CHAPTER XX
 How Galahad and his fellows were fed of the Holy Sangreal,
 and how Our Lord appeared to them, and other things.
 
 
 THEN King Pelles and his son departed.  And therewithal
 beseemed them that there came a man, and four angels
 from heaven, clothed in likeness of a bishop, and had a
 cross in his hand; and these four angels bare him up in a
 chair, and set him down before the table of silver where
 upon the Sangreal was; and it seemed that he had in
 midst of his forehead letters the which said:  See ye here
 Joseph, the first bishop of Christendom, the same which Our
 Lord succoured in the city of Sarras in the spiritual place.
 Then the knights marvelled, for that bishop was dead
 more than three hundred year to-fore.  O knights, said
 he, marvel not, for I was sometime an earthly man.
 With that they heard the chamber door open, and there
 they saw angels; and two bare candles of wax, and the
 third a towel, and the fourth a spear which bled marvellously,
 that three drops fell within a box which he held
 with his other hand.  And they set the candles upon the
 table, and the third the towel upon the vessel, and the
 fourth the holy spear even upright upon the vessel.  And
 then the bishop made semblaunt as though he would have
 gone to the sacring of the mass.  And then he took an
 ubblie which was made in likeness of bread.  And at the
 lifting up there came a figure in likeness of a child, and
 the visage was as red and as bright as any fire, and smote
 himself into the bread, so that they all saw it that the
 bread was formed of a fleshly man; and then he put it
 into the Holy Vessel again, and then he did that longed
 to a priest to do to a mass.  And then he went to Galahad
 and kissed him, and bade him go and kiss his fellows: and
 so he did anon.  Now, said he, servants of Jesu Christ,
 ye shall be fed afore this table with sweet meats that never
 knights tasted.  And when he had said, he vanished away.
 And they set them at the table in great dread, and made
 their prayers.
 
 Then looked they and saw a man come out of the
 Holy Vessel, that had all the signs of the passion of Jesu
 Christ, bleeding all openly, and said:  My knights, and
 my servants, and my true children, which be come out of
 deadly life into spiritual life, I will now no longer hide me
 from you, but ye shall see now a part of my secrets and of
 my hidden things: now hold and receive the high meat which
 ye have so much desired.  Then took he himself the Holy
 Vessel and came to Galahad; and he kneeled down, and
 there he received his Saviour, and after him so received all
 his fellows; and they thought it so sweet that it was
 marvellous to tell.  Then said he to Galahad: Son,
 wottest thou what I hold betwixt my hands? Nay, said
 he, but if ye will tell me.  This is, said he, the holy dish
 wherein I ate the lamb on Sheer-Thursday.  And now hast
 thou seen that thou most desired to see, but yet hast thou
 not seen it so openly as thou shalt see it in the city of
 Sarras in the spiritual place.  Therefore thou must go
 hence and bear with thee this Holy Vessel; for this night
 it shall depart from the realm of Logris, that it shall never
 be seen more here.  And wottest thou wherefore? For
 he is not served nor worshipped to his right by them of
 this land, for they be turned to evil living; therefore I
 shall disherit them of the honour which I have done them.
 And therefore go ye three to-morrow unto the sea, where
 ye shall find your ship ready, and with you take the sword
 with the strange girdles, and no more with you but Sir
 Percivale and Sir Bors.  Also I will that ye take with you
 of the blood of this spear for to anoint the Maimed King,
 both his legs and all his body, and he shall have his health.
 Sir, said Galahad, why shall not these other fellows go with
 us?  For this cause: for right as I departed my apostles
 one here and another there, so I will that ye depart; and
 two of you shall die in my service, but one of you shall
 come again and tell tidings.  Then gave he them his
 blessing and vanished away.