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17 - Part 2 Story 9 Adventure Of Sir Galahad · Tales Of King Arthur And The Round Table

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  Speaker 1: Part two, Story nine of Tales of King Arthur and
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  Speaker 1: the Round Table by Andrew Lang. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Part two, Story nine, Adventure of
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  Speaker 1: Sir Galahad. Sir Galahad rested one evening at hermitage, and
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  Speaker 1: while he was resting, there came a gentlewoman and asked
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  Speaker 1: leave of the hermit to speak with Sir Galahad, and
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  Speaker 1: would not be denied, though she was told he was
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  Speaker 1: weary and asleep. Then the hermit waked Sir Galahad and
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  Speaker 1: bade him rise, as a gentlewoman had great need of him.
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  Speaker 1: So Sir Galahad rose and asked her what she wished.
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  Speaker 1: Galahad said, she, I will that you arm yourself and
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  Speaker 1: mount your horse and follow me, and I will show
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  Speaker 1: you the highest adventure that ever any knight saw. And
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  Speaker 1: Sir Galahad bade her go, and he would follow wherever
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  Speaker 1: she led. In three days they reached the sea where
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  Speaker 1: they found the ship where Sir Bors and Sir Percivale
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  Speaker 1: were lying, and the lady bade him leave his horse behind,
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  Speaker 1: and said she would leave hers also, but their saddles
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  Speaker 1: and bridles they would take on board the ship. This
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  Speaker 1: they did, and were received with great joy by the
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  Speaker 1: two knights. Then the sails were spread and the ship
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  Speaker 1: was driven before the wind at a marvelous pace, till
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  Speaker 1: they reached the land of Logris, the entrance to which
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  Speaker 1: lies between two great rocks, with a whirlpool in the middle.
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  Speaker 1: Their own ship might not get safely through, but they
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  Speaker 1: left it and went into another ship that lay there,
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  Speaker 1: which had neither man nor woman in it. At the
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  Speaker 1: end of this ship was written these words, thou man,
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  Speaker 1: which shalt enter this ship, beware thou be in steadfast belief.
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  Speaker 1: If thou fail, I shall not help thee. Then the
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  Speaker 1: gentlewoman turned and said, Perceval, do you know who I am?
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  Speaker 1: No truly answered he, I am your sister, and therefore
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  Speaker 1: you are the man in the world that I most love.
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  Speaker 1: If you are without fail or have any hidden sin,
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  Speaker 1: beware how you enter, else you will perish. Fair sister
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  Speaker 1: answered he, I shall enter therein, for if I am
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  Speaker 1: an untrue knight, then shall I perish. So they entered
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  Speaker 1: this ship, and it was so rich and well adorned
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  Speaker 1: that they all marveled. In the midst of it was
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  Speaker 1: a fair bed, and Sir Galahad went there too, and
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  Speaker 1: found on it a crown of silk and a sword
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  Speaker 1: drawn out of its sheath half a foot and more.
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  Speaker 1: The sword was of diverse fashions, and the pommel was
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  Speaker 1: of stone, wrought about with colors, and every color with
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  Speaker 1: its own virtue. And the handle was of the ribs
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  Speaker 1: of two beasts. The one was the bone of a serpent,
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  Speaker 1: and no hand that handles it shall ever become weary
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  Speaker 1: or hurt. And the other was a bone of a
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  Speaker 1: fish that swims in euphrates, and whoso handles it shall
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  Speaker 1: not think on joy or sorrow that he has had,
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  Speaker 1: but only on that which he beholds before him. And
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  Speaker 1: no man shall grip this sword but one that is
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  Speaker 1: better than other men. So first Sir Percival stepped forward
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  Speaker 1: and set his hand to the sword, but he might
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  Speaker 1: not grasp it. Next Sir Bors tried to seize it,
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  Speaker 1: but he also failed. When Sir Galahad beheld the sword,
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  Speaker 1: he saw that there was written on it in letters
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  Speaker 1: of blood, that he who tried to draw it should
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  Speaker 1: never fail of shame in his body or be wounded
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  Speaker 1: to the death. By my faith, said Galahad, I would
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  Speaker 1: draw this sword out of its sheath, But the offending
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  Speaker 1: is so great I shall not lay my hand there too, Sir,
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  Speaker 1: answered the gentlewoman. Know that no man can draw this
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  Speaker 1: sword save you alone. And she told him many tales
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  Speaker 1: of the knights who had set their hands to it,
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  Speaker 1: and of the evil things that had befallen them. And
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  Speaker 1: they all begged Sir Galahad to grip the sword, as
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  Speaker 1: it was ordained that he should. I will grip it,
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  Speaker 1: said Galahad, to give you courage, But it belongs no
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  Speaker 1: more to me than it does to you. Then he
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  Speaker 1: gripped it tight with his fingers, and the gentlewoman girt
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  Speaker 1: him about the middle with the sword. And after that
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  Speaker 1: they left that ship and went into another, which brought
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  Speaker 1: them to land, where they fell upon many strange adventures.
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  Speaker 1: On the shore, they saw threescore knights by a castle,
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  Speaker 1: to which they repaired. And the owner of this castle
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  Speaker 1: was a gentlewoman on whom years ago had befallen a
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  Speaker 1: great malady, of which there was but one remedy. It
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  Speaker 1: was that she must be anointed with a dish of
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  Speaker 1: the blood of a maid pure and fair and a
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  Speaker 1: king's daughter withal, And the knights accosted them, and counseled
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  Speaker 1: them to withdraw, saying they might go without harm, only
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  Speaker 1: they must needs have their custom. And this custom was
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  Speaker 1: the blood of Sir Percivale's sister. And Sir Galahad drew
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  Speaker 1: his sword with the two handles and slew whatever withstood him.
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  Speaker 1: But night fell, and a good knight promised to harbor
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  Speaker 1: them for the knight safely and surely, saying, on the
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  Speaker 1: morrow we dare say you will accord with the custom.
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  Speaker 1: Then said Sir Percivale's sister, fair knights, I fain would
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  Speaker 1: heal this fair lady, For thus shall I gain great worship,
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  Speaker 1: and my lineage withal and better is one harm than twain.
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  Speaker 1: And therefore there shall be no battle. But tomorrow at
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  Speaker 1: morn I shall yield you your custom of this castle.
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  Speaker 1: And then there was great joy. It chanced that while
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  Speaker 1: she bled on the morrow, she lifted her hands and
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  Speaker 1: blessed them, and she said, Madam, I die to make
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  Speaker 1: you whole for God's love, pray for me. And with
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  Speaker 1: that she fell in a swoon. Then Galahad and his
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  Speaker 1: fellows lifted her up and stanched her, but she died,
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  Speaker 1: and weeping, they put her body in a barge as
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  Speaker 1: she had wished in her hand. Sir Percivale put a
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  Speaker 1: letter showing how she had helped them, and they covered
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  Speaker 1: her with black silk. So the wind arose and drove
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  Speaker 1: the barge from the land, and all the nights beheld.
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  Speaker 1: It disappear from sight end of Part two, Starry nine