Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER II

CHAPTER II

How Sir Galahad rode with a damosel, and came to the ship
whereas Sir Bors and Sir Percivale were in.

SO she rode as fast as her palfrey might bear her, till that
she came to the sea, the which was called Collibe.  And
at the night they came unto a castle in a valley, closed
with a running water, and with strong walls and high;
and so she entered into the castle with Galahad, and there
had he great cheer, for the lady of that castle was the
damosel's lady.  So when he was unarmed, then said the
damosel:  Madam, shall we abide here all this day?  Nay,
said she, but till he hath dined and till he hath slept a
little.  So he ate and slept a while till that the maid called
him, and armed him by torchlight.  And when the maid
was horsed and he both, the lady took Galahad a fair child
and rich; and so they departed from the castle till they
came to the seaside; and there they found the ship where
Bors and Percivale were in, the which cried on the ship's
board:  Sir Galahad, ye be welcome, we have abiden you
long.  And when he heard them he asked them what they
were.  Sir, said she, leave your horse here, and I shall
leave mine; and took their saddles and their bridles with
them, and made a cross on them, and so entered into the
ship.  And the two knights received them both with great
joy, and everych knew other; and so the wind arose, and
drove them through the sea in a marvellous pace.  And
within a while it dawned.

Then did Galahad off his helm and his sword, and
asked of his fellows from whence came that fair ship.
Truly, said they, ye wot as well as we, but of God's grace;
and then they told everych to other of all their hard
adventures, and of their great temptations.  Truly, said
Galahad, ye are much bounden to God, for ye have escaped
great adventures; and had not the gentlewoman been I
had not come here, for as for you I weened never to have
found you in these strange countries.  Ah Galahad, said
Bors, if Launcelot, your father, were here then were we
well at ease, for then meseemed we failed nothing.  That
may not be, said Galahad, but if it pleased Our Lord.

By then the ship went from the land of Logris, and
by adventure it arrived up betwixt two rocks passing great
and marvellous; but there they might not land, for there
was a swallow of the sea, save there was another ship, and
upon it they might go without danger.  Go we thither,
said the gentlewoman, and there shall we see adventures,
for so is Our Lord's will.  And when they came thither
they found the ship rich enough, but they found neither
man nor woman therein.  But they found in the end of
the ship two fair letters written, which said a dreadful
word and a marvellous:  Thou man, which shall enter
into this ship, beware thou be in steadfast belief, for I am
Faith, and therefore beware how thou enterest, for an
thou fail I shall not help thee.  Then said the gentlewoman:
Percivale, wot ye what I am?  Certes, said he,
nay, to my witting.  Wit ye well, said she, that I am thy
sister, which am daughter of King Pellinore, and therefore
wit ye well ye are the man in the world that I most love;
and if ye be not in perfect belief of Jesu Christ enter not
in no manner of wise, for then should ye perish the ship,
for he is so perfect he will suffer no sinner in him.  When
Percivale understood that she was his very sister he was
inwardly glad, and said:  Fair sister, I shall enter therein,
for if I be a miscreature or an untrue knight there shall I
perish.