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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",
      "url": "/sources/grail-romances/"
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 14,
    "slug": "14-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xiii",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XIII",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 4671,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XIII\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nHere the story is silent of Lancelot, and saith that Messire\nGawain goeth a great pace riding, and prayeth God that He will so\ncounsel him that he may find the knight. He rideth until the day\ncometh to decline, and he lay in the house of a hermit in the\nforest, that lodged him well.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit to Messire Gawain, \"Whom do you go seek?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith he, \"I am in quest of a knight that I would see\nright gladly.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"In this neighbourhood will you find no\nknight.\"\n\n\"Wherefore not?\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Be there no knights in\nthis country?\"\n\n\"There was wont to be plenty,\" saith the hermit, \"But now no\nlonger are there any, save one all alone in a castle and one all\nalone on the sea that have chased away and slain all the others.\"\n\n\"And who is the one of the sea?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"I know not who he is, save only that\nthe sea is hard by here, where the ship runneth oftentimes\nwherein the knight is, and he repaireth to an island that is\nunder the castle of the Queen of the Maidens, from whence he\nchased an uncle of his that warred upon the castle, and the other\nknights that he had chased thence and slain were helping his\nuncle, so that now the castle is made sure. And the knights that\nmight flee from this forest and this kingdom durst not repair\nthither for the knight, for they dread his hardiment and his\ngreat might, sith that they know well they might not long endure\nagainst him.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Is it so long a space sithence that\nhe hath haunted the sea?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"It is scarce more than a twelvemonth.\"\n\n\"And how nigh is this to the sea?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"It is not more than two leagues Welsh.\nWhen I have gone forth to my toil, many a time have I seen the\nship run close by me, and the knight, all armed, within, and\nmeseemed he was of right great comeliness, and had as passing\nproud a look as any lion. But I can well tell you never was\nknight so dreaded in this kingdom as is he. The Queen of the\nMaidens would have lost her castle ere now but for him. Nor\nnever sithence that he hath chased his uncle from the island,\nhath he entered the Queen's castle even once, but from that time\nforth hath rather rowed about the sea and searched all the\nislands and stricken down all the proud in such sort that he is\ndreaded and warily avoided throughout all the kingdoms. The\nQueen of the Maidens is right sorrowful for that he cometh not to\nher castle, for so dear she holdeth him of very love, that and he\nshould come and she might keep him so that he should never issue\nforth again, she would sooner lock him up with her there safe\nwithin.\"\n\n\"Know you.\" saith Messire Gawain, \"what shield the knight\nbeareth?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"I know not now to blazon it, for nought\nknow I of arms. Three score years and more have I been in this\nhermitage, yet never saw I this kingdom before so dismayed as is\nit now.\"\n\nMessire Gawain lay the night therewithin, and departed when he\nhad heard mass. He draweth him as nigh the sea as he may, and\nrideth along beside the shore and many a time draweth rein to\nlook forth if he might see the knight's ship. But nowhere might\nhe espy it. He hath ridden until he cometh to the castle of the\nQueen of the Maidens. When she knew that it was Messire Gawain,\nshe made thereof great joy, and pointed him out the island\nwhither Perceval had repaired, and from whence he had driven his\nuncle.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she to Messire Gawain, \"I plain me much of him, for\nnever hath he been fain to enter herewithin, save the one time\nthat he did battle with his uncle, but ever sithence hath he made\nrepair to this island and rowed about this sea.\"\n\n\"Lady,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"and whereabout may he be now?\"\n\n\"Sir, God help me,\" saith she, \"I know not, for I have not seen\nhim now of a long space, and no earthly man may know his intent\nnor his desire, nor whitherward he may turn.\"\n\nMessire Gawain is right sorrowful for that he knoweth not where\nto seek him albeit he hath so late tidings of him. He lay at the\ncastle and was greatly honoured, and on the morrow he heard mass\nand took leave of the Queen, and rideth all armed beside the\nseashore, for that the hermit had told him, and the Queen\nherself, that he goeth oftener by sea than by land. He entereth\ninto a forest that was nigh the sea, and seeth a knight coming a\ngreat gallop as if one were chasing him to slay him.\n\n\"Sir knight,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Whither away so fast?