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  "work": {
    "slug": "high-history-of-the-holy-graal",
    "name": "High History of the Holy Graal"
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      "slug": "grail-romances",
      "name": "Holy Grail Romances",
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 13,
    "slug": "13-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xii",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XII",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 2708,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XII\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nNow is the story silent about Perceval, and saith that King\nArthur is at Pannenoisance in Wales with great plenty of knights.\nLancelot and Messire Gawain are repaired thither, whereof all the\nfolk make great joy. The King asketh of Messire Gawain and\nLancelot whether they have seen Lohot his son in none of these\nislands nor in none of these forests, and they answer him that\nthey have seen him nowhere.\n\n\"I marvel much,\" saith the King, \"what hath become of him, for no\ntidings have I heard of him beyond these, that Kay the Seneschal\nslew Logrin the giant, whose head he brought me, whereof I made\ngreat joy, and right willingly did I make Kay's lands the broader\nthereof, and well ought I to do him such favour, for he avenged\nme of him that did my land more hurt than any other, wherefore I\nlove him greatly.\"\n\nBut, and the King had only known how Kay had wrought against him,\nhe would not have so highly honoured his chivalry and his\nhardiment. The King sate one day at meat and Queen Guenievre at\nhis side. Thereupon behold you, a damsel that alighteth before\nthe palace, then mounteth the steps of the hall and is come\nbefore the King and the Queen.\n\n\"Sir, I salute you as the sorest dismayed and most discounselled\ndamsel that ever you have seen! Wherefore am I come to demand a\nboon of you for the nobleness and valour of your heart.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"God counsel you of His will and\npleasure, and I myself am full fain to partake therein.\"\n\nThe damsel looketh at the shield that hangeth in the midst of the\nhall.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"I beseech you that you deign grant me the aid\nof the knight that shall bear this shield from hence. For sorer\nneed have I thereof than ever another of them that are\ndiscounselled.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"Full well shall I be pleased, so the\nknight be also fain to do as you say.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"And he be so good knight as he is reported,\nnever will he refuse your prayer, nor would he mine, if only I\nwere here at such time as he shall come. For, had I been able to\nfind my brother that I have been seeking this long time, then\nwell should I have been succoured long agone! But I have sought\nhim in many lands, nor never could I learn where he is.\nTherefore to my sorrow, behoveth me to ride all lonely by the\nstrange islands and put my body in jeopardy of death, whereof\nought these knights to have great pity.\"\n\nII.\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"For this reason do I refuse you nought\nof that you wish, and right willingly will I put myself to\ntrouble herein.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"much thanks to God thereof!\"\n\nHe maketh her be set at meat, and much honour be done her. When\nthe cloths were drawn, the Queen leadeth her into her chamber\nwith the maidens, and maketh much joy of her. The brachet that\nwas brought thither with the shield was lying on a couch of\nstraw. He would not know the Queen nor her damsels nor the\nknights that were in the court, but so soon as ever he heard the\ndamsel he cometh to her and maketh greater joy of her than ever\nwas brachet seen to make before. The Queen and her damsels\nmarvelled much thereof, as did the damsel herself to whom the\nbrachet made such joy, for never since that he was brought into\nthe hall had they seen him rejoice of any. The Queen asked her\nwhether she knew him.\n\n\"Certes, Lady, no, for never, so far as I know, have I seen him\nbefore.\"\n\nThe brachet will not leave her, but will be always on her lap,\nnor can she move anywhither but he followeth her. The damsel is\nlong time in the court in this manner, albeit as she that had\nsore need of succour she remained in the chapel every day after\nthat the Queen was come forth, and wept right tenderly before the\nimage of the Saviour, and prayed right sweetly that His Mother\nwould counsel her, for that she had been left in sore peril of\nlosing her castle. The Queen asked her one day who her brother\nwas.\n\n\"Lady,\" saith she, \"one of the best knights of the world, whereof\nhave I heard witness. But he departed from my father's and\nmother's hostel a right young squire. My father is since dead,\nand my Lady mother is left without help and without counsel,\nwherefore hath a certain man reaved her of her land and her\ncastles and slain her men. The very castle wherein she hath her\nhold would he have seized long agone had it not been for Messire\nGawain that made it be safe-guarded against her enemies for a\nyear. The term is now ended and my Lady mother is in dread lest\nshe shall lose her castle, for none other hold hath she.