The castle company were aghast at this and turned tail, and when Sir Gawain saw his side in flight he was distraught, and leapt to his feet and drew his sword, and a knight cried out: ‘By God, sir knight, so you’re holding out against us!’
And he flung himself at Gawain, intent on tearing the helmet from his head; Gawain was incensed and came to meet him, and raised his sword and dealt the knight such a terrible blow that he clove his head right down to the teeth and struck him to the ground. He grabbed the knight’s horse and mounted and galloped after his men, bringing down four knights on the way. But his side had all rushed into the castle, the outsiders pursuing them right to the gates, taking a good deal of equipment and horses and prisoners.
As soon as the victory was complete, Perceval came to his host and presented him with three of the finest horses he had captured, asking that his daughter should have them in return for the sleeve he had worn. His host thanked him deeply, and then Perceval said: ‘Let’s go now, sir, for I’d like to lodge with you again tonight.’
As Perceval and the gentleman and his squires were making their way back, they saw a man approaching, old and bearded but decently dressed, and carrying a scythe on his shoulder: he appeared to be a reaper. He came to meet them, grabbed Perceval’s horse by the reins and said: ‘You silly fool! You shouldn’t be tourneying!’
Perceval was astounded and said: ‘What’s it to do with you, old man?’
‘A lot,’ he replied. ‘It matters to me and to others. It’s your business, and mine, and other men’s – and mine more than anyone’s, I assure you.’
Perceval, thoroughly taken aback, asked him: ‘Who are you?’
And the man replied: ‘I’m the son of one you barely know – he knows you better than you know him. But I tell you, no man benefits from his knowing them – it’s likely to bring nothing but grief!’
Perceval was bewildered by his words and said: ‘Would you explain yourself if I dismounted?’
‘There’s something I’d tell you,’ he replied, ‘but not in front of others.’
Perceval was relieved at this, and said to his host: ‘Carry on, good sir, and wait for me at your house. I’m going to talk to this worthy man and then I’ll follow you.’
‘Gladly, sir,’ his host replied, and rode away, leaving Perceval with the old man. He stepped up to him and asked him who he was, and he replied: ‘I’m a reaper, you can see.’
‘Then who told you so much about me?’ Perceval asked.
‘I knew your name,’ he answered, ‘before you were born.’
Perceval was amazed and said: ‘I implore you in God’s name, tell me what this is about. What’s your business? Tell me, for God’s sake, I beg you.’
‘I won’t lie to you,’ the old man said. ‘My name is Merlin, and I’ve come from Northumberland to speak to you.’
Perceval was astonished and said: ‘By God, Merlin, I’ve heard so much about you and what a great seer you are. So tell me, in God’s name, how I can find the house of the rich Fisher King.’
‘I will indeed,’ Merlin replied. ‘Know this: God has set obstacles in your path because of your broken vow. You swore you’d lie no more than one night at any lodging, but you’ve spent two nights at that gentleman’s house and were intending to spend another now!’
‘I’d completely forgotten!’ said Perceval.
‘Then it’s easier to forgive you,’ Merlin answered. ‘I’ll put you on a path to your grandfather’s house that’ll bring you there in less than a year.’
‘In God’s name, Merlin,’ Perceval said, ‘can’t you get me there sooner?’
‘It’s simple and not simple,’ Merlin replied. ‘You could be there by tonight, but you’ll make it in under a year. But don’t be a fool when you get there: make sure you ask about the things you see.’
‘I will indeed, sir,’ said Perceval, ‘if God grants that I reach that house.’
‘I’m going now,’ said Merlin. ‘I’m not saying any more to you, but your faith should now be stronger. And when the time comes that you have Christ’s vessel in your keeping, I’ll bring my tutor who’s recorded your deeds – and some of mine, though not all. But now I’m going.’
And he went: Perceval looked, and he was nowhere to be seen. He raised his hand and crossed himself, and then went to his horse and mounted, and set off along the path that Merlin had shown him. He rode on until, by Our Lord’s will, he saw – on the very day that Merlin had said – his grandfather’s house. He rode up to the gate and dismounted outside the hall.