\"\n\n\"Sir, I am fleeing from the knight that hath slain all the\nothers.\"\n\n\"And who is the knight?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"I know not who he is,\" saith the knight, \"But and you go forward\nyou are sure to find him.\"\n\n\"Meseemeth,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"that I have seen you\naforetime.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith he, \"So have you! I am the Knight Coward that you\nmet in the forest there where you conquered the knight of the\nshield party black and white, and I am man of the Damsel of the\nCar. Wherefore I pray you for God's sake that you do me no hurt,\nfor the knight that I found down yonder hath a look so fierce\nthat I thought I was dead when I saw it.\"\n\n\"Need you fear nought of me,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"For I love\nyour damsel well.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the knight, \"I would that all the other knights\nwould say as much in respect of me, for no fear have I save for\nmyself alone.\"\n\nII.\n\nMessire Gawain departeth from the knight, and goeth his way\namidst the forest that overshadowed the land as far as the\nseashore, and looketh forth from the top of a sand-hill, and\nseeth a knight armed on a tall destrier, and he had a shield of\ngold with a green cross.\n\n\"Ha, God,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Grant that this knight may be\nable to tell me tidings of him I seek!\"\n\nThitherward goeth he a great gallop, and saluteth him\nworshipfully and he him again.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Can you tell me tidings of a knight\nthat beareth a shield banded of argent and azure with a red\ncross?\"\n\n\"Yea, Sir,\" saith the knight, \"That can I well. At the assembly\nof the knights may you find him within forty days.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Where will the assembly be?\"\n\n\"In the Red Launde, where will be many a good knight. There\nshall you find him without fail.\"\n\nThereof hath Messire Gawain right great joy, and so departeth\nfrom the knight and the knight from him, and goeth back toward\nthe sea a great gallop. But Messire Gawain saw not the ship\nwhereinto he entered, for that it was anchored underneath the\ncliff. The knight entered thereinto and put out to sea as he had\nwont to do. Howbeit Messire Gawain goeth his way toward the Red\nLaunde where the assembly was to be, and desireth much the day\nthat it shall be. He rideth until he cometh one eventide nigh to\na castle that was of right fair seeming. He met a damsel that\nwas following after a dead knight that two other knights bare\nupon a horse-bier, and she rode a great pace right amidst the\nforest. And Messire Gawain cometh to meet her and saluteth her,\nand she returned the salute as fairly as she might.\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Who lieth in this bier?\"\n\n\"Sir, a knight that a certain man hath slain by great outrage.\"\n\n\"And whither shall you ride this day?\"\n\n\"Sir, I would fain be in the Red Launde, and thither will I take\nthis knight, that was a right worshipful man for his age.\"\n\n\"And wherefore will you take him there?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"For that he that shall do best at the assembly of knights shall\navenge this knight's death.\"\n\nIII.\n\nThe damsel goeth her way thereupon. And Messire Gawain goeth to\nthe castle that he had seen, and found none within save only one\nsolitary knight, old and feeble, and a squire that waited upon\nhim. Howbeit, Messire Gawain alighteth at the castle. The\nVavasour lodged him well and willingly, and made his door be well\nshut fast and Messire Gawain be disarmed, and that night he\nshowed him honour as well as he might. And when it came to the\nmorrow and Messire Gawain was minded to depart thence, the\nVavasour saith to him, \"Sir you may not depart thus, for this\ndoor hath not been opened this long while save only yesterday,\nwhen I made it be opened before you, to the intent that you\nshould meet on my behalf a certain knight that is fain to slay\nme, for that the King of Castle Mortal hath had his hold\nherewithin, he that warreth on the Queen of the Maidens.\nWherefore I pray you that you help me to defend it against the\nknight.\"\n\n\"What shield beareth he?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"He beareth a golden shield with a green cross.\"\n\n\"And what sort of knight is he?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the Vavasour, \"A good knight and a hardy and a\nsure.\"\n\n\"By my faith,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"And you can tell me tidings\nof another knight whereof I am in quest, I will protect you\nagainst this one to the best I may, and if he will do nought for\nmy prayer, I will safeguard you of my force.\"\n\n\"What knight, then, do you seek?\" saith the Vavasour.\n\n\"Sir, a knight that is called Perceval, and he hath carried away\nfrom the court of King Arthur a shield banded argent and azure\nwith a red cross on a band of gold. He will be at the assembly\nin the Red Launde. These tidings had I of the knight you dread\nso much.\"\n\nIV.