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    "slug": "high-history-of-the-holy-graal",
    "name": "High History of the Holy Graal"
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      "name": "Holy Grail Romances",
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 15,
    "slug": "15-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xiv",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XIV",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 2769,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XIV\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nHerewithal the story is silent of Messire Gawain, and saith that\nLancelot seeketh Perceval in like manner as did Messire Gawain,\nand rideth until that he cometh to the hermitage where he hanged\nthe thieves. Joseus made right great joy of him. He asked him\nwhether he knew any tidings of the son of the Widow Lady.\n\n\"I have seen him sithence that he came from King Arthur's court\nbut once only, and whither he is gone I know not.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Lancelot, \"I would see him right fain. King Arthur\nsendeth for him by me.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the hermit, \"I know not when I may see him again,\nfor when once he departeth hence he is not easy to find.\"\n\nLancelot entereth the chapel with the hermit, and seeth the\nshield that Perceval brought from King Arthur's court beside the\naltar.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Lancelot, \"I see his shield yonder. Hide him not\nfrom me.\"\n\n\"I will not do so,\" saith the hermit. \"This shield, truly, is\nhis, but he took with him another from hence, of gold with a\ngreen cross.\"\n\n\"And know you no tidings of Messire Gawain?\"\n\n\"I have not seen Messire Gawain sithence tofore I entered into\nthis hermitage. But you have fallen into sore hatred on account\nof the four robbers that were knights whom you hanged. For their\nkinsmen are searching for you in this forest and in other, and\nare thieves like as were the others, and they have their hold in\nthis forest, wherein they bestow their robberies and plunder.\nWherefore I pray you greatly be on your guard against them.\"\n\n\"So will I,\" saith Lancelot, \"please God.\"\n\nHe lay the night in the hermitage, and departeth on the morrow\nafter that he hath heard mass and prayeth God grant he may find\nPerceval or Messire Gawain. He goeth his way amidst the strange\nforests until that he cometh to a strong castle that was builded\nright seemly. He Looketh before him and seeth a knight that was\nissued thereout, and was riding a great pace on a strong\ndestrier, and carded a bird on his fist toward the forest.\n\nII.\n\nWhen he saw Lancelot coming he drew up. \"Sir,\" saith he, \"Be\nwelcome.\"\n\n\"Good adventure to you,\" saith Lancelot. \"What castle is this?\"\n\n\"Sir, it is the Castle of the Golden Circlet. And I go to meet\nthe knights and dames that come to the castle, for this day is\nthe day ordained for the adoration of the Golden Circlet.\"\n\n\"What is the Golden Circlet?\" saith Lancelot.\n\n\"Sir, it is the Crown of Thorns,\" saith the knight, \"that the\nSaviour of the world had on His head when He was set upon the\nRood. Wherefore the Queen of this castle hath set it in gold and\nprecious stones in such sort that the knights and dames of this\nkingdom come to behold it once in the year. But it is said that\nthe knight that was first at the Graal shall conquer it, and\ntherefore is no strange knight allowed to enter. But, so please\nyou, I will lead you to mine own hold that is in this forest.\"\n\n\"Right great thanks,\" saith Lancelot, \"But as yet it is not time\nto take lodging.\"\n\nHe taketh leave of the knight, and so departeth and looketh at\nthe castle, and saith that in right great worship should the\nknight be held that by the valour of his chivalry shall conquer\nso noble a hallow as is the Golden Circlet when it is kept safe\nin a place so strong. He goeth his way right amidst the forest,\nand looketh forth before him and seeth coming the damsel that\nhath the knight carried in the litter for the dead.\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Lancelot, \"Be welcome.\"\n\n\"Sir, God give you good adventure! Sir,\" saith the damsel,\n\"Greatly ought I to hate the knight that slew this knight, for\nthat he hath forced me thus to lead him in this wise by fell and\nforest. So also ought I to mislike me much of the knight that it\nstandeth upon to avenge him, whom I may not find.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Lancelot, \"Who slew this knight?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"The Lord of the Burning Dragon.\"\n\n\"And who ought of right to avenge him?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"The knight that was in the Red Launde at the\nassembly, that jousted with Messire Gawain, and had the prize of\nthe tournament.\"\n\n\"Did he better than Messire Gawain?\" saith Lancelot.\n\n\"Sir, so did they adjudge him; for that he was a longer time in\nthe assembly.\"\n\n\"A good knight was he, then,\" saith Lancelot, \"sith that he did\nbetter than Messire Gawain!\"\n\n\"By my head,\" saith the damsel, \"You say true, for he is the Best\nKnight of the World.\"\n\n\"And what shield beareth he?\" saith Lancelot.