Two servants came to meet him and welcomed him heartily, and helped him to disarm and stabled his horse with the utmost care; then they led him to the hall where his grandfather the king lay. And as soon as he saw Perceval he did his best to rise, overjoyed at his coming; and Perceval sat down beside him, and they spoke together of many things. Finally the king called for the table to be set; it was no sooner said than done, and they sat down to dine.
Just after the first course had been served, the lance with the bleeding head came out of a chamber, and after it came the Grail, and the damsel carrying the little silver platters. And Perceval, who could not wait to ask the question, said to the king: ‘Sire, by the faith you owe me and all men, tell me the purpose of these things I see.’
And as soon as he had said this, he looked up and saw that the Fisher King was utterly changed, cured of his sickness, as fit as a fish! Perceval was filled with wonder. And the king jumped up and was about to kiss Perceval’s feet, but he would not let him. Then all the boys of the house came running up and hailed Perceval with the utmost joy. At last he came to his senses and said: ‘Sire, you should know that Alain li Gros – your son, sire – was my father.’
When the Fisher King heard this his elation redoubled, and he said: ‘Dear nephew, I’m very glad you’ve come!’ And with that he knelt down and gave thanks to Our Lord; then he took Perceval by the hand and led him before the vessel and said: ‘Dear nephew, this is the lance with which Longinus struck Christ on the cross. And this vessel, called the Grail, holds the blood that Joseph gathered as it flowed from His wounds to the earth. We call it the Grail because it delights18 the hearts of all worthy men and all those who can stay in its presence – it will not tolerate the presence of the sinful. Now I shall pray to Our Lord to send me guidance in regard to you.’
With that Bron knelt before his vessel and said: ‘Dear Lord God, as surely as this is your blessed blood, which you granted I should be given after the death of Joseph, and which I have guarded ever since, send me a true sign of what should become of it henceforth.’
And thereupon the voice of the Holy Spirit descended, and said to him:
‘Bron, the prophecy that Our Lord made to Joseph will now be fulfilled. Our Lord bids you entrust to this man’s keeping the sacred words that He taught Joseph when He gave him19 the Grail in prison. And in three days from now you will leave this world and join the company of the apostles.’
With that the voice departed. And Bron did as it had instructed, and taught Perceval the sacred words that Joseph had taught him, which I cannot – and must not – tell you. And he taught him all about the faith of Our Lord, and how he had seen Him as a little child and in the temple where He had disputed with the elders; and how the great men of the land of Judaea had taken against Him, and how He had had a false disciple who had sold Him to the Jews; how he had seen Him crucified, and how his brother-in-law Joseph had asked for His body, which Pilate granted, and had taken Him down from the cross; and when he laid Him on the ground he had seen His blood flowing into the earth and, distressed by this, had gathered it in a vessel – ‘the very one you see here, which cannot abide the presence of sinners’.
He told him all about the life his good ancestor had led; and Perceval delighted in his words, and at once was filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Then the aged Bron placed the vessel in Perceval’s hands, and from it came a melody and a perfume so sweet that they thought they were with t
he angels in Paradise.
Bron, who was well advanced in years, spent the whole of the next three days with Perceval; and on the third day he came and lay before the vessel, his arms spread wide to form a cross, and offered thanks to Our Lord. And with that he passed away. And at his passing Perceval looked up and saw David with his harp and a great host of angels with censers waiting to receive Bron’s soul, and they carried him away to dwell in majesty with his heavenly Father whom he had served so long.
And there the illustrious Perceval remained; and all the enchantments that had beset the world were cast out and broken. And on that very day King Arthur was seated at the Round Table established by Merlin, and they all heard a grinding so terrible that they were filled with fear, and the stone that had split apart when Perceval had sat in the empty seat joined together once more. They were filled with awe, not knowing what this signified.
Then Merlin came to Blaise and told him of these things, and Blaise replied: ‘Merlin, you told me that when this business was done you would put me in the company of the Grail.’
‘Blaise,’ said Merlin, ‘you’ll be there before tomorrow dawns.’
And with that Merlin took Blaise and led him to the house of the Fisher King – whose name was Perceval – and there he stayed in the company of the Grail.