\n\nThereupon, whilst Messire Gawain was thus speaking to the\nVavasour, behold you the Knight of the Golden Shield, that\ndraweth rein in the midst of a launde that was betwixt the castle\nand the forest. The Vavasour seeth him from the windows of the\nhall, and pointeth him out to Messire Gawain. Messire Gawain\ngoeth and mounteth on his destrier, his shield at his neck and\nhis spear in his fist, all armed, and issueth forth of the door\nwhen it had been unfastened, and cometh toward the knight, that\nawaited him on his horse. He seeth Messire Gawain coming, but\nmoveth not, and Messire Gawain marvelleth much that the knight\ncometh not toward him, for him thinketh well that the Vavasour\nhad told him true. But he had not, for never had the knight come\nthither to do the Vavasour any hurt, but on account of the\nknights that passed by that way that went to seek adventure, for\nright glad was he to see them albeit he was not minded to make\nhimself known unto any. Messire Gawain looketh before him and\nbehind him and seeth that the door was made fast and the bridge\ndrawn up so soon as he was departed thence, whereof he marvelled\nmuch and saith to the knight, \"Sir, is your intent nought but\ngood only?\"\n\n\"By my head,\" saith he, \"Nought at all, and readily will I tell\nit you.\"\n\nThereupon, behold you a damsel that cometh a great pace, and held\na whip wherewith she hurrieth her mule onward, and she draweth\nrein there where the two knights were.\n\n\"Ha, God!\" saith she, \"shall I ever find one to wreak me\nvengeance of the traitor Vavasour that dwelleth in this castle?\"\n\n\"Is he then traitor?\" saith Messire Gawain.\n\n\"Yea, Sir, the most traitor you saw ever! He lodged my brother\nthe day before yesterday, and bore him on hand at night that a\ncertain knight was warring upon him for that the way whereby the\nknights pass is here in front of this place, and lied to him so\nmuch as that my brother held him in covenant that he would\nassault a certain knight that he should point out to him, for\nlove of him. This knight came passing hereby, that had no\nthought to do hurt neither to the Vavasour nor to my brother.\nThe knight was right strong and hardy, and was born at the castle\nof Escavalon. My brother issued forth of the castle filled with\nfool-hardiness for the leasing of the Vavasour, and ran upon the\nknight without a word. The knight could do no less than avenge\nhimself. They hurtled together so sore that their horses fell\nunder them and their spears passed either through other's heart.\nThus were both twain killed on this very piece of ground.\"\n\nV.\n\n\"The Vavasour took the arms and the horses and put them in safe\nkeeping in his castle, and the bodies of the knights he left to\nthe wild beasts, that would have devoured them had I not chanced\nto come thither with two knights that helped me bury them by\nyonder cross at the entrance of the forest.\"\n\n\"By my head,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"In like manner would he have\nwrought me mischief had I been minded to trust him; for he bore\nme in hand that this knight was warring upon him, and besought me\nthat I should safeguard him against him. But our Lord God so\nhelped me that I intermeddled not therein, for lightly might I\nhave wrought folly.\"\n\n\"By the name of God,\" saith the other, \"Meseemeth it clear that\nthe Vavasour would fain that knights should kill each other.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the damsel, \"You say true; it is of his covetise of\nharness and horses that he entreateth the knights on this-wise.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Whither go you?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"After a knight that I have made be carried in\na litter for the dead.\"\n\n\"I saw him,\" saith he, \"pass by here last night, full late last\nnight.\"\n\nThe knight taketh leave of Messire Gawain, and Messire Gawain\nsaith that he holdeth himself a churl in that he hath not asked\nhim of his name. But the knight said, \"Fair Sir, I pray you of\nlove that you ask not my name until such time as I shall ask you\nof yours.\"\n\nVI.\n\nMessire Gawain would ask nought further of the knight, and the\nknight entered into the Lonely Forest and Messire Gawain goeth on\nhis way. He meeteth neither knight nor damsel to whom he telleth\nnot whom he goeth to seek, and they all say that he will be in\nthe Red Launde. He lodged the night with a hermit. At night,\nthe hermit asked Messire Gawain whence he came?\n\n\"Sir, from the land of the Queen of the Maidens.\"\n\n\"Have you seen Perceval, the Good Knight that took the shield in\nKing Arthur's court and left another there?\"\n\n\"No, certes,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Whereof am I right\nsorrowful. But a knight with a shield of gold and a green cross\nthereon told me that he would be at the Red Launde.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"you say true, for it was he himself to\nwhom you spake. Tonight is the third night since he lay within\nyonder, and see here the bracket he brought from King Arthur's\ncourt, which he hath commanded me to convey to his uncle, King\nHermit.\"\n\n\"Alas!\" saith Messire Gawain, \"What ill chance is mine if this\nbe true!\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"I ought not to lie, neither to you nor\nother. By the brachet may you well know that this is true.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Of custom beareth he no such\nshield.