elivered
unto me, they departed, fleeing the speediest they might. I praised
them much of their going, and told them they did well not to die on
such occasion, for that the souls of knights that die under arms are
nigher to Hell than to Paradise."

XV.

Perceval, that never was without sore toil and travail so long as he
lived, departed from the hermitage and went with great diligence right
through the midst of the forest, and met a knight that came a great
gallop over against him. He knew Perceval by the shield that he bare.

"Sir," saith he, "I come from the Castle of the Black Hermit, there
where you will find the Damsel of the Car as soon as you arrive,
wherefore she sendeth you word by me that you speed your way and go to
her to ask for the chess-board that was taken away from before Messire
Gawain, or otherwise never again will you enter into the castle you
have won. Sir," saith he, "Haste, moreover, on account of a thing most
pitiful that I heard in this forest. I heard how a knight was leading
a damsel against her will, beating her with a great scourge. I passed
by the launde on the one side and he on the other, so that I espied him
through the underwood that was between us; but it seemed me that the
damsel was bemoaning her for the son of the Widow Lady that had given
her back her castle, and the knight said that for love of him he would
put her into the Serpent's pit. An old knight and a priest went after
the knight to pray him have mercy on the damsel, but so cruel is he,
that so far from doing so, he rather waxed sore wroth for that they
prayed it of him, and made cheer and semblant as though he would have
slain them."

The knight departed from Perceval and taketh leave and Perceval goeth
along the way that the knight had come, thinking that he would go after
the damsel for he supposeth certainly that it is she to whom he gave
back her castle, and would fain know what knight it is that entreateth
her in such fashion. He hath ridden until he is come into the deepest
of the forest and the thickest. He bideth awhile and listeneth and
heareth the voice of the damsel, that was in a great valley where the
Serpent's pit was, wherein the knight was minded to set her. She cried
right loud for mercy, and wept, and the knight gave her great strokes
of the scourge to make her be still. Perceval had no will to tarry
longer, but rather cometh thither as fast as he may.

XVI.

So soon as the damsel see