Messire Gawain would ask nought further of the knight, and the knight
entered into the Lonely Forest and Messire Gawain goeth on his way. He
meeteth neither knight nor damsel to whom he telleth not whom he goeth
to seek, and they all say that he will be in the Red Launde. He lodged
the night with a hermit. At night, the hermit asked Messire Gawain
whence he came?
"Sir, from the land of the Queen of the Maidens."
"Have you seen Perceval, the Good Knight that took the shield in King
Arthur's court and left another there?"
"No, certes," saith Messire Gawain, "Whereof am I right sorrowful. But
a knight with a shield of gold and a green cross thereon told me that
he would be at the Red Launde."
"Sir," saith the hermit, "you say true, for it was he himself to whom
you spake. Tonight is the third night since he lay within yonder, and
see here the bracket he brought from King Arthur's court, which he hath
commanded me to convey to his uncle, King Hermit."
"Alas!" saith Messire Gawain, "What ill chance is mine if this be true!"
"Sir," saith the hermit, "I ought not to lie, neither to you nor other.
By the brachet may you well know that this is true."
"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "Of custom beareth he no such shield."
"I know well," saith the hermit, "what shield he ought to bear, and
what shield he will bear hereafter. But this doth he that he may not
be known, and this shield took he in the hermitage of Joseus, the son
of King Hermit, there where Lancelot was lodged, where he hanged the
four thieves that would have broken into the hermitage by night. And
within there hath remained the shield he brought from King Arthur's
court, with Joseus the son of my sister, and they are as brother and
sister between the twain, and you may know of very truth that albeit
Joseus be hermit, no knight is there in Great Britain of his heart and
hardiment."