ir
backs, and have hanged them in a waste place far away from the
hermitage. Lancelot cometh back again and taketh leave of Joseus the
young hermit, and saith it is great loss to the world that he is not
knight.

"Sir," saith the squire, "to me is it great joy, for many a man should
suffer thereby."

Lancelot is mounted, and Joseus commendeth him to God, praying him much
that he salute his father and cousin on his behalf, and Messire Gawain
likewise that he met in the forest what time he came all weeping to the
hermitage.

IX.

Lancelot hath set him forth again upon his way, and rideth by the high
forests and findeth holds and hermitages enough, but the story maketh
not remembrance of all the hostels wherein he harboured him. So far
hath he ridden that he is come forth of the forest and findeth a right
fair meadow-land all loaded with flowers, and a river ran in the midst
there of that was right fair and broad, and there was forest upon the
one side and the other, and the meadow lands were wide and far betwixt
the river and the forest. Lancelot looketh on the river before him and
seeth a man rowing a great boat, and seeth within the boat two knights,
white and bald, and a damsel, as it seemed him, that held in her lap
the head of a knight that lay upon a mattress of straw and was covered
with a coverlid of marten's fur, and another damsel sate at his feet.
There was a knight within in the midst of the boat that was fishing
with an angle, the rod whereof seemeth of gold, and right great fish he
took. A little cock-boat followed the boat, wherein he set the fish he
took. Lancelot cometh anigh the bank the swiftest he may, and so
saluteth the knights and damsels, and they return his salute right
sweetly.

"Lords," saith Lancelot, "is there no castle nigh at hand nor no
harbour?"

"Yea, Sir," say they, "Beyond that mountain, right fair and rich, and
this river runneth thither all round about it."

"Lords, whose castle is it?"

"Sir," say they, "It is King Fisherman's, and the good knights lodge
there when he is in this country; but such knights have been harboured
there as that the lord of the land hath had good right to plain him
thereof."

The knights go rowing along the river, and Lancelot rideth until he
cometh to the foot of the mountain and findeth a hermitage beside a
spring, and bethinketh him, since it behoveth him to go to so high a
hostel and so rich, where the Holy Graal appeareth, he will co