had already dug a grave\nwith my sword to bury the body when he seized it from me and\nabandoned it to the wild beasts. Now go I hence yonder to the\nchapel of a hermit that is in this forest to confess me, for well\nknow I that I have not long to live for that the wound lieth me\nso nigh my heart. But I shall die the more easily now that I\nhave found you and shown you the hurt that hath been done me for\nyour sake.\"\n\n\"Certes,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"this grieveth me.\"\n\nVII.\n\nTherewithal the knights depart asunder, and Messire Gawain rode\non until he found in the forest a castle right fair and rich, and\nmet an ancient knight that was issued forth of the castle for\ndisport, and held a bird on his fist. He saluteth Messire Gawain\nand he him again, and he asked him what castle is this that he\nseeth show so fair? And he telleth him it is the castle of the\nProud Maiden that never deigned ask a knight his name.\n\n\"And we, that are her men, durst not do it on her behalf. But\nright well will you be lodged in the castle, for right courteous\nis she otherwise and the fairest that ever any may know. Nor\nnever hath she had any lord, nor deigned to love no knight save\nshe heard tell that he was the best knight in the world. And I\nwill go to her with you of courtesy.\"\n\n\"Gramercy, Sir,\" saith Messire Gawain. They enter into the\ncastle both twain together, and alight at the mounting-stage\nbefore the hall. The knight taketh Messire Gawain by the hand\nand leadeth him up, and maketh disarm him, and bringeth him a\nsurcoat of scarlet purfled of vair and maketh him do it on. Then\nleadeth he the lady of the castle to Messire Gawain, and he\nriseth up to meet her.\n\n\"Lady,\" saith he \"Welcome may you be!\"\n\n\"And you, Sir, be welcome!\" saith she, \"Will you see my chapel?\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith he, \"At your pleasure.\"\n\nAnd she leadeth him and taketh Messire Gawain by the hand, and he\nlooketh at the chapel and it well seemeth him that never before\nhad he come into none so fair nor so rich, and he seeth four\ntombs within, the fairest that he had seen ever. And on the\nright hand side of the chapel were three narrow openings in the\nwall that were wrought all about with gold and precious stones,\nand beyond the three openings he seeth great circlets of lighted\ncandles that were before three coffers of hallows that were\nthere, and the smell thereof was sweeter than balm.\n\n\"Sir knight,\" saith the damsel, \"See you these tombs?\"\n\n\"Yea, damsel,\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"These three are made for the three best knights in the world and\nthe fourth for me. The one hath for name Messire Gawain and the\nsecond Lancelot of the Lake. Each of them do I love for love's\nsake, by my faith! And the third hath for name Perceval. Him\nlove I better than the other two. And within these three\nopenings are the hallows set for love of them. And behold what I\nwould do to them and their three heads were therein; and so I\nmight not do it to the three together, yet would I do it to two,\nor even to one only.\"\n\nShe setteth her hand toward the openings and draweth forth a pin\nthat was fastened into the wall, and a cutting blade of steel\ndroppeth down, of steel sharper than any razor, and closeth up\nthe three openings.\n\n\"Even thus will I cut off their heads when they shall set them\ninto those three openings thinking to adore the hallows that are\nbeyond. Afterward will I make take the bodies and set them in\nthe three coffins, and do them be honoured and enshrouded right\nrichly, for joy of them in their life may I never have. And when\nthe end of my life shall be come as God will, even so will I make\nset me in the fourth coffin, and so shall I have company of the\nthree good knights.\"\n\nMessire Gawain heard the word. whereof he marvelled right sore,\nand would right fain that the night were overpassed. They issue\nforth of the chapel. The damsel maketh Messire Gawain be greatly\nhonoured that night, and there was great company of knights\nwithin that served him and helped guard the castle. They show\nMessire Gawain much worship, but they knew not that it was he,\nnor did none ask him, for such was the custom of the castle. But\nwell she knew that he oftentimes passed to and fro amidst the\nforest, and four of the knights that watched the forest and the\npassers-by had she commanded that and if any of these three\nknights should pass they should bring him to her without gainsay,\nand she would increase the land of each for so doing.\n\nVIII.\n\nMessire Gawain was in the castle that night until the morrow, and\nwent to hear mass in the chapel or ever he removed thence.\nAfterward, when he had heard mass and was armed, he took leave of\nthe damsel and issued forth of the castle as he that had no\ndesire to abide there longer. And he entereth into the forest\nand rideth a long league Welsh and findeth two knights sitting by\na narrow path in the forest. And when they see him coming they\nleap up on their horses all armed and come against Messire\nGawain, shields on sides and spears in fists.\n\n\"Bide, Sir knight!\" say they, \"And tell us your name without\nleasing!\"\n\n\"Lords,\" saith he, \"Right willingly! never hath my name been\nwithholden when it hath been asked for. I am called Gawain, King\nArthur\"s nephew.