With that, the squire departeth and taketh leave of Messire Gawain, and
he commendeth him to God and hath great pity of him, and entereth into
the forest and goeth great pace, and findeth the stream of a spring
that ran with a great rushing, and nigh thereunto was a way that was
much haunted. He abandoneth his high-way, and goeth all along the
stream from the spring that lasteth a long league plenary, until that
he espieth a right fair house and right fair chapel well enclosed
within a hedge of wood. He looketh from without the entrance under a
little tree and seeth there sitting one of the seemliest men that he
had ever seen of his age. And he was clad as a hermit, his head white
and no hair on his face, and he held his hand to his chin, and made a
squire hold a destrier right fair and strong and tail, and a shield
with a sun thereon; and he was looking at a habergeon and chausses of
iron that he had made bring before him. And when he seeth Messire
Gawain he dresseth him over against him and saith: "Fair sir," saith
he, "Ride gently and make no noise, for no need have we of worse than
that we have."
And Messire Gawain draweth rein, and the worshipful man saith to him:
"Sir, for God's sake take it not of discourtesy; for right fainly would
I have besought you to harbour had I not good cause to excuse me, but a
knight lieth within yonder sick, that is held for the best knight in
the world. Wherefore fain would I he should have no knight come within
this close, for and if he should rise, as sick as he is, none might
prevent him nor hold him back, but presently he should arm him and
mount on his horse and joust at you or any other; and so he were here,
well might we be the worse thereof. And therefore do I keep him so
close and quiet within yonder, for that I would not have him see you
nor none other, for and he were so soon to die, sore loss would it be
to the world."
"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "What name hath he?"
"Sir," saith he, "He hath made him of himself, and therefore do I call
him Par-lui-fer, of dearness and love."
"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "May it not be in any wise that I may see
him?"
"Sir," saith the hermit, "I have told you plainly that nowise may it
not be. No strange man shall not see him within yonder until such time
as he be whole and of good cheer."
"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "Will you in nowise do nought for me
whatsoever I may say?"
"Certes, sir, no one thing is there in the world that I would tell him,
save he spake first to me."
Hereof is Messire Gawain right sorrowful that he may not speak to the
knight. "Sir," saith he to the hermit, "Of what age is the knight, and
of what lineage?"
"Of the lineage of Joseph of Abarimacie the Good Soldier."