s a-dread. When the mass was sung, and the hermit
was disarmed of the armour of Our Lord, he cometh to Perceval and
saluteth him and Perceval him again.

"Sir," saith Perceval, "For whom have you done such service? meseemed
that the corpse lay therewithin for whom the service was ordained."

"You say truth," saith the hermit. "I have done it for Lohot, King
Arthur's son, that lieth buried under this pall."

"Who, then, hath slain him?" saith Perceval.

"That will I tell you plainly," saith the hermit.

VIII.

"This wasted land about this forest wherethrough you have come is the
beginning of the kingdom of Logres. There wont to be therein a Giant
so big and horrible and cruel that none durst won within half a league
round about, and he destroyed the land and wasted it in such sort as
you see. Lohot was departed from the land and the court of King Arthur
his father in quest of adventure, and by the will of God arrived at
this forest, and fought against Logrin, right cruel as he was, and
Logrin against him. As it pleased God, Lohot vanquished him; but Lohot
had a marvellous custom: when he had slain a man, he slept upon him. A
knight of King Arthur's court, that is called Kay the Seneschal, was
come peradventure into this forest of Logres. He heard the Giant roar
when Lohot dealt him the mortal blow. Thither came he as fist as he
might, and found the King's son sleeping upon Logrin. He drew his
sword and therewith cut off Lohot's head, and took the head and the
body and set them in a coffin of stone. After that he hacked his
shield to pieces with his sword, that he should not be recognised; then
came he to the Giant that lay dead, and so cut oft his head, that was
right huge and hideous, and hung it at his fore saddle-bow. Then went
he to the court of King Arthur and presented it to him. The King made
great joy thereof and all they of the court, and the King made broad
his lands right freely for that he believed Kay had spoken true. I
went," saith the hermit, "on the morrow to the piece of land where the
Giant lay dead, as a damsel came within here to tell me with right
great joy. I found the corpse of the Giant so big that I durst not
come a-nigh it. The damsel led me to the coffin where the King's son
was lying. She asked the head of me as her guerdon, and I granted it
to her willingly. She set it forthwith in a coffer laden with precious
stones that was all garnished within of balsams. After that