\nWherefore is it that she hath sent me to seek for my brother, for\nshe hath been told that he is a good knight, and for that I may\nnot find him am I come to this court to beseech of King Arthur\nsuccour of the knight that shall bear away the shield, for I have\nheard tell that he is the Best knight of the world; and, for the\nbounty that is in him will he therefore have pity on me.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the Queen, \"Would that you had found him, for\ngreat joy would it be unto me that your mother were succoured,\nand God grant that he that ought to bear the shield come quickly,\nand grant him courage that he be fain to succour your mother.\"\n\n\"So shall he be, please God, for never was good knight that was\nwithout pity.\"\n\nIII.\n\nThe Queen hath much pity of the damsel, for she was of right\ngreat beauty, and well might it be seen by her cheer and her\nsemblant that no joy had she. She had told the Queen her name\nand the name of her father and mother, and the Queen told her\nthat many a time had she heard tell of Alain li Gros, and that he\nwas said to be a worshipful man and good knight. The King lay\none night beside the Queen, and was awoke from his first sleep so\nthat he might not go to sleep again. He rose and did on a great\ngrey cape and issueth forth of the chamber and cometh to the\nwindows of the hall that opened toward the sea, calm and\nuntroubled, so that much pleasure had he of looking thereat and\nleaning at the windows. When he had been there of a long space,\nhe looked out to sea and saw coming afar off as it were the\nshining of a candle in the midst of the sea. Much he marvelled\nwhat it might be. He looked at it until he espied what seemed\nhim to be a ship wherein was the light, and he was minded not to\nmove until such time as he should know whether a ship it were or\nsomething other. The longer he looketh at it, the better\nperceiveth he that it is a ship, and that it was coming with\ngreat rushing toward the castle as fast as it might. The King\nespieth it nigh at hand, but none seeth he within nor without\nsave one old man, ancient and bald, of right passing seemliness\nthat held the rudder of the ship. The ship was covered of a\nright rich cloth in the midst and the sail was lowered, for the\nsea was calm and quiet. The ship was arrived under the palace\nand was quite still. When the ship had taken ground, the King\nlooketh thereat with much marvelling, and knoweth not who is\nthere within, for not a soul heareth he speak. Him thinketh that\nhe will go see what is within the ship, and he issueth forth of\nthe hall, and cometh thither where the ship was arrived, but he\nmight not come anigh for the flowing of the sea.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith he that held the rudder, \"Allow me a little!\"\n\nHe launcheth forth of the ship a little boat, and the King\nentereth thereinto, and so cometh into the great ship, and\nfindeth a knight that lay all armed upon a table of ivory, and\nhad set his shield at his head. At the head of his bed had he\ntwo tall twisted links of wax in two candlesticks of gold, and\nthe like at his feet, and his hands were crossed upon his breast.\nThe King draweth nigh toward him and so looketh at him, and\nseemed him that never had he seen so comely a knight.\n\nIV.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the master of the ship, \"For God's sake draw you\nback and let the knight rest, for thereof hath he sore need.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the King, \"who is the knight?\"\n\n\"Sir, this would he well tell you were he willing, but of me may\nyou know it not.\"\n\n\"Will he depart forthwith from hence?\" saith the King.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the master, \"Not before he hath been in this hall,\nbut he hath had sore travail and therefore he taketh rest.\"\n\nWhen the King heard say that he would come into his palace,\nthereof had he great joy. He cometh to the Queen's chamber and\ntelleth her how the ship is arrived. The Queen riseth and two of\nher damsels with her, and apparelleth her of a kirtle of cloth of\nsilk, furred of ermine, and cometh into the midst of the hall.\nThereupon behold you, the knight that cometh all armed and the\nmaster of the ship before him bearing the twisted link of wax in\nthe candlestick of gold in front of him, and the knight held his\nsword all naked.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the Queen, \"Well may you be welcome!\"\n\n\"Lady,\" saith he, \"God grant you joy and good adventure.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Please God we have nought to fear of you?\"\n\n\"Lady,\" saith he, \"No fear ought you to have!\"\n\nThe King seeth that he beareth the red shield with the white hart\nwhereof he had heard tell. The brachet that was in the hall\nheareth the knight. He cometh racing toward him and leapeth\nabout his legs and maketh great joy of him. And the knight\nplayeth with him, then taketh the shield that hung at the column,\nand hangeth the other there, and cometh back thereafter toward\nthe door of the hall.