Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER XX

CHAPTER XX
How Galahad and his fellows were fed of the Holy Sangreal,
and how Our Lord appeared to them, and other things.

THEN King Pelles and his son departed.  And therewithal
beseemed them that there came a man, and four angels
from heaven, clothed in likeness of a bishop, and had a
cross in his hand; and these four angels bare him up in a
chair, and set him down before the table of silver where
upon the Sangreal was; and it seemed that he had in
midst of his forehead letters the which said:  See ye here
Joseph, the first bishop of Christendom, the same which Our
Lord succoured in the city of Sarras in the spiritual place.
Then the knights marvelled, for that bishop was dead
more than three hundred year to-fore.  O knights, said
he, marvel not, for I was sometime an earthly man.
With that they heard the chamber door open, and there
they saw angels; and two bare candles of wax, and the
third a towel, and the fourth a spear which bled marvellously,
that three drops fell within a box which he held
with his other hand.  And they set the candles upon the
table, and the third the towel upon the vessel, and the
fourth the holy spear even upright upon the vessel.  And
then the bishop made semblaunt as though he would have
gone to the sacring of the mass.  And then he took an
ubblie which was made in likeness of bread.  And at the
lifting up there came a figure in likeness of a child, and
the visage was as red and as bright as any fire, and smote
himself into the bread, so that they all saw it that the
bread was formed of a fleshly man; and then he put it
into the Holy Vessel again, and then he did that longed
to a priest to do to a mass.  And then he went to Galahad
and kissed him, and bade him go and kiss his fellows: and
so he did anon.  Now, said he, servants of Jesu Christ,
ye shall be fed afore this table with sweet meats that never
knights tasted.  And when he had said, he vanished away.
And they set them at the table in great dread, and made
their prayers.

Then looked they and saw a man come out of the
Holy Vessel, that had all the signs of the passion of Jesu
Christ, bleeding all openly, and said:  My knights, and
my servants, and my true children, which be come out of
deadly life into spiritual life, I will now no longer hide me
from you, but ye shall see now a part of my secrets and of
my hidden things: now hold and receive the high meat which
ye have so much desired.  Then took he himself the Holy
Vessel and came to Galahad; and he kneeled down, and
there he received his Saviour, and after him so received all
his fellows; and they thought it so sweet that it was
marvellous to tell.  Then said he to Galahad: Son,
wottest thou what I hold betwixt my hands? Nay, said
he, but if ye will tell me.  This is, said he, the holy dish
wherein I ate the lamb on Sheer-Thursday.  And now hast
thou seen that thou most desired to see, but yet hast thou
not seen it so openly as thou shalt see it in the city of
Sarras in the spiritual place.  Therefore thou must go
hence and bear with thee this Holy Vessel; for this night
it shall depart from the realm of Logris, that it shall never
be seen more here.  And wottest thou wherefore? For
he is not served nor worshipped to his right by them of
this land, for they be turned to evil living; therefore I
shall disherit them of the honour which I have done them.
And therefore go ye three to-morrow unto the sea, where
ye shall find your ship ready, and with you take the sword
with the strange girdles, and no more with you but Sir
Percivale and Sir Bors.  Also I will that ye take with you
of the blood of this spear for to anoint the Maimed King,
both his legs and all his body, and he shall have his health.
Sir, said Galahad, why shall not these other fellows go with
us?  For this cause: for right as I departed my apostles
one here and another there, so I will that ye depart; and
two of you shall die in my service, but one of you shall
come again and tell tidings.  Then gave he them his
blessing and vanished away.