Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVII CHAPTER II

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 CHAPTER II
 
 How Sir Galahad rode with a damosel, and came to the ship
 whereas Sir Bors and Sir Percivale were in.
 
 
 SO she rode as fast as her palfrey might bear her, till that
 she came to the sea, the which was called Collibe.  And
 at the night they came unto a castle in a valley, closed
 with a running water, and with strong walls and high;
 and so she entered into the castle with Galahad, and there
 had he great cheer, for the lady of that castle was the
 damosel's lady.  So when he was unarmed, then said the
 damosel:  Madam, shall we abide here all this day?  Nay,
 said she, but till he hath dined and till he hath slept a
 little.  So he ate and slept a while till that the maid called
 him, and armed him by torchlight.  And when the maid
 was horsed and he both, the lady took Galahad a fair child
 and rich; and so they departed from the castle till they
 came to the seaside; and there they found the ship where
 Bors and Percivale were in, the which cried on the ship's
 board:  Sir Galahad, ye be welcome, we have abiden you
 long.  And when he heard them he asked them what they
 were.  Sir, said she, leave your horse here, and I shall
 leave mine; and took their saddles and their bridles with
 them, and made a cross on them, and so entered into the
 ship.  And the two knights received them both with great
 joy, and everych knew other; and so the wind arose, and
 drove them through the sea in a marvellous pace.  And
 within a while it dawned.
 
 Then did Galahad off his helm and his sword, and
 asked of his fellows from whence came that fair ship.
 Truly, said they, ye wot as well as we, but of God's grace;
 and then they told everych to other of all their hard
 adventures, and of their great temptations.  Truly, said
 Galahad, ye are much bounden to God, for ye have escaped
 great adventures; and had not the gentlewoman been I
 had not come here, for as for you I weened never to have
 found you in these strange countries.  Ah Galahad, said
 Bors, if Launcelot, your father, were here then were we
 well at ease, for then meseemed we failed nothing.  That
 may not be, said Galahad, but if it pleased Our Lord.
 
 By then the ship went from the land of Logris, and
 by adventure it arrived up betwixt two rocks passing great
 and marvellous; but there they might not land, for there
 was a swallow of the sea, save there was another ship, and
 upon it they might go without danger.  Go we thither,
 said the gentlewoman, and there shall we see adventures,
 for so is Our Lord's will.  And when they came thither
 they found the ship rich enough, but they found neither
 man nor woman therein.  But they found in the end of
 the ship two fair letters written, which said a dreadful
 word and a marvellous:  Thou man, which shall enter
 into this ship, beware thou be in steadfast belief, for I am
 Faith, and therefore beware how thou enterest, for an
 thou fail I shall not help thee.  Then said the gentlewoman:
 Percivale, wot ye what I am?  Certes, said he,
 nay, to my witting.  Wit ye well, said she, that I am thy
 sister, which am daughter of King Pellinore, and therefore
 wit ye well ye are the man in the world that I most love;
 and if ye be not in perfect belief of Jesu Christ enter not
 in no manner of wise, for then should ye perish the ship,
 for he is so perfect he will suffer no sinner in him.  When
 Percivale understood that she was his very sister he was
 inwardly glad, and said:  Fair sister, I shall enter therein,
 for if I be a miscreature or an untrue knight there shall I
 perish.