{
  "meta": {
    "schema_version": "1.1",
    "endpoint": "/api/sources/grail-romances/high-history-of-the-holy-graal/24-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxiii.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": 24,
    "slug": "24-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxiii",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXIII",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 795,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXIII\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nOf Perceval the story is here silent, and saith that King Arthur\nand Messire Gawain have taken leave of Perceval and all them of\nthe castle. The King leaveth him the good destrier that he won,\nwith the golden crown. They have ridden, he and Messire Gawain\ntogether, until they are come to a waste ancient castle that\nstood in a forest. The castle would have been right fair and\nrich had any folk wonned therein, but none there were save one\nold priest and his clerk that lived within by their own toil.\nThe King and Messire Gawain lodged there the night, and on the\nmorrow went into a right rich chapel that was therein to hear\nmass, and it was painted all around of right rich colours of gold\nand azure and other colours. The images were right fair that\nwere there painted, and the Figures of them for whom the images\nwere made. The King and Messire Gawain looked at them gladly.\nWhen the mass was said, the priest cometh to them and saith:\n\"Lords,\" saith he, \"These imagings are right fair, and he that\nhad them made is full loyal, and dearly loved the lady and her\nson for whom he had them made. Sir,\" saith the priest, \"It is a\ntrue history.\"\n\n\"Of whom is the history, fair Sir?\" saith King Arthur.\n\n\"Of a worshipful vavasour that owned this hold, and of Messire\nGawain, King Arthur's nephew, and his mother. Sir,\" saith the\npriest, \"Messire Gawain was born there within and held up and\nbaptized, as you may see here imaged, and he was named Gawain for\nthe sake of the lord of this castle that had that name. His\nmother, that had him by King Lot, would not that it should be\nknown. She set him in a right fair coffer, and prayed the good\nman of this castle that he would carry him away and leave him\nwhere he might perish, but and if he would not do so, she would\nmake another do it. This Gawain, that was loyal and would not\nthat the child should be put to death, made seal letters at the\npillow-bere of his cradle that he was of lineage royal on the one\nside and the other, and set therein gold and silver so as that\nthe child might be nurtured in great plenty, and spread above the\nchild a right rich coverlid. He carried him away to a far\ndistant country, and so came one early morning to a little\nhomestead where dwelt a right worshipful man. He delivered the\nchild to him and his wife, and bade them they should keep him and\nnurture him well, and told them that it might be much good should\ncome to them thereof. The vavasour turned him back, and they\ntook charge of the child and nurtured him until that he were\ngrown, and then took him to Rome to the Holy Father, and showed\nhim the sealed letters. The Holy Father saw them and understood\nthat he was the son of a King. He had pity upon him, and gave\nhim to understand that he was of his kindred. After that, he was\nelected to be Emperor of Rome. But he would not be Emperor lest\nhe should be reproached of his birth that had before been\nconcealed from him. He departed thence, and lived afterwards\nwithin yonder. Now is it said that he is one of the best knights\nin the world, insomuch that none durst take possession of this\ncastle for dread of him, nor of this great forest that lieth\nround about it. For, when the vavasour that dwelt here was dead,\nhe left to Messire Gawain, his foster-son, this castle, and made\nme guardian thereof until such time as Messire Gawain should\nreturn.\"\n\nII.\n\nThe King looketh at Messire Gawain, and seeth him stoop his head\ntoward the ground for shame.\n\n\"Fair nephew, be not ashamed, for as well might you reproach me\nof the same. Of your birth hath there been great joy, and dearly\nought one to love the place and honour it, where so good a knight\nas are you was born.\"\n\nWhen the priest understood that it was Messire Gawain, he made\ngreat cheer to him, and was all ashamed of that he had recorded\nas concerning his birth. But he saith to him: \"Sir, small blame\nought you to have herein, for you were confirmed in the law that\nGod hath established and in loyalty of marriage of King Lot and\nyour mother. This thing King Arthur well knoweth, and our Lord\nGod be praised for that, you have come hither!\"",
    "project_translation": false,
    "license": null,
    "methodology_url": null
  }
}