The son of the Widow Lady of his good knighthood knoweth not how to
live without travail. He well knoweth that when he hath been at the
Black Hermit's castle, he will in some measure have achieved his task.
But many another thing behoveth him to do tofore, and little toil he
thinketh it, whereof shall God be well pleased. He hath ridden so far
one day and another, that he came into a land where he met knights
stout and strong there where God was neither believed in nor loved, but
where rather they adored false images and false Lord-Gods and devils
that made themselves manifest. He met a knight at the entrance of a
forest.
"Ha, Sir!" saith he to Perceval, "Return you back! No need is there
for you to go further, for the folk of this island are not
well-believers in God. I may not pass through the land but by truce
only. The Queen of this land was sister of the King of Oriande, that
Lancelot killed in the battle and all his folk, and seized his land,
wherein all the folk were misbelievers. Now throughout all the land
they believe in the Saviour of the World. Thereof is she passing
sorrowful, and hateth all them that believe in the New Law, insomuch as
that she would not look upon any that believed, and prayed to her gods
that never might she see none until such time as the New Law should be
overthrown; and God, that hath power to do this, blinded her forthwith.
Now she supposeth that the false gods wherein she believeth have done
this, and saith that when the New Law shall fall, she will have her
sight again by the renewal of these gods, and by their virtue, nor,
until this hour, hath she no desire to see. And I tell you this,"
saith the knight, "because I would not that you should go thither as
yet, for that I misdoubt of your being troubled thereby."
"Sir, Gramercy," saith Perceval, "But no knighthood is there so fair as
that which is undertaken to set forward the Law of God, and for Him
ought one to make better endeavour than for all other. In like manner
as He put His body in pain and travail for us, so ought each to put his
own for Him."
He departeth from the knight, and was right joyous of this that he
heard him say that Lancelot had won a kingdom wherein he had done away
the false Law. But and he knew the tidings that the King had put him
in prison, he would not have been glad at all, for Lancelot was of his
lineage and was therefore good knight, and for this he loved him right
well.