HOW SIR PERCIVALE OF GALIS SOUGHT AND
FOUND SIR LAUNCELOT
While King Arthur and his knights were still sorrowful over Sir
Tristram's return to Cornwall, greatly fearing mischief to the good
knight by some manner of falsehood or treason of King Mark, there came
to the court a knight bringing a young squire with him. It was Sir
Aglovale, King Pellinore's son, and the squire was his brother,
Percivale, that he wished King Arthur to make knight. The boy was the
youngest of five sons, and for love of the father and the brothers,
good knights all, the King made him a knight the next day in Camelot;
yet the King and all the knights thought it would be long ere he proved
a man of prowess, and Sir Kay and Sir Mordred made sport of his rude
manner.
At the dinner, when every knight was set after his honour, the King
commanded Sir Percivale to be placed among mean knights. But there was
a maiden in the Queen's court that was come of high blood, yet she was
dumb, and never spake a word. Right so she came straight into the
hall, went unto Sir Percivale, took him by the hand, and said aloud,
that the King and all the knights might hear it, "Arise, Sir Percivale,
the noble knight and God's knight, and go with me."
So he did, and she brought him to the right side of the Siege Perilous,
and said, "Fair knight, take here thy siege, for that siege
appertaineth to thee, and to none other." Right so she departed, and
soon afterward she died. Then the King and all the court made great
joy of Sir Percivale.
Then Sir Percivale rode forth upon adventures, and came unto Cornwall
to seek Sir Tristram. And he delivered him from a prison where King
Mark had placed him, and then rode straight unto King Mark and told him
he had done himself great shame to treat so falsely Sir Tristram, the
knight of most renown in all the world. Then Sir Percivale departed,
but anon King Mark bethought him of more treason, notwithstanding his
promise never by any manner of means to hurt Sir Tristram, and he let
take him and put him again in prison. How he then escaped with Isoud
into England we have already read in the tale of Sir Tristram.
Now it chanced that Sir Launcelot of the Lake had sore offended the
Queen Guenever, and she rebuked him harshly, called him false traitor
knight, and sent him from her court. Therewith he took such an hearty
sorrow at her words that he went clean out of his mind, and leaped out
at a bay window into a garden, and there with thorns he was all
scratched up in his visage. So he ran forth he wist not whither, and
for a long while none of his kin wist what was become of him.
Soon Queen Guenever was right sorry that she had been so angry with her
faithful knight, and on her knees besought Sir Bors and many others to
seek Sir Launcelot throughout all England, Wales, and Scotland. So
these noble knights by one assent rode forth by twos and threes; and
ever they assigned where they should meet.
Sir Aglovale and Sir Percivale rode together unto their mother that was
a queen in those days. And when she saw her two sons, for joy she wept
tenderly and said, "Ah my dear sons, when your father was slain he left
me five sons, of the which now be three slain; my heart shall never be
glad more." Then she kneeled down tofore Aglovale and Percivale, and
besought them to abide at home with her.
"Ah, sweet mother," said Sir Percivale, "we may not, for we be come of
king's blood on both sides, and therefore, mother, it is our kind to
follow arms and noble deeds."
Then there was but weeping and sobbing when they should depart, and
after they were gone, she sent a squire after them with spending
enough. When the squire had overtaken them, they would not suffer him
to ride with them, but sent him home again to comfort their mother,
praying her meekly for her blessing.
So this squire was benighted as he rode homeward, and by misfortune
happened to come into the castle of a baron whose brother (a false
knight and betrayer of ladies and of good knights) Sir Aglovale had
slain. When this baron knew from the squire that he served a good
knight called Sir Aglovale, he commanded his men to have him away
without mercy.
On the morn came Sir Aglovale and Sir Percivale riding by a churchyard
where men and women were busy in burying this same dead squire. When
the brothers heard from a good man of the company how the baron had
shamefully slain the squire that night, they alighted both, left their
horses with their men, and went on foot to the castle. All so soon as
they were within the castle gate Sir Aglovale bade the porter "Go thou
unto thy lord and tell him that I am Sir Aglovale, for whom the squire
was slain this night."
Anon the lord of the castle, whose name was Goodewin, came armed into
the court, and he and Sir Aglovale lashed together as eagerly as it had
been two lions. Sir Percivale fought with all the remnant that would
fight, and within a while had slain all that would withstand him, for
he dealt so his strokes that there durst no man abide him. Within a
while Sir Aglovale had Sir Goodewin also at the earth, and so the two
brethren departed and took their horses. Then they let carry the dead
squire unto a priory, and there they interred him. When this was done
they rode their way into many countries, ever inquiring after Sir
Launcelot, but never they could hear of him.
At last, at a castle that was called Cardican, Sir Percivale parted
from Sir Aglovale, and with his squire rode alone. In the afternoon he
came upon a bridge of stone, where he found a knight that was bound
with a chain fast about unto a pillar of stone. This was Sir Persides,
a knight of the Table Round, who by adventure came this way and lodged
in the castle at the bridge foot. There by an evil custom of the
castle men set upon him suddenly or ever he might come to his weapon,
and bound him, and chained him at the bridge. There he knew he should
die unless some man of honour brake his bands.
"Be ye of good cheer," said Sir Percivale, "and because ye are a knight
of the Round Table as well as I, I trust to God to make you free."
Therewith Sir Percivale drew out his sword, and struck at the chain
with such a might that he cut a-two the chain, and through Sir
Persides' hauberk, and hurt him a little.