\"\n\n\"Nay, then, Sir, welcome may you be! One other demand have we to\nmake of you. Will you come with us to the lady in the world who\nmost desireth you, and will make much joy of you at Castle\nOrguelleux where she is?\"\n\n\"Lord,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"No leisure have I at this time,\nfor I have emprised my way else-whither.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" say they, \"Needs must you come thither without fail, for\nin such wise hath she commanded us that we shall take you thither\nby force an you come not of your own good-will.\"\n\n\"I have told you plainly that thither will I not go,\" saith\nMessire Gawain. With that, they leap forward and take him by the\nbridle, thinking to lead him away by force. And Messire Gawain\nhath shame thereof, and draweth his sword and smiteth one of them\nin such wrath that he cutteth off his arm. And the other letteth\nthe bridle go and turneth him full speed; and his fellow with him\nthat was maimed. And away go they toward Castle Orguelleux and\nthe Proud Maiden of the castle and show her the mischief that\nhath befallen them.\n\n\"Who hath mis-handled you thus?\" saith she.\n\n\"Certes, lady, Messire Gawain.\"\n\n\"Where found you him?\"\n\n\"Lady,\" say they, \"In the forest, where he came toward us a full\ngallop, and was minded to pass by the narrows of the way, when we\nbade him abide and come to you. But come he would not. We\noffered him force, and he smote my fellow\"s arm off.\"\n\nShe biddeth a horn be sounded incontinent, and the knights of the\ncastle arm, and she commandeth them follow Messire Gawain, and\nsaith that she will increase the land and the charge of him that\nshall bring him to her. They were a good fifteen knights armed.\nJust as they were about to issue out of the castle, behold you\nforthwith two keepers of the forest where they come, both twain\nof them smitten through the body. The damsel and the knights ask\nwho hath done this to them, and they say it was Messire Gawain\nthat did it, for that they would have brought him to the castle.\n\n\"Is he far away?\" saith the damsel.\n\n\"Yea,\" say they, \"Four great leagues Welsh.\"\n\n\"Wherefore the greater folly would it be to follow him,\" saith\none of the sixteen knights, \"For nought should we increase\nthereby save only our own shame and hurt, and my Lady hath lost\nhim through her own default, for well know we that he it was that\nlay within, for that he beareth a shield sinople with a golden\neagle.\"\n\n\"Yea,\" saith the wounded knight, \"Without fail.\"\n\n\"Is this then he?\" saith the damsel. \"I know him well now that I\nhave lost him by my pride and by my outrage; nor never more will\nknight lie in my hostel sith that he will be estranged for that I\nask not his name. But it is too late! Herein have I failed of\nthis one for ever and ever save God bring him back to me, and\nthrough this one shall I lose the other two!\"\n\nIX.\n\nHerewithal cometh to a stay the pursuit of Messire Gawain, that\ngoeth his way and prayeth God that He send him true counsel of\nthat he hath emprised, and that He allow him to come into some\nplace where he may hear true witting of the hostel of King\nFisherman. And while he was thus thinking, he heareth a brachet\nquesting, and he cometh toward him a great pace. When he is come\nanigh Messire Gawain he setteth his nose to the ground and\nfindeth a track of blood through a grassy way in the forest, and\nwhen Messire Gawain was minded to leave the way where the track\nof blood was, the brachet came over against him and quested.\nMessire Gawain is minded not to abandon the track, wherefore he\nfolloweth the brachet a great pace until he cometh to a marish in\nthe midst of the forest, and seeth there in the marish a house,\nancient and decayed. He passeth with the brachet over the\nbridge, that was right feeble, and there was a great water under\nit, and cometh to the hall, that was wasted and old. And the\nbrachet leaveth of his questing. Messire Gawain seeth in the\nmidst of house a knight that was stricken right through the\nbreast unto the heart and there lay dead. A damsel was issuing\nforth of the chamber and bare the winding-sheer wherein to\nenshroud him.\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Good adventure may you have!\"\n\nThe damsel that was weeping right tenderly, saith to him: \"Sir, I\nwill answer you not.\"\n\nShe cometh toward the dead knight, thinking that his wounds\nshould have begun to bleed afresh, but they did not.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she to Messire Gawain, \"Welcome may you be!\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith he. \"God grant you greater joy than you have!\"\n\nAnd the damsel saith to the brachet: \"It was not this one I sent\nyou back to fetch, but him that slew this knight.\"\n\n\"Know you then, damsel, who hath slain him?\" saith Messire\nGawain.\n\n\"Yea,\" saith she, \"well! Lancelot of the Lake slew him in this\nforest, on whom God grant me vengeance, and on all them of King\nArthur's court, for sore mischief and great hurt have they\nwrought us! But, please God, right well shall this knight yet be\navenged, for a right fair son hath he whose sister am I, and so\nhath he many good friends withal.\"\n\n\"Damsel, to God I commend you!\" saith Messire Gawain. With that,\nhe issueth forth of the Waste Manor and betaketh him back to the\nway he had abandoned, and prayeth God grant he may find Lancelot\nof the Lake.",
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}