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the damsel, \"At the assembly he bore white arms, but\nbefore that, he had arms of another semblance, and one shield\nthat he had was green, and one gold with a green cross.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith he, \"Did Messire Gawain know him?\"\n\n\"Sir, not at all, whereof is he right sorrowful.\"\n\n\"Is he, then,\" saith he, \"Perceval, the son of the Widow Lady?\"\n\n\"By my head, you say true!\"\n\n\"Ha, God!\" saith Lancelot, \"the more am I mazed how Messire\nGawain knew him not. Damsel,\" saith he, \"And know you\nwhitherward they are gone?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"I know not whither, nor have I any tidings,\nneither or the one nor the other.\"\n\nHe departeth from the damsel and rideth until the sun was set.\nHe found the rocks darkling and the forest right deep and\nperilous of seeming. He rode on, troubled in thought, and weary\nand full of vexation. Many a time Looketh he to right and to\nleft, and he may see any place where he may lodge. A dwarf\nespied him, but Lancelot saw him not. The dwarf goeth right\nalong a by-way that is in the forest, and goeth to a little hold\nof robber-knights that lay out of the way, where was a damsel\nthat kept watch over the hold. The robbers had another hold\nwhere was the damsel where the passing knights are deceived and\nentrapped. The dwarf cometh forthright to the damsel, and saith:\n\"Now shall we see what you will do, for see, here cometh the\nknight that hanged your uncle grid your three cousins german.\"\n\n\"Now shall I have the best of him,\" saith she, \"as for mine own\nshare in this matter, but take heed that you be garnished ready\nto boot.\"\n\n\"By my head,\" saith the dwarf, \"that will I, for, please God, he\nshall not escape us again, save he be dead.\"\n\nThe damsel was of passing great beauty and was clad right\nseemingly, but right treacherous was she of heart, nor no marvel\nwas it thereof, for she came of the lineage of robbers and was\nnurtured on theft and robbery, and she herself had helped to\nmurder many a knight. She is come upon the way, so that Lancelot\nhath to pass her, without her kerchief. She meeteth Lancelot and\nsaluteth him and maketh him right great joy, of semblant.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Follow this path that goeth into the forest,\nand you will find a hold that my forefathers stablished for\nharbouring of such knights as might be passing through the\nforest. The night is dark already, and if you pass on further no\nhold will you find nearer than a score leagues Welsh.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Lancelot, \"Gramercy heartily of this that it\npleaseth you to say, for right gladly will I harbour me here, for\nit is more than time to take lodging, and with you more willingly\nthan another.\"\n\nIII.\n\nOn this wise they go their way talking, as far as the hold.\nThere was none therewithin save only the dwarf, for the five\nrobber knights were in their hold at the lower end of the forest.\nThe dwarf took Lancelot's horse, and stabled him, then went up\ninto the hall above, and gave himself up wholly to serving him.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith the damsel, \"Allow yourself to be disarmed, and have\nfull assurance of safety.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith he, \"Small trouble is it for me to wear mine\narms, and lightly may I abide it.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Please God, you shall nor lie armed within\nyonder. Never yet did knight so that harboured therein.\"\n\nBut the more the damsel presseth him to disarm, the more it\nmisliketh him, for the place seemeth him right dark and\nfoul-seeming, wherefore will he not disarm nor disgarnish\nhimself.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Meseemeth you are suspicious of something, but\nno call have you to misdoubt of aught here within, for the place\nis quite safe. I know not whether you have enemies?\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Lancelot, \"Never yet knew I knight that was loved\nof everybody, yet sometimes might none tell the reason thereof.\"\n\nIV.\n\nLancelot, so saith the story, would not disarm him, wherefore he\nmade the table be set, and sate thereat beside the damsel at\nmeat. He made his shield and his helmet and spear be brought\ninto the hall. He leant back upon a rich couch that was\ntherewithin, with his sword by his side, all armed. He was weary\nand the bed was soft, so he went to sleep. Howbeit, the dwarf\nmounteth on his horse that he had left still saddled, and goeth\nhis way to the other hold where the robbers were, all five, that\nwere Lancelot's mortal enemies. The damsel remained all alone\nwith him that she hated of a right deadly hate. She thought to\nherself that gladly would she slay him, and that, so she might\ncompass it, she would be thereof held in greater worship of all\nthe world, for well she knew that he was a good knight, and that\none so good she had never slain. She filched away the sword that\nwas at his side, then drew it from the scabbard, then looketh to\nsee where she may lightliest smite him to slay him. She seeth\nthat his head is so covered of armour that nought appeareth\nthereof save only the face, and she bethinketh her that one\nstroke nor two on the helmet would scarce hurt him greatly, but\nthat and she might lift the skirt of his habergeon without\nawakening him she might well slay him, for so might she