ve or draw my breath,
Those holy ladies gently came a-near,

And quite unarm'd me, saying: 'Galahad,
Rest here awhile and sleep, and take no thought
Of any other thing than being glad;
Hither the Sangreal will be shortly brought,

Yet must you sleep the while it stayeth here.'
Right so they went away, and I, being weary,
Slept long and dream'd of Heaven: the bell comes near,
I doubt it grows to morning. Miserere!

_Enter Two Angels in white, with scarlet wings; also, Four Ladies in
gowns of red and green; also an Angel, bearing in his hands a
surcoat of white, with a red cross._

AN ANGEL.

O servant of the high God, Galahad!
Rise and be arm'd: the Sangreal is gone forth
Through the great forest, and you must be had
Unto the sea that lieth on the north:

There shall you find the wondrous ship wherein
The spindles of King Solomon are laid,
And the sword that no man draweth without sin,
But if he be most pure: and there is stay'd,

Hard by, Sir Launcelot, whom you will meet
In some short space upon that ship: first, though,
Will come here presently that lady sweet,
Sister of Percival, whom you well know,

And with her Bors and Percival: stand now,
These ladies will to arm you.

FIRST LADY, _putting on the hauberk_.

Galahad,
That I may stand so close beneath your brow,
I, Margaret of Antioch, am glad.

SECOND LADY, _girding him with the sword_.

That I may stand and touch you with my hand,
O Galahad, I, Cecily, am glad.

THIRD LADY, _buckling on the spurs_.

That I may kneel while up above you stand,
And gaze at me, O holy Galahad,

I, Lucy, am most glad.

FOURTH LADY, _putting on the basnet_.

O gentle knight,
That you bow down to us in reverence,
We are most glad, I, Katherine, with delight
Must needs fall trembling.

ANGEL, _putting on the crossed surcoat_.

Galahad, we go hence,

For here, amid the straying of the snow,
Come Percival's sister, Bors, and Percival.
[_The Four Ladies carry out the bed,
and all go but_ Galahad.

GALAHAD.

How still and quiet e