{
  "meta": {
    "schema_version": "1.1",
    "endpoint": "/api/sources/grail-romances/high-history-of-the-holy-graal/35-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxxiv.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": 35,
    "slug": "35-the-high-history-of-the-holy-graal-branch-xxxiv",
    "title": "The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXXIV",
    "of": 36,
    "words": 1536,
    "text": "## The High History of the Holy Graal: Branch XXXIV\n\n\nTITLE I.\n\nHereupon the story is silent of Messire Gawain and Meliot and\nspeaketh of King Claudas that hath assembled a great folk by the\ncounsel of Briant of the Isles to come into the land of King\nArthur, for he knoweth that it is disgarnished of the good\nknights that wont there to be, and he knoweth all the secret\nplottings of the court and what power King Arthur hath withal.\nHe draweth toward his land the nighest he may, and hath won back\nthe kingdom of Oriande all at his will. But they of Albanie\nstill hold against him and challenge the land the best they may.\nTidings thereof come to the court of King Arthur, and they of the\ncountry sent him word that so he send them not succour betimes\nthey will yield up the land to King Claudas, and oftentimes they\nlong after Lancelot, and say that so they had a defender like\nhim, the islands would be all at peace. The King sent Briant of\nthe Isles thither many times, that ever incontinent returned\nthence discomfit, but never sent he thither him that should have\npower to protect the land against King Claudas. King Arthur was\nsore troubled, for no witting had he of Messire Gawain nor\nMessire Ywain nor of others whereby his court had use of right to\nbe feared and dreaded and of high renown throughout all other\nkingdoms. The King was one day in the hall at Cardoil, right\nheavy; and he was at one of the windows, and remembered him of\nthe Queen and of his good knights that he wont to see oftener at\ncourt, whereof the more part were dead, and of the adventures\nthat wont to befall therein whereof they saw none no longer.\nLucan the Butler seeth him right heavy and draweth nigh unto him\nquietly.\n\nII.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith he, \"Meseemeth you are without joy.\"\n\n\"Lucan,\" said the King, \"Joy hath been somewhat far from me\nsithence that the Queen hath been dead, and Gawain and the other\nknights have held aloof from my court so that they deign come\nhither no longer. Moreover, King Claudas warreth upon me and\nconquereth my lands so that no power have I to rescue me for\ndefault of my knights.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Lucan, \"Herein is there nought whereof you have\nright to accuse any save yourself alone. For you have done evil\nunto him that hath served you, and good unto them that are\ntraitors to you. You have one of the best knights in the world\nand the most loyal in your prison, wherefore all the other hold\nthem aloof from your court. Lancelot had served you well by his\ngood will and by his good knighthood, nor never had he done you\nany disservice whereof you might in justice have done him such\nshame; nor never will your enemies withhold them from you nor\nhave dread of you save only through him and other your good\nknights. And know of a truth that Lancelot and Messire Gawain\nare the best of your court.\"\n\n\"Lucan,\" saith King Arthur, \"So thought I ever again to have\naffiance in him, I would make him be set forth of my prison, for\nwell I know that I have wrought discourteously toward him; and\nLancelot is of a great heart, wherefore would he not slacken of\nhis despite for that which hath been done unto him until such\ntime as he should be avenged thereof, for no king is there in the\nworld, how puissant soever he be, against whom he durst not well\nmaintain his right.\"\n\nIII.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Lucan, \"Lancelot well knoweth that and you had taken\nno counsel but your own, he would not have been thus entreated,\nand I dare well say that never so long as he liveth will he misdo\nin aught towards you, for he hath in him much valour and loyalty,\nas many a time have you had good cause to know. Wherefore, and\nyou would fain have aid and succour and hold your realm again,\nbehoveth you set him forth of the prison, or otherwise never will\nyou succeed herein, and, if you do not so, you will lose your\nland by treason.\"\n\nThe King held by the counsel of Lucan the Butler. He made bring\nLancelot before him into the midst of the hall, that was somewhat\nmade ean of his being in prison, but he bore him as he wont, nor\nmight none look at him to whom he seemed not to be good knight.\n\"Lancelot,\" saith the King, \"How is it with you?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith he, \"It hath been ill with me long time, but, please\nGod, it shall be better hereafter.\"\n\n\"Lancelot,\" saith the King, \"I repent me of this that I have done\nto you, and I have bethought me much of the good services I have\nfound in you, wherefore I will do you amends thereof at your\nwill, in such sort as that the love between us shall be whole as\nit was tofore.\"\n\nIV.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Lancelot, \"Your amends love I much, and your love\nmore than of any other; but never, please God, will I misdo you\nfor aught that you may have done to me, for it is well known that\nI have not been in prison for no treason I have done, nor for no\nfolly, but only for that it was your will. Never will it be\nreproached me as of shame, and, sith that you have done me nought\nwhereof I may have blame nor reproach, my devoir it is to\nwithhold me from hating you; for you are my lord, and if that you\ndo me ill, without flattery of myself the ill you do me is your\nown; but, please God, whatsoever you have done me, never shall my\naid fail you, rather, everywhere will I set my body in adventure\nfor your love, in like sort as I have done many a time.\"\n\nV.\n\nIn the court of King Arthur was right great joy of the most part\nwhen they heard that Lancelot was set forth of prison, but not a\nwhit rejoiced were Briant and his folk. The King commanded that\nLancelot should be well cared for and made whole again, and that\nall should be at his commandment. The court was all overjoyed\nthereof, and they said: now at last might the King make war in\ngood assurance. Lancelot was foremost in the King's court and\nmore redoubted than was ever another of the knights. Briant of\nthe Isles came one day before the King.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith he, \"Behold, here is Lancelot that wounded me in\nyour service, wherefore I will that he know I am his enemy.\"\n\n\"Briant,\" saith Lancelot, \"And if that you deserved it tofore,\nwell may you be sorry thereof, and sith that you wish to be mine\nenemy, your friend will I not be. For well may I deem of your\nlove according as I have found it in you.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Briant to the King, \"You are my lord, and I am one\nyou are bound to protect. You know well that so rich am I in\nlands and so puissant in friends that I may well despise mine\nenemy, nor will I not remain at your court so long as Lancelot is\ntherein. Say not that I depart thence with any shame as toward\nmyself. Rather thus go I hence as one that will gladly avenge\nme, so I have place and freedom, and I see plainly and know that\nyou and your court love him far better than you love me,\nwherefore behoveth me take thought thereof.\"\n\n\"Briant,\" saith the King, \"Remain as yet, and I will make amends\nfor you to Lancelot, and I myself will make amends for him to\nyou.\"\n\nVI.\n\n\"Sir,\" saith Briant, \"By the faith that I owe to you, none amends\nwill I have of him nor other until such time as I have drawn as\nmuch blood of his body as did he of mine, and I will well that he\nknow it.\"\n\nWith that Briant departeth from the court all wrathful, but if\nthat Lancelot had not feared to anger the King, Briant would not\nhave ridden a league English or ever he had followed and forced\nhim to fight. Briant goeth toward the Castle of the Hard Rock,\nand saith that better would it have been for the King that\nLancelot were still in prison, for that such a plea will he move\nagainst him and he may bring it to bear, as that he shall lose\nthereof the best parcel of his land. He is gone into the land of\nKing Claudas, and saith that now at last hath he need of his aid,\nfor Lancelot is issued forth of the King's prison and is better\nloved at court than all other, so that the King believeth in no\ncounsel save his only. King Claudas sweareth unto him and maketh\npledge that never will he fail him, and Briant to him again.",
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    "license": null,
    "methodology_url": null
  }
}