BOOK V

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p. 276 p. 277

THE ARGUMENT

I. THE BOOK OF THE HOLY GRAAL AND, IN THE FIRST PLACE, THE PROLOGUE THERETO BELONGING.--The claims and defects of the Text regarded generally--The secret of this cycle--Its imputed authorship--Its hypothetical divisions--The Hermit of the Legend--What he read and saw at a Mass of the Presanctified--Disappearance of the Secret Book--The Quest of its recovery--The time for the transcript thereof II. A NEW CONSIDERATION CONCERNING THE BRANCHES OF THE CHRONICLE AND CONCERNING ITS MAJOR BRANCHES.--Divergence of the extant manuscripts--The incorporation of De Borron elements--The point at which their tradition is broken, and this completely--The arrival at Sarras--Events which lead up to the conversion of this city--The Spiritual Palace--The ordination of Joseph II.--His later life--Of Evalach, the King of Sarras, who was afterwards Mordrains--Of Queen Sarracinte--Of Seraphe, who was also Nasciens--Of Celidoine, the son of Nasciens--The Ship of Solomon--The Building of Corbenic. III. THE MINOR BRANCHES OF THE CHRONICLE.--The Later History of Joseph of Arimathæa--The Life of Petrus in Britain--Of Brons and Alain--Variations in the History of Moses--Of Simeon and his Brethren--Concerning the first Galahad--The Genealogies--Conclusion as to the Book of the Holy Graal. IV. SOME LATER MERLIN LEGENDS.--And firstly as to the scope of these Texts--(A) The Vulgate Merlin--Its Antecedents in 

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[paragraph continues] History--Merlin as the chief promulgator of the Graal Mystery--The House of the Holy Vessel--Of the second Nasciens and his history--King Pelles of Lytenoys--The Maimed King--The Daughter of the House--A son of King Pelles--Tidings of the Graal in Britain--(B) The Huth Merlin--Its false ascription--Its consideration as a stately romance--The intention of the story--Of secret records--The branches of the story--The Internment of Merlin--Concerning the father of Perceval--The Institution of the Round Table--The Vacant Seat--The Hidden Life of the Holy House--The Dolorous Stroke--The Secret Powers of Avalon. V. THE GREAT PROSE LANCELOT.--The antecedents of the story--An undeclared Mystery of the Graal--Of Perceval in the Great Quest--Particular Graal traditions--Missing elements of Quest--The Genealogy of i Lancelot--His life in Faerie--Of Moses and Simeon--Of Gawain at Castle Corbenic--Of Lancelot and the Lady of the Bath--Helayne, the Maiden of the Graal--The conception of Galahad. VI. A PREFACE OR INTRODUCTORY PORTION APPERTAINING TO ALL THE QUESTS.--Claims of the questing Knights--And further concerning Gawain--A pentagram of chivalry--The Mystery of Divine Providence manifested in a flesh. VII. THE LONGER PROSE PERCEVAL.--Its imputed antecedents--The initial point which constitutes a departure from tradition--After what manner the departure is perpetuated throughout--Of pageants abroad in the land--The Earthly Paradise--The state of King Arthur--Of Gawain's visit to the Graal--And that of Lancelot The death of Guinevere--Visions of the King--The King of Castle Mortal--The death of King Fisherman--The a capture of the Graal Castle--The removal of the Hallows--The siege and victory by Perceval--The reign of the last Keeper--The distribution of the Hallows--The departure 

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of Perceval. VIII. THE QUEST OF THE HIGH PRINCE.--Of the generation of Galahad--Of some things which followed thereafter--The circumstances of his first manifestation--Its mystic environment--Of the Eucharist in the Quest--Of arch-natural feasting--The Quest in brief outline--The liberation of Simeon--The release of King Mordrains--The voyage in the Ship of Solomon--The term of Quest at Corbenic--The Mystery unveiled--The Ascent of Galahad--The doom of earthly Knighthood. IX. THE WELSH QUEST.--The position of this version--Its variations in summary--Wanderings of the Graal--The Dolorous Stroke--Specifics of the last scene--Additamenta to the Greater Chronicles.