thrust\nthe sword right through his heart. Meanwhile, as she was\nsearching thus, Lancelot, that was sleeping and took no heed\nthereof, saw, so it seemed him, a little cur-dog come\ntherewithin, and brought with him sundry great mongrel ban-dogs\nthat ran upon him on all sides, and the little cur bit at him\nlikewise among the others. The ban-dogs held him so fast that he\nmight not get away from them. He seeth that a greyhound bitch\nhad hold of his sword, and she had hands like a woman, and was\nfain to slay him. And it seemed him that he snatched the sword\nfrom her and slew the greyhound bitch and the biggest and most\nmasterful of the ban-dogs and the little cur. He was scared of\nthe dream and started up and awoke, and felt the scabbard of his\nsword by his side, that the damsel had left there all empty, the\nwhich he perceived not, and soon thereafter he fell on sleep\nagain. The dwarf that had stolen his horse cometh to the robber\nknights, and crieth to them, \"Up, Sirs, and haste you to come and\navenge you of your mortal enemy that sent the best of your\nkindred out of the world with such shame! See, here is his horse\nthat I bring you for a token!\" He alighteth of the horse, and\ngiveth him up to them. Right joyous are the robbers of the\ntidings he telleth them. The dwarf bringeth them all armed to\nthe hold.\n\nV.\n\nLancelot was awake, all scared of the dream he had dreamed. He\nseeth them enter within all armed, and the damsel crieth to them:\n\"Now will it appear,\" saith she, \"what you will do!\"\n\nLancelot hath leapt up, thinking to take his sword, but findeth\nthe scabbard all empty. The damsel that held the sword was the\nfirst of all to run upon him, and the five knights and the dwarf\nset upon him from every side. He perceived that it was his own\nsword the damsel held, the one he prized above all other. He\ntaketh his lance that was at his bed's head and cometh toward the\nmaster of the knights at a great sweep, and smiteth him so\nfiercely that he thrusteth him right through the body so that the\nlance passeth a fathom beyond, and beareth him to the ground\ndead. His spear broke as he drew it back. He runneth to the\ndamsel that held the sword, and wresteth it forth of her hands\nand holdeth it fast with his arm right against his flank and\ngrippeth it to him right strait; albeit she would fain snatch it\nagain from him by force, whereat Lancelot much marvelled. He\nswingeth it above him, and the four knights come back upon him.\nHe thinketh to smite one with the sword, when the damsel leapeth\nin between them, thinking to hold Lancelot fast, and thereby the\nblow that should have fallen on one of the knights caught the\ndamsel right through the head and slew her, whereof he was right\nsorrowful, howsoever she might have wrought against him.\n\nVI.\n\nWhen the four knights saw the damsel dead, right grieved were\nthey thereof. And the dwarf crieth out to them: \"Lords, now\nshall it be seen how you will avenge the sore mischief done you.\nSo help me God, great shame may you have and you cannot conquer a\nsingle knight.\"\n\nThey run upon him again on all sides, but maugre all their heads\nhe goeth thither where he thinketh to find his horse; but him\nfindeth he not. Thereby well knoweth he that the dwarf hath made\naway with him, wherefore he redoubled his hardiment and his wrath\nwaxed more and more. And the knights were not to be lightly\napaid when they saw their lord dead and the damsel that was their\ncousin. Sore buffets they dealt him of their swords the while he\ndefended himself as best he might. He caught the dwarf that was\nedging them on to do him hurt, and clave him as far as the\nshoulders, and wounded two of the knights right badly, and he\nhimself was hurt in two places; but he might not depart from the\nhouse, nor was his horse there within, nor was there but a single\nentrance into the hall. The knights set themselves without the\ndoor and guard the issue, and Lancelot was within with them that\nwere dead. He sate himself down at the top of the hall to rest\nhim, for he was sore spent with the blows he had given and\nreceived. When he had rested himself awhile, he riseth to his\nfeet and seeth that they have sate them down in the entrance to\nthe hall. He mounteth up to the windows and flingeth them down\nthem that were dead within through the windows. Just then the\nday appeared, fair and clear, and the birds began to sing amidst\nthe forest, whereof the hall was overshadowed. He maketh fast\nthe door of the hall and barreth it and shutteth the knights\nwithout; and they say one to the other and swear it, that they\nwill not depart thence until they have taken him or famished him\nto death. Little had Lancelot recked of their threats and he\nmight have had his horse at will, but he was not so sure of his\nstroke afoot as a-horseback, as no knight never is. Him thinketh\nhe may well abide the siege as long as God shall please, for the\nhall was well garnished of meat in right great joints. He is\nthere within all alone, and the four knights without that keep\nwatch that he goeth not, but neither wish nor will hath he to go\nforth afoot; but, and he had had his horse, the great hardiment\nthat he hath in him would have made that he should go forth\nhonourably, howsoever they without might have taken it and what\ngrievance soever they might have had thereof.",
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