_How Sir Percivale saw many men of arms, bearing a dead knight, and how
he fought against them._
When the king thus had made his prayers, he heard a voice that said,
Heard be thy prayers, for thou shalt not die till he have kissed thee:
and when that knight shall come, the clearness of your eyes shall come
again, and thou shalt see openly, and thy wounds shall be healed, and
erst shall they never close. And this befell of king Evelake: and this
same king hath lived this three hundred winters this holy life. And men
say the knight is in the court that shall heal him. Sir, said the good
man, I pray you tell me what knight that ye be, and if ye be of king
Arthur’s court and of the Table Round? Yea, forsooth, said he, and my
name is Sir Percivale de Galis. And when the good man understood his
name, he made great joy of him. And then Sir Percivale departed, and
rode till the hour of noon. And he met in a valley about twenty men of
arms, which bear in a bier a knight deadly slain. And when they saw Sir
Percivale, they asked him of whence he was? and he answered, Of the
court of king Arthur. Then they cried all at once, Slay him. Then Sir
Percivale smote the first to the earth, and his horse upon him. And
then seven of the knights smote upon his shield all at once, and the
remnant slew his horse, so that he fell to the earth. So had they slain
him or taken him, had not the good knight Sir Galahad, with the red
arms, come there by adventure into those parts. And when he saw all
those knights upon one knight, he cried, Save me that knight’s life.
And then he dressed him toward the twenty men of arms as fast as his
horse might drive, with his spear in the rest, and smote the foremost
horse and man to the earth. And when his spear was broken he set his
hand to his sword, and smote on the right hand and on the left hand,
that it was marvel to see. And at every stroke he smote one down, or
put him to a rebuke, so that they would fight no more, but fled to a
thick forest, and Sir Galahad followed them. And when Sir Percivale saw
him chase them so, he made great sorrow that his horse was away. And
then he wist well it was Sir Galahad. And then he cried aloud, Ah fair
knight, abide and suffer me to do thankings unto thee, for much have ye
done for me! But ever Sir Galahad rode so fast, that at the last he
passed out of his sight. And as fast as Sir Percivale might he went
after him on foot, crying. And then he met with a yeoman riding upon an
hackney, the which led in his hand a great black steed, blacker than
any bear. Ah fair friend, said Sir Percivale, as ever I may do for you,
and to be your true knight in the first place ye will require me, that
ye will lend me that black steed, that I might overtake a knight, the
which rideth afore me. Sir knight, said the yeoman, I pray you hold me
excused of that, for that I may not do. For wit ye well, the horse is
such a man’s horse, that, and I lent it you or any other man, that he
would slay me. Alas, said Sir Percivale, I had never so great sorrow as
I have had for losing of yonder knight. Sir, said the yeoman, I am
right heavy for you, for a good horse would beseem you well, but I dare
not deliver you this horse, but if ye would take him from me. That will
I not do, said Sir Percivale. And so they departed, and Sir Percivale
sat him down under a tree, and made sorrow out of measure. And as he
was there, there came a knight riding on the horse that the yeoman led,
and he was clean armed.