_How king Arthur shewed the stone, hoving on the water, to Galahad, and
how he drew out the sword._
The queen heard thereof, and came after with many ladies, and shewed
them the stone where it hoved on the water. Sir, said the king unto Sir
Galahad, here is a great marvel as ever I saw, and right good knights
have assayed and failed. Sir, said Galahad, that is no marvel, for this
adventure is not theirs, but mine, and for the surety of this sword I
brought none with me; for here by my side hangeth the scabbard. And
anon he laid his hand on the sword, and lightly drew it out of the
stone, and put it in the sheath and said unto the king, Now it goeth
better than it did aforehand. Sir, said the king, a shield God shall
send you. Now have I, said Sir Galahad, that sword that sometime was
the good knight’s Balin le Savage, and he was a passing good man of his
hands. And with this sword he slew his brother Balan, and that was
great pity, for he was a good knight, and either slew other through a
dolorous stroke that Balan gave unto my grandfather king Pelles, the
which is not yet whole, nor not shall be till I heal him. Therewith the
king and all espied where came riding down the river a lady on a white
palfrey toward them. Then she saluted the king and the queen, and asked
if that Sir Launcelot was there? And then he answered himself, I am
here, fair lady. Then she said, all with weeping, How your great doing
is changed sith this day in the morn. Damsel, why say ye so? said
Launcelot. I say you sooth, said the damsel, for ye were this day the
best knight of the world, but who should say so now should be a liar,
for there is now one better than ye. And well it is proved by the
adventures of the sword whereto ye durst not set your hand, and that is
the change and leaving of your name; wherefore I make unto you a
remembrance, that ye shall not ween from henceforth that ye be the best
knight of the world. As touching unto that, said Launcelot, I know well
I was never the best. Yes, said the damsel, that were ye, and are yet
of any sinful man of the world. And sir king, Nacien the hermit sendeth
thee word, that thee shall befall the greatest worship that ever befell
king in Britain; and I say you wherefore, for this day the Sancgreal
shall appear in thy house, and feed thee and all thy fellowship of the
Round Table. So she departed and went that same way that she came.