Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER XXII

CHAPTER XXII

How they were fed with the Sangreal while they were in
prison, and how Galahad was made king.

BUT as soon as they were there Our Lord sent them the
Sangreal, through whose grace they were always fulfilled
while that they were in prison.  So at the year's end it
befell that this King Estorause lay sick, and felt that he
should die.  Then he sent for the three knights, and they
came afore him; and he cried them mercy of that he had
done to them, and they forgave it him goodly; and he died
anon.  When the king was dead all the city was dismayed,
and wist not who might be their king.  Right so as they
were in counsel there came a voice among them, and bade
them choose the youngest knight of them three to be their
king:  For he shall well maintain you and all yours.  So
they made Galahad king by all the assent of the holy city,
and else they would have slain him.  And when he was
come to behold the land, he let make above the table of
silver a chest of gold and of precious stones, that hilled the
Holy Vessel.  And every day early the three fellows
would come afore it, and make their prayers.

Now at the year's end, and the self day after Galahad
had borne the crown of gold, he arose up early and his
fellows, and came to the palace, and saw to-fore them the
Holy Vessel, and a man kneeling on his knees in likeness
of a bishop, that had about him a great fellowship of angels,
as it had been Jesu Christ himself; and then he arose and
began a mass of Our Lady.  And when he came to the
sacrament of the mass, and had done, anon he called
Galahad, and said to him:  Come forth the servant of Jesu
Christ, and thou shalt see that thou hast much desired to
see.  And then he began to tremble right hard when the
deadly flesh began to behold the spiritual things.  Then he
held up his hands toward heaven and said:  Lord, I thank
thee, for now I see that that hath been my desire many a
day.  Now, blessed Lord, would I not longer live, if it
might please thee, Lord.  And therewith the good man
took Our Lord's body betwixt his hands, and proffered it
to Galahad, and he received it right gladly and meekly.
Now wottest thou what I am? said the good man.  Nay,
said Galahad.  I am Joseph of Aramathie, the which Our
Lord hath sent here to thee to bear thee fellowship; and
wottest thou wherefore that he hath sent me more than any
other?  For thou hast resembled me in two things; in
that thou hast seen the marvels of the Sangreal, in that
thou hast been a clean maiden, as I have been and am.

And when he had said these words Galahad went
to Percivale and kissed him, and commended him
to God; and so he went to Sir Bors and kissed him,
and commended him to God, and said:  Fair lord,
salute me to my lord, Sir Launcelot, my father, and
as soon as ye see him, bid him remember of this
unstable world.  And therewith he kneeled down to-fore
the table and made his prayers, and then suddenly his
soul departed to Jesu Christ, and a great multitude of
angels bare his soul up to heaven, that the two fellows
might well behold it.  Also the two fellows saw come from
heaven an hand, but they saw not the body.  And then it
came right to the Vessel, and took it and the spear, and so
bare it up to heaven.  Sithen was there never man so hardy
to say that he had seen the Sangreal.