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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/"
    }
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  "chapter": {
    "num": 29,
    "slug": "29-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxviii",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXVIII",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 2120,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXVIII\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nThis story saith that Briant would have been wroth with a will\nagainst Orguelleux of the Launde, had it not been for the King,\nand Orguelleux against him, for Orguelleux heeded no danger when\nanger and ill-will carried him away. Therewithal the talk came\nto an end. When the King learnt the tidings that Madeglant was\ndiscomfited and that the land of Albanie was in peace, he sent\nword to Lancelot to return back. They of the land were very\nsorrowful when he departed, for great affiance had they in his\nchivalry. So he came back thither where King Arthur was. All\nthey of the land made a great joy, for well loved was he of many,\nnor were there none that hated him save of envy alone. They told\nhim the tidings of King Claudas, and also in what manner Briant\nhad spoken. Lancelot took no notice outwardly, as he that well\nknew how to redress all his grievances. He was at the court of a\nlong while, for that King Claudas was about to send over thither\nsome one of his knights. Briant of the Isles would fain that the\nKing should have given him his leave, for more he hated him than\never another knight in the court, sith he it was that many a time\nhad harmed him more than any other. By Briant's counsel, King\nClaudas sent his knight to King Arthur's court, wherein did he\nnot wisely, for that he thereby renewed a matter whereof\nafterward came right great mischief, as this title witnesseth.\n\nII.\n\nMadeglant of Oriande heard say that Lancelot was repaired back,\nand that the land of Albanie was all void save for the folk of\nthe country. He maketh ready his navy at once and cometh back to\nthe land in great force. He burneth the land and layeth it waste\non every side, and doth far worse therein than he did aforetime.\nThey of the land sent over to King Arthur and told him of their\nevil plight, warning him that, and he send them not succour\nbetimes, they will leave the land and yield up the castles, for\nthat they might not hold them longer. He took counsel, the King\nwith his knights, whom he might send thither, and they said that\nLancelot had already been there and that now another knight\nshould be sent thither. The King sent thither Briant of the\nIsles, and lent him forty knights. Briant, that loved not the\nKing in his heart, came into the land, but only made pretence of\nhelping him to defend it. One day fell out a battle betwixt\nMadeglant and Briant and all their men. Briant was discomfited,\nand had many of his knights killed. Madeglant and his people\nspread themselves over the land and laid the towns in ruins and\ndestroyed the castles, that were disgarnished, and put to death\nall them that would not believe in their gods, and cut off their\nheads.\n\nIII.\n\nAll they of the land and country longed with sorrow for Lancelot,\nand said that had he remained there, the land would not have been\nthus destroyed, nor might they never have protection of no knight\nbut of him alone. Briant of the Isles returned back, as he that\nwould the war against King Arthur should increase on every side,\nfor, what good soever the King may do him, he loveth him not, nor\nnever will so long as he is on live. But no semblant thereof\ndurst he show, for, sith that the best of his knights had been\nslain in the battle, so had he no power on his side, as against\nLancelot and the good knights of his fellowship, whereof he would\nfain that there had been not one.\n\nIV.\n\nKing Arthur was at Cardoil on one day of Whitsuntide. Many were\nthe knights that were come to this court whereof I tell you. The\nKing was seated at meat, and the day was fair and clear, and the\nair clean and fresh. Sagramors li Desirous and Lucan the Butler\nserved before the King. And what time they had served of the\nfirst meats, therewithal behold you, a quarrel, like as it had\nbeen shot from a cross-bow, and striketh in the column of the\nhall before the King so passing strong that there was not a\nknight in the hall but heard it when it struck therein. They all\nlooked thereat in great wonderment. The quarrel was like as it\nwere of gold, and it had about it a many costly precious stones.\nThe King saith that quarrel so costly cometh not from a poor\nplace. Lancelot and Messire Gawain say that never have they seen\none so rich. It struck so deep in the column that the iron point\nthereof might not be seen, and a good part of the shaft was also\nhidden. Thereupon, behold you, a damsel of surpassing great\nbeauty that cometh, sitting on a right costly mule, full well\ncaparisoned. She had a gilded bridle and gilded saddle, and was\nclad in a right rich cloth of silk. A squire followed after her\nthat drove her mule from behind. She came before King Arthur as\nstraight as she might, and saluted him right worshipfully, and he\nmade answer the best he might.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"I am come to speak and demand a boon, nor will\nI never alight until such time as you shall have granted it to\nme. For such is my custom, and for this am I come to your court,\nwhereof I have heard such tidings and such witness in many places\nwhere I have been, that I know you will not deny me herein.\"\n\nV.\n\n\"Damsel, tell me what boon you would have of me?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"I would fain pray and beseech you that you bid\nthe knight that may draw forth this quarrel from this column go\nthither where there is sore need of him.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"Tell me the need.