Now saith the history that a great while the three fellows beheld the bed and the three spindles.Then they were at certain that they were of natural colours without painting.Then they lift up a cloth which was above the ground,and there found a rich purse by seeming.And Percivale took it,and found therein a writ and so he read it,and devised the manner of the spindles and of the ship,whence it came,and by whom it was made.Now,said Galahad,where shall we find the gentlewoman that shall make new girdles to the sword?Fair sir,said Percivale's sister,dismay you not,for by the leave of God I shall let make a girdle to the sword,such one as shall long thereto.
And then she opened a box,and took out girdles which were seemly wrought with golden threads,and upon that were set full precious stones,and a rich buckle of gold.
Lo,lords,said she,here is a girdle that ought to be set about the sword.And wit ye well the greatest part of this girdle was made of my hair,which I loved well while that I was a woman of the world.But as soon as I wist that this adventure was ordained me I clipped off my hair,and made this girdle in the name of God.Ye be well found,said Sir Bors,for certes ye have put us out of great pain,wherein we should have entered ne had your tidings been.
Then went the gentlewoman and set it on the girdle of the sword.Now,said the fellowship,what is the name of the sword,and what shall we call it?Truly,said she,the name of the sword is the Sword with the Strange Girdles;and the sheath,Mover of Blood;for no man that hath blood in him ne shall never see the one part of the sheath which was made of the Tree of Life.Then they said to Galahad:In the name of Jesu Christ,and pray you that ye gird you with this sword which hath been desired so much in the realm of Logris.Now let me begin,said Galahad,to grip this sword for to give you courage;but wit ye well it longeth no more to me than it doth to you.
And then he gripped about it with his fingers a great deal;and then she girt him about the middle with the sword.
Now reck I not though I die,for now I hold me one of the blessed maidens of the world,which hath made the worthiest knight of the world.Damosel,said Galahad,ye have done so much that I shall be your knight all the days of my life.
Then they went from that ship,and went to the other.
And anon the wind drove them into the sea a great pace,but they had no victuals:but it befell that they came on the morn to a castle that men call Carteloise,that was in the marches of Scotland.And when they had passed the port,the gentlewoman said:Lords,here be men arriven that,an they wist that ye were of King Arthur's court,ye should be assailed anon.Damosel,said Galahad,He that cast us out of the rock shall deliver us from them.
CHAPTER VIII
How Galahad and his fellows came to a castle,and how they were fought withal,and how they slew their adversaries,and other matters.
SO it befell as they spoke thus there came a squire by them,and asked what they were;and they said they were of King Arthur's house.Is that sooth?said he.Now by my head,said he,ye be ill arrayed;and then turned he again unto the cliff fortress.And within a while they heard an horn blow.Then a gentlewoman came to them,and asked them of whence they were;and they told her.
Fair lords,said she,for God's love turn again if ye may,for ye be come unto your death.Nay,they said,we will not turn again,for He shall help us in whose service we be entered in.Then as they stood talking there came knights well armed,and bade them yield them or else to die.That yielding,said they,shall be noyous to you.And therewith they let their horses run,and Sir Percivale smote the foremost to the earth,and took his horse,and mounted thereupon,and the same did Galahad.Also Bors served another so,for they had no horses in that country,for they left their horses when they took their ship in other countries.
And so when they were horsed then began they to set upon them;and they of the castle fled into the strong fortress,and the three knights after them into the castle,and so alighted on foot,and with their swords slew them down,and gat into the hall.
Then when they beheld the great multitude of people that they had slain,they held themself great sinners.
Certes,said Bors,I ween an God had loved them that we should not have had power to have slain them thus.But they have done so much against Our Lord that He would not suffer them to reign no longer.Say ye not so,said Galahad,for if they misdid against God,the vengeance is not ours,but to Him which hath power thereof.
So came there out of a chamber a good man which was a priest,and bare God's body in a cup.And when he saw them which lay dead in the hall he was all abashed;and Galahad did off his helm and kneeled down,and so did his two fellows.Sir,said they,have ye no dread of us,for we be of King Arthur's court.Then asked the good man how they were slain so suddenly,and they told it him.