Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIV CHAPTER VII

CHAPTER VII

Of the vision that Sir Percivale saw, and how his vision
was expounded, and of his lion.

THEN came forth the other lady that rode upon the
serpent, and she said:  Sir Percivale, I complain me of
you that ye have done unto me, and have not offended
unto you.  Certes, madam, he said, unto you nor no lady
I never offended.  Yes, said she, I shall tell you why.  I
have nourished in this place a great while a serpent, which
served me a great while, and yesterday ye slew him as he
gat his prey.  Say me for what cause ye slew him, for the
lion was not yours.  Madam, said Sir Percivale, I know
well the lion was not mine, but I did it for the lion is of
more gentler nature than the serpent, and therefore I slew
him; meseemeth I did not amiss against you.  Madam,
said he, what would ye that I did?  I would, said she,
for the amends of my beast that ye become my man.
And then he answered:  That will I not grant you.  No,
said she, truly ye were never but my servant sin ye
received the homage of Our Lord Jesu Christ.  Therefore,
I ensure you in what place I may find you without keeping
I shall take you, as he that sometime was my man.  And
so she departed from Sir Percivale and left him sleeping,
the which was sore travailed of his advision.  And on
the morn he arose and blessed him, and he was passing
feeble.

Then was Sir Percivale ware in the sea, and saw a
ship come sailing toward him; and Sir Percivale went
unto the ship and found it covered within and without
with white samite.  And at the board stood an old man
clothed in a surplice, in likeness of a priest.  Sir, said Sir
Percivale, ye be welcome.  God keep you, said the good
man.  Sir, said the old man, of whence be ye?  Sir, said
Sir Percivale, I am of King Arthur's court, and a knight
of the Table Round, the which am in the quest of the
Sangreal; and here am I in great duresse, and never like
to escape out of this wilderness.  Doubt not, said the
good man, an ye be so true a knight as the order of
chivalry requireth, and of heart as ye ought to be, ye
should not doubt that none enemy should slay you.
What are ye? said Sir Percivale.  Sir, said the old man,
I am of a strange country, and hither I come to comfort
you.

Sir, said Sir Percivale, what signifieth my dream that
I dreamed this night?  And there he told him altogether:
She which rode upon the lion betokeneth the new law of
holy church, that is to understand, faith, good hope, belief,
and baptism.  For she seemed younger than the other it
is great reason, for she was born in the resurrection and
the passion of Our Lord Jesu Christ.  And for great love
she came to thee to warn thee of thy great battle that shall
befall thee.  With whom, said Sir Percivale, shall I fight?
With the most champion of the world, said the old man;
for as the lady said, but if thou quit thee well thou shalt
not be quit by losing of one member, but thou shalt be
shamed to the world's end.  And she that rode on the
serpent signifieth the old law, and that serpent betokeneth
a fiend.  And why she blamed thee that thou slewest her
servant, it betokeneth nothing; the serpent that thou
slewest betokeneth the devil that thou rodest upon to the
rock.  And when thou madest a sign of the cross, there
thou slewest him, and put away his power.  And when
she asked thee amends and to become her man, and thou
saidst thou wouldst not, that was to make thee to believe
on her and leave thy baptism.  So he commanded Sir
Percivale to depart, and so he leapt over the board and
the ship, and all went away he wist not whither.  Then
he went up unto the rock and found the lion which always
kept him fellowship, and he stroked him upon the back
and had great joy of him.