Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER XXI

CHAPTER XXI

How Galahad anointed with the blood of the spear the
Maimed King, and of other adventures.

AND Galahad went anon to the spear which lay upon the
table, and touched the blood with his fingers, and came
after to the Maimed King and anointed his legs.  And
therewith he clothed him anon, and start upon his feet out
of his bed as an whole man, and thanked Our Lord that
He had healed him.  And that was not to the worldward,
for anon he yielded him to a place of religion of
white monks, and was a full holy man.  That same night
about midnight came a voice among them which said:
My sons and not my chief sons, my friends and not my
warriors, go ye hence where ye hope best to do and as I
bade you.  Ah, thanked' be Thou, Lord, that Thou wilt
vouchsafe to call us, Thy sinners.  Now may we well
prove that we have not lost our pains.  And anon in
all haste they took their harness and departed.  But the
three knights of Gaul, one of them hight Claudine, King
Claudas' son, and the other two were great gentlemen.
Then prayed Galahad to everych of them, that if they
come to King Arthur's court that they should salute my
lord, Sir Launcelot, my father, and all the fellowship[1] of
the Round Table; and prayed them if that they came on
that part that they should not forget it.

Right so departed Galahad, Percivale and Bors with
him; and so they rode three days, and then they came to
a rivage, and found the ship whereof the tale speaketh of

[1] So W. de Worde; Caxton ``of them.''

to-fore.  And when they came to the board they found in
the midst the table of silver which they had left with the
Maimed King, and the Sangreal which was covered with
red samite.  Then were they glad to have such things in
their fellowship; and so they entered and made great
reverence thereto; and Galahad fell in his prayer long time
to Our Lord, that at what time he asked, that he should
pass out of this world.  So much he prayed till a voice
said to him:  Galahad, thou shalt have thy request; and
when thou askest the death of thy body thou shalt have it,
and then shalt thou find the life of the soul.  Percivale
heard this, and prayed him, of fellowship that was between
them, to tell him wherefore he asked such things.  That
shall I tell you, said Galahad; the other day when we saw
a part of the adventures of the Sangreal I was in such a joy
of heart, that I trow never man was that was earthly.  And
therefore I wot well, when my body is dead my soul shall
be in great joy to see the blessed Trinity every day, and
the majesty of Our Lord, Jesu Christ.

So long were they in the ship that they said to Galahad:
Sir, in this bed ought ye to lie, for so saith the scripture.
And so he laid him down and slept a great while; and
when he awaked he looked afore him and saw the city of
Sarras.  And as they would have landed they saw the ship
wherein Percivale had put his sister in.  Truly, said
Percivale, in the name of God, well hath my sister holden us
covenant.  Then took they out of the ship the table of
silver, and he took it to Percivale and to Bors, to go to-fore,
and Galahad came behind.  And right so they went to the
city, and at the gate of the city they saw an old man
crooked.  Then Galahad called him and bade him help to
bear this heavy thing.  Truly, said the old man, it is ten
year ago that I might not go but with crutches.  Care thou
not, said Galahad, and arise up and shew thy good will.
And so he assayed, and found himself as whole as ever he
was.  Than ran he to the table, and took one part against
Galahad.  And anon arose there great noise in the city,
that a cripple was made whole by knights marvellous that
entered into the city.

Then anon after, the three knights went to the water,
and brought up into the palace Percivale's sister, and buried
her as richly as a king's daughter ought to be.  And when
the king of the city, which was cleped Estorause, saw the
fellowship, he asked them of whence they were, and what
thing it was that they had brought upon the table of silver.
And they told him the truth of the Sangreal, and the power
which that God had sent there.  Then the king was a
tyrant, and was come of the line of paynims, and took them
and put them in prison in a deep hole.