\"\n\n\"I know well,\" saith the hermit, \"what shield he ought to bear,\nand what shield he will bear hereafter. But this doth he that he\nmay not be known, and this shield took he in the hermitage of\nJoseus, the son of King Hermit, there where Lancelot was lodged,\nwhere he hanged the four thieves that would have broken into the\nhermitage by night. And within there hath remained the shield he\nbrought from King Arthur's court, with Joseus the son of my\nsister, and they are as brother and sister between the twain, and\nyou may know of very truth that albeit Joseus be hermit, no\nknight is there in Great Britain of his heart and hardiment.\"\n\nVII.\n\n\"Certes,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"It was sore mischance for me\nthat I should see him yesterday before the castle where the\nknights pass by, and speak to him and ask him his name, but he\nbesought me that I should not ask him his name until such time as\nhe should ask me mine; and with that he departed from me and\nentered into the forest, and I came hitherward. Now am I so\nsorrowful that I know not what I may do for the best, for King\nArthur sendeth me in quest of him, and Lancelot hath also gone to\nseek him in another part of the kingdom of Logres. But now hath\ntoo great mischance befallen me of this quest, for twice have I\nseen him and found him and spoken to him, and now have I lost him\nagain.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"He is so close and wary a knight, that\nhe is fain never to waste a word, neither will he make false\nsemblant to any nor speak word that he would not should be heard,\nnor do shame of his body to his knowledge, nor carnal sin, for\nvirgin and chaste is he and doth never outrage to any.\"\n\n\"I know well,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"that all the valours and\nall the cleannesses that ought to be in a knight are in him, and\ntherefore am I the more sorrowful that I am not of them that he\nknoweth, for a man is worth the more that hath acquaintance with\na good knight.\"\n\nVIII.\n\nMessire Gawain lay the night in the hermit's house, right\nsorrowful, and in the morning departed when he had heard mass.\nJosephus the good clerk witnesseth us in this high history that\nthis hermit had to name Josuias, and was a knight of great\nworship and valour, but he renounced all for the love of God, and\nwas fain to set his body in banishment for Him. And all these\nadventures that you hear in this high record came to pass,\nJosephus telleth us, for the setting forward the law of the\nSaviour. All of them could he not record, but only these whereof\nhe best remembered him, and whereof he knew for certain all the\nadventures by virtue of the Holy Spirit. This high record saith\nthat Messire Gawain hath wandered so far that he is come into the\nRed Launde whereas the assembly of knights should be held. He\nlooketh and seeth the tents pitched and the knights coming from\nall quarters. The most part were already armed within and before\ntheir tents. Messire Gawain looketh everywhere, thinking to see\nthe knight he seeketh, but seemeth him he seeth him not, for no\nsuch shield seeth he as he beareth. All abashed is he thereof,\nfor he hath seen all the tents and looked at all the arms. But\nthe knight is not easy to recognise, for he hath changed his\narms, and nigh enough is he to Messire Gawain, albeit you may\nwell understand that he knoweth it not. And the tournament\nassembleth from all parts, and the divers fellowships come the\none against other, and the melly of either upon other as they\ncome together waxeth sore and marvellous. And Messire Gawain\nsearcheth the ranks to find the knight, albeit when he meeteth\nknight in his way he cannot choose but do whatsoever a knight may\ndo of arms, and yet more would he have done but for his fainness\nto seek out the knight. The damsel is at the head of the\ntournament, for that she would fain know the one that shall have\nthe mastery and the prize therein.\n\nThe knight that Messire Gawain seeketh is not at the head of the\nfellowships, but in the thickest of the press, and such feats of\narms doth he that more may no knight do, and smiteth down the\nknights about him, that flee from him even as the deer-hound\nfleeth from the lion.\n\n\"By my faith,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"sith that they have lied to\nme about the knight, I will seek him no more this day, but forget\nmy discontent as best I may until evening.\"\n\nHe seeth the knight, but knoweth him not, for he had a white\nshield and cognisances of the same. And Messire Gawain cometh to\nhim as fast as his horse may carry him, and the knight toward\nMessire Gawain. So passing stoutly they come together that they\npierce their shields below the boss. Their spears were so tough\nthat they break not, and they draw them forth and come together\nagain so strongly that the spears wherewith they smote each other\namidst the breast were bended so that they unriveted the\nholdfasts of their shields, and they lost their stirrups, and the\nreins fly from their fists, and they stagger against the back\nsaddlebows, and the horses stumbled so as that they all but fell.