When Merlin had brought this business to a close he came to Arthur’s court at Carduel. Arthur was delighted to see him, and his men said he should ask Merlin the significance of the stone that had mended at the Round Table.
‘I shall indeed,’ said the king, ‘if he’s willing.’
‘Arthur,’ Merlin replied, ‘you should know that your reign has seen the fulfilling of the greatest prophecy of all time. For the Fisher King is healed, and the enchantments of the land of Britain are cast out. And Perceval is lord of the Grail by Our Lord’s decree. You can clearly see what a worthy man he is, when Our Lord entrusts His precious blood to his keeping; and that is why the stone that split beneath him is now repaired. And Gawain and Kay the seneschal should know that it was Perceval himself who won the tournament at the White Castle and laid them out on the ground. But now, I promise you, he has taken his leave of chivalry, and wishes to live henceforth in the grace of his Creator.’
When the king and his barons heard this they all wept as one, and prayed to Our Lord to bring Perceval to a good end. Then Merlin took his leave of the king and returned to Blaise and Perceval, and had Blaise set everything down in writing.
*
But the barons at Arthur’s court were most downcast at the news that the enchantments and adventures were ended, and the young men and squires and knights of the Round Table said they would stay with King Arthur no longer, but would cross the sea to seek out knightly deeds. When Kay the seneschal heard this he was most distressed, and came to the king and said:
‘Sire, all your barons are intending to leave you and go to foreign lands in search of adventure. But you’re the most esteemed king of all time in the land of Britain, and have the finest company of knights ever known. Remember, there have been three kings of Britain who’ve also been king of France and emperor of Rome, and Merlin said you would be likewise, and you know very well that Merlin’s the wisest man in the world and not inclined to lie. If your knights leave you and go seeking adventure abroad, you’ll never assemble them all again. Don’t be dilatory, my lord, or you’ll lose the mighty reputation you’ve enjoyed so long! Cross the sea and conquer France and Normandy, and divide them amongst your barons who’ve given you long service. We’ll do everything in our power to help you.’
Arthur was inspired by these words, and he came to his barons and sought their advice in the matter. Each gave his own reaction, all offering help most willingly. When Arthur heard he had the support of the finest men of his kingdom he leapt for joy, and had letters sealed and carried throughout the land by fifty messengers, declaring that no man able to give aid should fail to come, for he would repay each one with gifts enough to make them rich men. The messengers did their work, and assembled such a massive host that before the month was out they numbered more than a hundred thousand. The king was jubilant, and rode to see them with Sir Gawain and Kay the seneschal and King Lot of Orkney. He went to every tent, greeting each noble man with joy and winning their hearts and distributing splendid gifts. And they all cried:
‘King Arthur, you’re losing the whole world by your langour, for truly, if you shared our heart we’d conquer France and Normandy and Rome and all Lombardy for you – we’d have you bear the crown as far as Jerusalem, and you’d be lord of all the world!’
So said the Britons to their lord Arthur. The king was elated by their words, and swore upon his life that he would not stop until he had conquered France if nothing else. Then he summoned all the carpenters of the land and had them build the most magnificent fleet ever known, and when the ships and galleys were ready they came to port and provisioned them with bread and wine and meat and salt and arms and cloth. Then the knights embarked, taking with them the finest horses. In his absence the king entrusted his land to his wife the queen and to Mordred, who was Sir Gawain’s brother and the son of King Lot of Orkney – and much disposed to evil. Then Arthur took his leave and came down to the port, and they sailed by the wind and the stars.
Across the sea they went, until the fleet reached Normandy. And as soon as they landed they rode out across the country seizing men, women and loot and laying waste the land. I tell you, no land was ever so woefully ravaged; and when the duke heard the news he pleaded for a truce until they had spoken together, and King Arthur agreed. And he came to Arthur’s army and became his liegeman, saying he would hold the land as his vassal and pay him tribute; the king was delighted to accept his terms. And the duke had a most beautiful daughter, whom the king gave to Kay the seneschal along with lordship of all the duke’s land.
