_How Sir Gawaine was nigh weary of the quest of the Sangreal, and of
his marvellous dream._
When Sir Gawaine was departed from his fellowship, he rode long without
any adventure. For he found not the tenth part of adventure as he was
wont to do. For Sir Gawaine rode from Whitsunday unto Michaelmas, and
found none adventure that pleased him. So on a day it befell Gawaine
met with Sir Ector de Maris, and either made great joy of other, that
it were marvel to tell. And so they told every each other, and
complained them greatly that they could find none adventure.
Truly, said Sir Gawaine unto Sir Ector, I am nigh weary of this quest,
and loth I am to follow further in strange countries. One thing
marvelleth me, said Sir Ector, I have met with twenty knights, fellows
of mine, and all they complain as I do. I marvel, said Sir Gawaine,
where that Sir Launcelot your brother is. Truly, said Sir Ector, I
cannot hear of him, nor of Sir Galahad, Percivale, nor Sir Bors. Let
them be, said Sir Gawaine, for they four have no peers. And if one
thing were not in Sir Launcelot, he had no fellow of none earthly man;
but he is as we be, but if he took more pain upon him. But and these
four be met together, they will be loth that any man meet with them;
for, and they fail of the Sancgreal, it is in waste of all the remnant
to recover it. Thus as Ector and Gawaine rode more than eight days. And
on a Saturday they found an old chapel, the which was wasted that there
seemed no man thither repaired, and there they alight, and set their
spears at the door, and in they entered into the chapel, and there made
their orisons a great while, and then set them down in the sieges of
the chapel. And as they spake of one thing and other, for heaviness
they fell on sleep, and there befell them both marvellous adventures.
Sir Gawaine him seemed he came into a meadow full of herbs and flowers.
And there he saw a rack of bulls an hundred and fifty, that were proud
and black, save three of them were all white, and one had a black spot,
and the other two were so fair and so white that they might be no
whiter. And these three bulls which were so fair were tied with two
strong cords. And the remnant of the bulls said among them, Go we hence
to seek better pasture. And so some went, and some came again; but they
were so lean that they might not stand upright; and of the bulls that
were so white, that one came again, and no more. But when this white
bull was come again among these other, there arose up a great cry for
lack of wind that failed them; and so they departed, one here and
another there. This vision befell Sir Gawaine that night.