Perceval heareth this that the damsel telleth him, and marvelleth much
thereat, and taketh thought within himself, sith that the adventure is
thus thrown upon him, that great blame will he have thereof and he
achieveth it not. He taketh leave of the King and Queen, and so goeth
his way and departeth from the Court. Messire Gawain departeth and
Lancelot with him, and say they will bear him company to the piece of
ground, and they may go thither. Perceval holdeth their fellowship
right dear. The King and Queen have great pity of Perceval, and say
all that never until now no knight went into jeopardy so sore, and that
sore loss to the world will it be if there he should die. They send to
all the hermits and worshipful men in the forest of Cardoil and bid
them pray for Perceval that God defend him from this enemy with whom he
goeth forth to do battle. Lancelot and Messire Gawain go with him by
the strange forests and by the islands, and found the forests all void
and desolate and wasted in place after place. The Damsel followeth them
together with the dead knight. And so far have they wandered that they
come into the plain country before the forest. So they looked before
them and saw a castle that was seated in the plain without the forest,
and they saw that it was set in a right fair meadow-land, and was
surrounded of great running waters and girdled of high walls, and had
within great halls with windows. They draw nigh the castle and see
that it turneth all about faster than the wind may run, and it had at
the top the archers of crossbows of copper that draw their shafts so
strong that no armour in the world might avail against the stroke
thereof. Together with them were men of copper that turned and sounded
their horns so passing loud that the ground all seemed to quake. And
under the gateway were lions and bears chained, that roared with so
passing great might and fury that all the ground and the valley
resounded thereof. The knights draw rein and look at this marvel.
"Lords," saith the damsel, "Now may you see the Castle of Great
Endeavour. Messire Gawain and Lancelot, draw you back, and come not
nigher the archers, for otherwise ye be but dead men. And you, sir,"
saith she to Perceval, "And you would enter into this castle, lend me
your spear and shield, and so will I bear them before for warranty, and
you come after me and make such countenance as good knight should, and
so shall you pass through into the castle. But your fellows may well
draw back, for now is not the hour for them to pass. None may pass
thither save only he that goeth to vanquish the knight and win the
Golden Circlet and the Graal, and do away the false law with its horns
of copper."