Then Arthur set out and crossed the duchy and entered the land of the king of France. At this time France’s king was named Floire. Alarmed at the news of Arthur’s approach, he summoned his troops from every part of the land to meet at Paris. A vast number of knights assembled, and Floire declared that he would await Arthur there. Hearing this, Arthur rode to meet him, and came to within two leagues of the French host. When King Floire heard of his coming, he chose two messengers to go to Arthur’s army and said: ‘Good messengers, you’re to go straight to the Britons and tell King Arthur there’s no need to have knights killed for the sake of conquering the land. Tell him that if he’s brave enough to contest the kingship of France in single combat, me against him, I’m ready to do battle; and either he’ll have France or I’ll have Britain.’
The messengers came at once to Arthur’s army and asked for him, and they were shown to his pavilion. They rode up and dismounted, and went in and greeted him and delivered their lord’s message word for word, keeping nothing back. And when he heard what they had to say, Arthur replied: ‘Sirs, tell King Floire, whose subjects you are, that I’ll do as he has bidden. Tell him I wouldn’t fail to meet his challenge for all the land of Britain.’
‘We want you to swear,’ they replied, ‘that he’ll have nothing to fear from anyone but you.’
The king gave them his word, and all the greatest of the Britons swore that if King Arthur was killed they would return home and hold their lands as King Floire’s vassals. The messengers for their part vowed that if King Floire was killed, they would surrender all the castles of France and pay homage to Arthur. It was agreed that the combat would take place in fifteen days. Then the messengers returned and delivered Arthur’s reply to King Floire, while the Britons moved camp to within a stone’s throw of the city walls. A truce was declared by both sides, so the Britons went into Paris to buy food.
The time passed and the day agreed by the king arrived. Both kings prepared for combat, donning the most magnificent royal armour; then they crossed to an island outside Paris and mounted their finest horses. The French and Britons, as agreed, stood in peace, unarmed spectato
rs, praying for Our Lord’s mercy as they watched their lords risking death to win honour. On the island the two kings drew apart, putting the range of two bowshots20 between them, and then came charging at each other at such a speed and exchanged such mighty blows on their shields that their lances shattered and splinters flew, and they collided, chests and heads together, with such force that they brought each other crashing from their horses to the ground. Arthur was the first to leap to his feet, and he drew his fine steel sword Excalibur and advanced upon Floire. King Floire jumped up in turn and boldly drew his sword, and towards each other they came. I tell you, both the French and the Britons were praying for their lords while the two kings, with little love lost between them, attacked each other with their swords. King Floire was mightily brave and bold, and very sure of his strength. With sword clutched tight in his right hand he dealt a blow upon Arthur’s shield, splitting it and hacking off a great piece; so mighty was the blow that as it flashed down it smashed three hundred rings from Arthur’s mailcoat and cut into his thigh, taking with it a handful or more of flesh, and down it came still, severing a spur and three toes from his foot before it plunged a full yard into the earth. Arthur was stunned by the blow, and Floire gave a mighty barge with his shoulder that nearly brought him to the ground. When the Britons and Sir Gawain saw this they were aghast and in terror for their lord, for King Floire was a head and helmet taller than Arthur and now looked bolder and stronger, too. They feared the worst; and when King Arthur saw his people trembling and in fear for him, he was filled with shame and anguish. With his sword Excalibur in his right hand he advanced on the king who was waiting for him in the middle of the field and struck him on the shield with all his fury; he smashed it right down to the boss, cutting away what it hit, and the blow followed through on to his helmet, sending its metal band flying; and the hood of his mailcoat could not stop the blade slicing away a chunk of his head and a fistful of hair: if the sword had not turned in his hand, it would have killed him; even so the helmet flew from his head, for the laces were broken. King Floire was incensed and went to strike Arthur on the helm, but could inflict no damage. Now he was deeply dismayed, and with blood running over his face and into his eyes he lost all sight of Arthur. His heart failed him, and he collapsed face down in the middle of the field. King Arthur was jubilant, and strode up, took his sword, brought it down and cut off his head. When the French saw that their king was dead their hearts were filled with grief and they retreated into the city, while the Britons came to their lord Arthur, set him on a horse, and led him back to his pavilion amidst the greatest celebration and swiftly disarmed him.
Merlin and the Grail Page 24
