our columns of marble between the
forest and the castle, there where his father told him how much ought
he to love good knights, and that none earthly thing might be of
greater worth, and how none might know yet who lay in the coffin until
such time as the Best Knight of the world should come thither, but that
then should it be known. Perceval would fain have passed by the
chapel, but the damsel saith to him: "Sir, no knight passeth hereby
save he go first to see the coffin within the chapel."

He alighteth and setteth the damsel to the ground, and layeth down his
spear and shield and cometh toward the tomb, that was right fair and
rich. He set his hand above it. So soon as he came nigh, the
sepulchre openeth on one side, so that one saw him that was within the
coffin. The damsel falleth at his feet for joy. The Lady had a custom
such that every time a knight stopped at the coffin she made the five
ancient knights that she had with her in the castle accompany her,
wherein they would never fail her, and bring her as far as the chapel.
So soon as she saw the coffin open and the joy her daughter made, she
knew that it was her son, and ran to him and embraced him and kissed
him and began to make the greatest joy that ever lady made.

XXIV.

"Now know I well," saith she, "that our Lord God hath not forgotten me.
Sith that I have my son again, the tribulations and the wrongs that
have been done me grieve me not any more. Sir," saith she to her son,
"Now is it well known and proven that you are the Best Knight of the
world! For otherwise never would the coffin have opened, nor would any
have known who he is that you now see openly."

She maketh her chaplain take certain letters that were sealed with gold
in the coffin. He looketh thereat and readeth, and then saith that
these letters witness of him that lieth in the coffin that he was one
of them that helped to un-nail Our Lord from the cross. They looked
beside him and found the pincers all bloody wherewith the nails were
drawn, but they might not take them away, nor the body, nor the coffin,
according as Josephus telleth us, for as soon as Perceval was forth of
the chapel, the coffin closed again and joined together even as it was
before. The Widow Lady led her son with right great joy into her
castle, and recounted to him all the shame that had been done her, and
also how Messire Gawain had made safe the castle for a year by his good
knighthood.

XXV.

"