Latest / Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table / 18 - Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table by Andrew Lang

Transcript

18 - Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table by Andrew Lang · Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section seventeen of Tales of King Arthur and the Round Table.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. Tales of King Arthur and the
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Round Table by Andrew Lang The Quest of the Holy Grail,
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Part ten Sir Launcelot meets Sir Galahad, and they part
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: for ever. Now we must tell what happened to Sir Launcelot.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: When he was come to a water called Mortois. He
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: fell asleep, awaiting for the adventure that should be sent
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: to him, And in his sleep a voice spoke to
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: him and bade him rise and take his armor and
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: enter the first ship he should find. So he started
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: up and took his arms and made him ready, And
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: on the strand he found a ship that was without
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: sail or awe. As soon as he was within the ship,
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: he felt himself wrapped round with a sweetness such as
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: he had never known before, as if all that he
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: could desire was fulfilled. And with this joy and peace
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: about him, he fell asleep. When he woke, he found
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: near him a fair bed with a dead lady lying
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: on it, whom he knew to be Sir Percivale's sister.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: And in her hand was the tail of her adventures,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: which Sir Launcelot took and read. For a month or
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: more they dwelt in that ship together, and one day,
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: when it had drifted near the shore, he heard a
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: sound as of a horse, and when the steps came nearer,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: he saw that a knight was riding him. At the
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: sight of the ship, the knight alighted and took the
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: saddle and bridle and entered the ship. You are welcome,
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: said Launcelot, and the knight saluted him and said, what
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: is your name? For my heart goeth out to you? Truly,
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: answered he. My name is Sir Launcelot du Lac. Sir,
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: cried the new knight. You are welcome, for you are
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: my father. Ah, cried Sir Launcelot. It is you. Then Galahad, Yes,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: in sooth, said he, and kneeled down and asked Launcelot's blessing,
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: and then took off his helm and kissed him. And
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: there was great joy between them as they told each
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: other all that had befallen them since they left King
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: Arthur's court. Then Galahad saw the gentlewoman dead on the bed,
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: and he knew her, and said he held her in
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: great worship, and that she was the best maid in
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: the world, and how it was a pity that she
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: had come to her death. But when Launcelot heard that
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Galahad had won the marvelous sword, he prayed that he
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: might see it, and kissed the pommel and the hilt
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: and the scabbard. In truth, he said, never did I
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: know of adventures so wonderful and strange. So dwelled Launcelot
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: and Galahad in that ship for half a year and
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: served God daily and nightly with all their power. And
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: after six months had gone by, it befell that on
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: a Monday they drifted to the edge of the forest,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: where they saw a knight with white armor, bestriding one
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: horse and holding another, all white by the bridle. And
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: he came to the ship and saluted the two knights,
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: and said, Galahad, you have been long enough with your father.
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Therefore leave that ship and start upon this horse and
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: go on the quest of the Holy Grail. Sir Galahad
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: went to his father and kissed him, saying, fair, sweet father,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: I know not if I shall see you more till
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: I have beheld the Holy Grail. Then they heard a
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: voice which said, the one shall never see the other
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: till the day of doom. Now, Galahad said Launcelot, since
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: we are to bid farewell for ever now, I pray
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: to the Great Father to preserve you and me both.
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Sir answered Galahad, No prayer availeth so much as yours.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: The next day, Sir Launcelot made his way back to Camelot,
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: where he found King Arthur and Guinevere. But many of
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: the knights of the round Table were slain and destroyed.
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: More than the half all the court was passing glad
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: to see Sir Launcelot, and the king asked many tidings
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: of his son, Sir Galahad end of Section seventeen