Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XIV CHAPTER VI

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 CHAPTER VI
 
 Of the great danger that Sir Percivale was in by his horse,
 and how he saw a serpent and a lion fight.
 
 
 AND when Sir Percivale came nigh the brim, and saw the
 water so boistous, he doubted to overpass it.  And then
 he made a sign of the cross in his forehead.  When the
 fiend felt him so charged he shook off Sir Percivale, and
 he went into the water crying and roaring, making great
 sorrow, and it seemed unto him that the water brent.
 Then Sir Percivale perceived it was a fiend, the which
 would have brought him unto his perdition.  Then he
 commended himself unto God, and prayed Our Lord to keep
 him from all such temptations; and so he prayed all that
 night till on the morn that it was day; then he saw that
 he was in a wild mountain the which was closed with the
 sea nigh all about, that he might see no land about him
 which might relieve him, but wild beasts.
 
 And then he went into a valley, and there he saw a
 young serpent bring a young lion by the neck, and so he
 came by Sir Percivale.  With that came a great lion
 crying and roaring after the serpent.  And as fast as Sir
 Percivale saw this he marvelled, and hied him thither, but
 anon the lion had overtaken the serpent and began battle
 with him.  And then Sir Percivale thought to help the
 lion, for he was the more natural beast of the two; and
 therewith he drew his sword, and set his shield afore him,
 and there he gave the serpent such a buffet that he had
 a deadly wound.  When the lion saw that, he made no
 resemblaunt to fight with him, but made him all the
 cheer that a beast might make a man.  Then Percivale
 perceived that, and cast down his shield which was broken;
 and then he did off his helm for to gather wind, for he
 was greatly enchafed with the serpent: and the lion went
 alway about him fawning as a spaniel.  And then he
 stroked him on the neck and on the shoulders.  And then
 he thanked God of the fellowship of that beast.  And
 about noon the lion took his little whelp and trussed him
 and bare him there he came from.
 
 Then was Sir Percivale alone.  And as the tale telleth,
 he was one of the men of the world at that time which
 most believed in Our Lord Jesu Christ, for in those days
 there were but few folks that believed in God perfectly.
 For in those days the son spared not the father no more
 than a stranger.  And so Sir Percivale comforted himself
 in our Lord Jesu, and besought God no temptation should
 bring him out of God's service, but to endure as his true
 champion.  Thus when Sir Percivale had prayed he saw
 the lion come toward him, and then he couched down at
 his feet.  And so all that night the lion and he slept
 together; and when Sir Percivale slept he dreamed a
 marvellous dream, that there two ladies met with him,
 and that one sat upon a lion, and that other sat upon a
 serpent, and that one of them was young, and the other
 was old; and the youngest him thought said:  Sir Percivale,
 my lord saluteth thee, and sendeth thee word that
 thou array thee and make thee ready, for to-morn thou
 must fight with the strongest champion of the world.
 And if thou be overcome thou shall not be quit for losing
 of any of thy members, but thou shalt be shamed for ever
 to the world's end.  And then he asked her what was her
 lord.  And she said the greatest lord of all the world:
 and so she departed suddenly that he wist not where.