\nThey straighten them in saddle and stirrup, and catch hold upon\ntheir reins, and then come together again, burning with wrath and\nfury like lions, and either smiteth on other with their spears\nthat may endure no longer, for the shafts are all to-frushed as\nfar as the fists in such sort that they that look on marvel them\nmuch how it came to pass that the points had not pierced their\nbodies. But God would not that the good knights should slay each\nother, rather would He that the one should know the true worth of\nthe other. The habergeons safeguarded not their bodies, but the\nmight of God in whom they believed, for in them had they all the\nvalour that knight should have; and never did Messire Gawain\ndepart from hostel wherein he had lien, but he first heard mass\nbefore he went if so he might, nor never found he dame nor damsel\ndiscounselled whereof he had not pity, nor did he ever\nchurlishness to other knight, nor said nor thought it, and he\ncame, as you have heard, of the most holy lineage of Josephus and\nthe good King Fisherman.\n\nIX.\n\nThe good knights were in the midst of the assembly, and right\nwrathful was the one against the other, and they held their\nswords naked and their shields on their arms and dealt each other\nhuge buffets right in the midst of the helms. The most part of\nthe knights come to them and tell them that the assembly waiteth\nfor them to come thereunto. They have much pains to part them\nasunder, and then the melly beginneth again on all sides, and the\nevening cometh on that parteth them at last. And on this wise\nthe assembly lasted for two days. The damsel that brought the\nknight on a bier in a coffin, dead, prayed the assembly of all\nthe knights to declare which one of all the knights had done the\nbest, for the knight that she made be carried might not be buried\nuntil such time as he were avenged. And they say that the knight\nof the white shield and the other with the shield sinople and the\ngolden eagle had done better than all the other, but, for that\nthe knight of the white shield had joined in the melly before the\nother, they therefore would give him the prize; but they judged\nthat for the time that Messire Gawain had joined therein he had\nnot done worse than the other knight. The damsel seeketh the\nknight of the white shield among the knights and throughout all\nthe tents, but cannot find him, for already hath he departed.\nShe cometh to Messire Gawain and saith: \"Sir, sith that I find\nnot the knight of the white shield, you are he that behoveth\navenge the knight that lieth dead in the litter.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"Do me not this shame, for it\nhath been declared that the other knight hath better done herein\nthan I.\"\n\nX.\n\n\"Damsel, well you know that no honour should I have thereof, were\nI to emprise to do that whereof you beseech me, ~for you have\nsaid that behoveth none to avenge him, save only that hath borne\nhim best at this assembly, and that is he of the white shield,\nand, so God help me, this have I well felt and proven.\"\n\nXI.\n\nThe damsel well understandeth that Messire Gawain speaketh\nreason.\n\n\"Ha, Sir,\" saith she, \"He hath already departed hence and gone\ninto the forest, and the most divers-seeming knight is he and the\nbest that liveth, and great pains shall I have or ever I find him\nagain.\"\n\n\"The best?\" saith Messire Gawain; \"How know you that?\"\n\n\"I know it well,\" saith she, \"for that in the house of King\nFisherman did the Graal appear unto him for the goodness of his\nknighthood and the goodness of his heart and for the chastity of\nhis body. But he forgat to ask that one should serve thereof,\nwhence hath sore harm befallen the land. He came to the court of\nKing Arthur, where he took a shield that none ought to bear save\nhe alone. Up to this time have I well known his coming and\ngoing, but nought shall I know thereof hereafter for that he hath\nchanged the cognisance of his shield and arms. And now am I\nentered into sore pain and travail to seek him, for I shall not\nhave found him of a long space, and I came not to this assembly\nsave for him alone.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Messire Gawain, \"You have told me tidings such as\nno gladness have I thereof, for I also am seeking him, but I know\nnot how I may ever recognise him, for he willeth not to tell me\nhis name, and too often changeth he his shield, and well I know\nthat so I shall ever come in place where he hath changed his\ncognisance, and he shall come against me and I against him, I\nshall only know him by the buffets that he knoweth how to deal,\nfor never in arms have I made acquaintance with so cruel a\nknight. But again would I suffer sorer blows than I have\nsuffered yet, so only I might be where he is.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the damsel, \"What is your name?\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith he, \"I am called Gawain.\"\n\nWith that he commendeth the damsel to God, and goeth his way in\none direction and the damsel in another, and saith to herself\nthat Perceval is the most marvellous knight of the world, that so\noften he discogniseth himself. For when one seeth him one may\nrecognise him not. Messire Gawain rideth amidst the forest, and\nprayeth the Saviour lead him into such place as that he may find\nPerceval openly, in such sort that he may have his acquaintance\nand his love that so greatly he desireth.",
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