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"I will tell it you plainly when I shall see\nthe knight that shall have drawn it forth.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"Alight! Never, please God, shall you\ngo forth of my court denied of that you ask.\"\n\nLucan the Butler taketh her between his arms and setteth her to\nthe ground, and her mule is led away to be stabled. When the\ndamsel had washen, she was set in a seat beside Messire Ywain,\nthat showed her much honour and served her with a good will. He\nlooked at her from time to time, for she was fair and gentle and\nof good countenance. When they had eaten at the tables, the\ndamsel prayeth the King that he will hasten them to do her\nbusiness.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"Many a good knight is there within yonder, and\nright glad may he be that shall draw it forth, for I tell you a\nright good knight is he, sith that none may achieve this business\nsave he alone.\"\n\n\"Fair nephew,\" saith the King, \"Now set your hand to this quarrel\nand give it back to the damsel.\"\n\n\"Ha, sir,\" saith he, \"Do me not shame! By the faith that I owe\nyou, I will not set my hand forward herein this day, nor ought\nyou to be wroth hereof. Behold, here have you Lancelot with you,\nand so many other good knights, that little worship should I have\nherein were I to set myself forward before them.\"\n\n\"Messire Ywain,\" saith the King, \"Set your hand hereto! It may\nbe that you think too humbly of yourself herein.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Messire Ywain, \"Nought is there in the world that I\nwould not do for you, but as for this matter I pray you hold me\nexcused.\"\n\n\"Sagramors, and you, Orguelleux of the Launde, what will you do?\"\nsaith the King.\n\n\"Sir,\" say they, \"When Lancelot hath made assay, we will do your\npleasure, but before him, so please you, we will not go.\"\n\nVI.\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith the King, \"Pray Lancelot that he be fain to set\nhis hand, and then the rest shall go after him if needs be.\"\n\n\"Lancelot,\" saith the damsel, \"By the thing that most you love,\nmake not mine errand bootless, but set your hand to the quarrel\nand then will the others do that they ought of right to do. For\nno leisure have I to tarry here long time.\"\n\n\"Damsel,\" saith Lancelot, \"Ill do you, and a sin, to conjure me\nfor nought, for so many good knights be here within, that I\nshould be held for a fool and a braggart and I put myself forward\nbefore all other.\"\n\n\"By my head,\" saith the King, \"Not so! Rather will you be held\nas a knight courteous and wise and good, as now you ought to be,\nand great worship will it be to yourself and you may draw forth\nthe quarrel, and great courtesy will it be to aid the damsel.\nWherefore I require you, of the faith you owe me, that you set\nyour hand thereto, sith that the damsel prayeth you so to do,\nbefore the others.\"\n\nVII.\n\nLancelot hath no mind to disobey the King's commandment; and he\nremembered that the damsel had conjured him by the thing that\nmost he loved; nor was there nought in the world that he loved so\nmuch as the Queen, albeit she were dead, nor never thought he of\nnone other thing save her alone. Then standeth he straight\nupright, doth off his robe, and cometh straight to the quarrel\nthat is fixed in the column. He setteth his hand thereunto and\ndraweth it forth with a right passing strong wrench, so sturdily\nthat he maketh the column tremble. Then he giveth it to the\ndamsel.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she to King Arthur, \"Now is it my devoir to tell you\nplainly of my errand; nor might none of the knights here within\nhave drawn forth the quarrel save only he; and you held me in\ncovenant how he that should draw it forth should do that which I\nshall require of him, and that he might do it, nor will I pray\nnor require of him nought that is not reason. Needs must he go\nto the Chapel Perilous the swiftest he may, and there will he\nfind a knight that lieth shrouded in the midst of the chapel. He\nwill take of the cloth wherein he is shrouded and a sword that\nlieth at his side in the coffin, and will take them to the Castle\nPerilous; and when he shall there have been, he shall return to\nthe castle where he slew the lion in the cavern wherein are the\ntwo griffons, and the head of one of them shall he take and bring\nto me at Castle Perilous, for a knight there lieth sick that may\nnot otherwise be healed.\"\n\nVIII.\n\n\"Damsel.\" saith Lancelot, \"I see that you reckon but little of my\nlife, so only that your wish be accomplished.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith she, \"I know as well as you what the enterprise is,\nnor do I no whit desire your death, for, and were you dead, never\nwould the knight be whole for whose sake you undertake it. And\nyou will see the fairest damsel that is in any kingdom, and the\none that most desireth to see you. And, so you tarry not,\nthrough her shall you lightly get done that you have to do. See\nnow that you delay it not, but do that is needful swiftly sith\nthat it hath been laid upon you, for the longer you tarry, the\ngreater will be the hazard of mischance befalling you.\"\n\nThe damsel departeth from the court and taketh her leave and\ngoeth her way back as fast as she may, and saith to herself:\n\"Lancelot, albeit you have these pains and this travail for me,\nyet would I not your death herein, but of right ought I to\nrejoice in your tribulation, for into two of the most perilous\nplaces in the world are you going. Greatly ought I to hate you,\nfor you reft me of my friend and gave him to another, and while I\nlive may I never forget it.\"\n\nThe damsel goeth her way, and Lancelot departeth from the court\nand taketh leave of the King and of all the others. He issueth\nforth of Cardoil, all armed, and entereth into the forest that is\ndeep, and so goeth forth a great pace, and prayeth God guide him\ninto safety.",
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