"Truly," said Sir Persides, "that was a mighty stroke if ever I felt
one, for had it not been for the chain, ye had slain me."
Therewithal Sir Persides saw a knight coming out of the castle, flying
all that ever he might. "Beware, sir," said he; "yonder cometh a man
that will have ado with you."
"Let him come," said Sir Percivale.
So he met with that knight in the midst of the bridge, and gave him
such a buffet that he smote him quite from his horse and over a part of
the bridge so that, had there not been a little vessel under the
bridge, that knight had been drowned. Then Sir Percivale took the
knight's horse, and made Sir Persides to mount upon him. So they rode
to the castle, and made the lady deliver Sir Persides' servants.
Had he not had a great matter in hand, he would have remained to do
away with the evil customs there. But Sir Percivale might not long
abide, for he rode to seek Sir Launcelot.
Sir Persides brought him unto his own castle, and there made him great
cheer for that night. Then on the morn, when Sir Percivale had heard
mass and broken his fast, he said to Sir Persides: "Ride unto King
Arthur, and tell the King how that ye met with me, and tell my brother
Sir Aglovale how I rescued you, and bid him seek not after me, for I am
in the quest to seek Sir Launcelot of the Lake, and will not see him or
the court till Sir Launcelot is found. Also tell Sir Kay and Sir
Mordred that I trust to God to be of as good worthiness as either of
them, and that I will never see that court till men speak more honour
of me than ever men did of any of them both."
So Sir Persides departed from Sir Percivale, and rode unto King Arthur,
and told there of Sir Percivale. And King Arthur said he must needs
prove a good knight, for his father and his brethren were noble knights.
Now turn we to Sir Launcelot, and speak we of his care and woe and what
pain he endured from cold, hunger, and thirst. As he wandered like a
mad man here and there, he by fortune came to the castle of King
Pelles. There he was healed of his madness, and when he was recovered
he was sore ashamed that he had thus been clean out of his wit. And
King Pelles gave him his castle of Bliant, that stood in an island
enclosed with a fair water, deep and large. Sir Launcelot called it
the Joyous Isle, and here he dwelt a long while. Because he was driven
from King Arthur's court he desired not to be known, and he named
himself "The knight that hath trespassed."
Now it fell at that time that Sir Launcelot heard of a jousting hard by
his castle, and he sent word thither that there was one knight in the
Joyous Isle, by name "The knight that hath trespassed," that will joust
against any knights that will come to him. When this cry was made,
unto Joyous Isle drew many knights, and wit you well there was not seen
at Arthur's court one knight that did so much deeds of arms as were
done in that gay castle.
And in the meanwhile came also Sir Percivale nigh to Joyous Isle, and
would have gone to that castle, but might not for the broad water.
Then he saw on the other side a lady, and he called unto her and asked
who was in that castle.
"Fair knight," she said, "here within this castle is the fairest knight
and the mightiest man that is, I dare say, living, and he calleth
himself 'The knight that hath trespassed.' He came into this country
like a mad man, with dogs and boys chasing him, and by miracle he was
brought into his wit again. If ye list to come into the castle, ye
must ride unto the farther side of the isle, and there ye shall find a
vessel that will bear you and your horse."
Then Sir Percivale came unto the vessel, and passed the water. When he
came to the castle gate, he bade the porter, "Go thou to the good
knight within the castle, and tell him here is come an errant knight to
joust with him."
Sir Percivale now rode within the castle, and anon Sir Launcelot had
warning, he was soon ready. And there Sir Percivale and Sir Launcelot
encountered with such a might that both the horses and the knights fell
to the earth. Then they left their horses, swung out noble swords, and
hewed away pieces of their shields, and dashed together like two boars,
and either wounded other passing sore.
At the last Sir Percivale spake, when they had fought there more than
two hours: "Fair knight," saith he, "I pray thee tell me thy name, for
I met never with such a knight."
"Sir," said Sir Launcelot, "my name is 'The knight that hath
trespassed.' Now tell me your name, I pray you, gentle knight."
"Truly," said Sir Percivale, "my name is Sir Percivale of Galis; King
Pellinore was my father and Sir Aglovale is my brother."
"Alas," said Sir Launcelot, "what have I done to fight with you that
art a knight of the Table Round, that sometime was your fellow."
Therewithal Sir Launcelot kneeled down upon his knees, and threw away
his shield and his sword from him. When Sir Percivale saw him do so,
he marvelled what he meant. Then he begged him upon the high order of
knighthood to tell his true name, and Sir Launcelot told him all.
"Alas," said Sir Percivale, "what have I done! I was sent by the Queen
for to seek you, and so I have sought you nigh these two years. I pray
you forgive me mine offence that I have here done."
"It is soon forgiven," said Sir Launcelot.
Then Sir Percivale told him how King Arthur and all his knights, and in
especial Queen Guenever, made great dole and sorrow that ever he
departed from them, and that never knight was better welcome back to
the court than he would be. So Sir Launcelot agreed to do after Sir
Percivale's counsel, and ride with him to the King.
So then they took their horses and departed from the Joyous Isle, and
within five days' journey they came to Camelot, that is called in
English Winchester. And when Sir Launcelot was come among them, the
King and all the knights made great joy of him. Then Sir Percivale of
Galis began and told the whole adventures, and all the tales of Sir
Launcelot. And the Queen made great cheer, and there were great feasts
made, and many great lords and ladies, when they heard that Sir
Launcelot was come to the court again, made great joy.