{
  "meta": {
    "schema_version": "1.1",
    "endpoint": "/api/sources/grail-romances/high-history-of-the-holy-graal/26-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxv.json"
  },
  "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": 26,
    "slug": "26-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxv",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXV",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 735,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXV\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nHere the story is silent of Lancelot and the knights that are at\nCardoil, and saith that King Arthur and Messire Gawain are in the\ncastle where the priest told Messire Gawain how he was born. But\nthey cannot depart thence at their will, for Ahuret the Bastard\nthat was brother of Nabigant of the Rock, that Messire Gawain\nslew on account of Meliot of Logres, knoweth well that they are\ntherewithin, and hath assembled his knights and holdeth them\nwithin so strait that they may not depart without sore damage.\nFor he hath on the outer side a full great plenty of knights, and\nthe King and Messire Gawain have with them but only five of the\nforest and the country that are upon their side, and they hold\nthem so strait within that they may not issue out from thence;\nyea, the brother of Nabigant sweareth that they shall not depart\nthence until such time as he shall have taken Messire Gawain, and\ntaken vengeance on his fellow of his brother whom he slew. The\nKing saith to Messire Gawain that he hath much shame of this that\nthey are so long shut up therewithin, and that he better loveth\nto die with honour than to live with shame within the castle. So\nthey issued forth, spears in rest, and Ahuret and his knights,\nwhereof was there great plenty, made much joy thereat.\n\nII.\n\nThe King and Messire Gawain strike among them, and each\noverthroweth his man; but Ahuret hath great shame of this that he\nseeth his knights put to the worse by so few folk. He setteth\nhis spear in rest and smiteth one of King Arthur's knights\nthrough the body and beareth him down dead. Then returneth he to\nMessire Gawain, and buffeteth him so strongly that he pierceth\nhis shield, but he maketh drop his own spear and loseth his\nstirrups, and Messire Gawain waxeth wroth and smiteth him so\ngrimly and with such force that he maketh him bend back over the\nhinder bow of his saddle. But Ahuret was strong and of great\nmight, and leapeth back between the bows and cometh toward King\nArthur that he saw before him, but he knew him not. He left\nMessire Gawain, and the King smiteth him with such a sweep that\nhe cutteth off his arm, spear and all. There was great force of\nknights, so that they ran upon them on all sides; and never would\nthey have departed thence sound and whole, but that thereupon\nMeliot of Logres cometh thither with fifteen knights, for that he\nhad heard tidings of Messire Gawain, how he was besieged in a\ncastle there, where he and King Arthur between them were in such\nplight that they had lost their five knights, so that they were\nnot but only two that defended themselves as best they might, as\nthey that had no thought but to remain there, for the odds of two\nknights against thirty was too great.\n\nIII.\n\nThereupon, behold you, Meliot of Logres with fifteen knights, and\nthey come thither where the King and Messire Gawain are in such\njeopardy, and they strike so stoutly among them that they rescue\nKing Arthur and Messire Gawain from them that had taken them by\nthe bridle, and so slay full as many as ten of them, and put the\nothers to flight, and lead away their lord sore maimed. And\nMessire Gawain giveth Meliot much thanks of the bounty he hath\ndone, whereby he hath saved them their lives; and he giveth him\nthe castle, and is fain that he hold it of him, for in no place\nmight he have better employment, and that well hath he deserved\nit of his service in such need. Meliot thanketh him much, and\nprayeth Messire Gawain instantly that and he shall have need of\nsuccour he will come to aid him, in like manner as he would do by\nhim everywhere. And Messire Gawain telleth him that as of this\nneedeth him not to make prayer, for that he is one of the knights\nof the world that most he ought of right to love. The King and\nMessire Gawain take leave of Meliot, and so depart, and Meliot\ngarnisheth the castle that was right fair and rich and well-\nseated.",
    "project_translation": false,
    "license": null,
    "methodology_url": null
  }
}