\n\n\"Lady,\" saith the King, \"Pray the knight that he go not so\nhastily.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the knight, \"No leisure have I to abide, but at some\ntime shall you see me again.\"\n\nThe knights also say as much, and the King and Queen are right\nheavy of his departure, but they durst not press him beyond his\nwill. He is entered into the ship, and the brachet with him.\nThe master draweth the boat within, and so they depart and leave\nthe castle behind. King Arthur abideth at Pannenoisance, and is\nright sorrowful of the knight, that he hath gone his way so soon.\nThe knights arose throughout the castle when the day waxed light,\nand learnt the tidings of the knight that had borne the shield\nthence, and were right grieved for that they had not seen him.\nThe damsel that had asked the boon cometh to the King.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Did you speak of my business to the knight?\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"Never a whit! to my sorrow, for he\nhath departed sooner than I would!\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"You have done a wrong and a sin, but, please\nGod, so good a King as are you shall not fail of his covenants to\ndamsel so forlorn as am I.\"\n\nThe King was right sorrowful for that he had remembered not the\ndamsel. She departeth from the court, and taketh leave of the\nKing and Queen, and saith that she herself will go seek the\nknight, and that, so she may find him, she will hold the King\nquit of his covenant. Messire Gawain and Lancelot are returned\nto the court, and have heard the tidings of the knight that hath\ncarried away the shield, and are right grieved that they have not\nseen him, and Messire Gawain more than enough, for that he had\nlien in his mother's house. Lancelot seeth the shield that he\nhad left on the column, and knoweth it well, and saith, \"Now know\nI well that Perceval hath been here, for this shield was he wont\nto bear, and the like also his father bore.\"\n\n\"Ha,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"What ill-chance have I that I may\nnot see the Good Knight!\"\n\n\"Messire Gawain,\" saith Lancelot, \"So nigh did I see him that\nmethought he would have killed me, for never before did I essay\nonset so stout nor so cruel of force of arms, and I myself\nwounded him, and when he knew me he made right great joy of me.\nAnd I was with him at the house of King Hermit a long space until\nthat I was healed.\"\n\n\"Lancelot,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"I would that he had wounded\nme, so I were not too sore harmed thereof, so that I might have\nbeen with him so long time as were you.\"\n\n\"Lords,\" saith the King, \"Behoveth you go on quest of him or I\nwill go, for I am bound to beseech his aid on behalf of a damsel\nthat asked me thereof, but she told me that, so she might find\nhim first, I should be quit of her request.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the Queen, \"You will do a right great service and\nyou may counsel her herein, for sore discounselled is she. She\nhath told me that she was daughter of Alain li Gros of the\nValleys of Camelot, and that her mother's name is Yglais, and her\nown Dindrane.\"\n\n\"Ha, Lady,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"She is sister to the knight\nthat hath borne away the shield, for I lay at her mother's house\nwherein I was right well lodged.\"\n\n\"By my head,\" saith the Queen, \"it may well be, for so soon as\nshe came in hither. the brachet that would have acquaintance with\nnone, made her great joy, and when the knight came to seek the\nshield, the brachet, that had remained in the hall, played gladly\nwith him and went \"\n\n\"By my faith,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"I will go in quest of the\nknight, for right great desire have I to see him.\"\n\n\"And I,\" saith Lancelot, \"Never so glad have I been to see him\naforetime as! should be now.\"\n\n\"Howsoever it be,\" saith the King, \"I pray you so speed my\nbusiness that the damsel shall not be able to plain her of me.\"\n\nV.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Lancelot, \"We will tell him and we may find him,\nthat his sister is gone in quest of him, and that she hath been\nat your court.\"\n\nThe two knights depart from the court to enter on the quest of\nthe Good Knight, and leave the castle far behind them and ride in\nthe midst of a high forest until they find a cross in the midst\nof a launde, there where all the roads of the forest join\ntogether.\n\n\"Lancelot,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Choose which road soever you\nwill, and so let each go by himself, so that we may the sooner\nhear tidings of the Good Knight, and let us meet together again\nat this cross at the end of a year and let either tell other how\nhe hath sped, for please God in one place or another we shall\nhear tidings of him.\"\n\nLancelot taketh the way to the right, and Messire Gawain to the\nleft. Therewithal they depart and commend them one another to\nGod.",
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