m. Then perceived they both that he was Galahad;
and up they gat on their horses, and rode fast after him, but in a
while he was out of their sight. And then they turned again with heavy
cheer. Let us spere some tidings, said Percivale, at yonder recluse.
Do as ye list, said Sir Launcelot. When Sir Percivale came to the
recluse she knew him well enough, and Sir Launcelot both. But Sir
Launcelot rode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest, and held no
path but as wild adventure led him. And at the last he came to a stony
cross which departed two ways in waste land; and by the cross was a
stone that was of marble, but it was so dark that Sir Launcelot might
not wit what it was. Then Sir Launcelot looked by him, and saw an old
chapel, and there he weened to have found people; and Sir Launcelot
tied his horse till a tree, and there he did off his shield and hung
it upon a tree. And then he went to the chapel door, and found it
waste and broken. And within he found a fair altar, full richly
arrayed with cloth of clene silk, and there stood a fair clean
candlestick, which bare six great candles, and the candlestick was of
silver. And when Sir Launcelot saw this light he had great will for to
enter into the chapel, but he could find no place where he might
enter; then was he passing heavy and dismayed. Then he returned and
came to his horse and did off his saddle and bridle, and let him
pasture, and unlaced his helm, and ungirt his sword, and laid him down
to sleep upon his shield tofore the cross.

CHAPTER XVIII

HOW SIR LAUNCELOT, HALF SLEEPING AND HALF WAKING, SAW A SICK MAN BORNE
IN A LITTER, AND HOW HE WAS HEALED WITH THE SANGREAL

And so he fell on sleep; and half waking and sleeping he saw come by
him two palfreys all fair and white, the which bare a litter, therein
lying a sick knight. And when he was nigh the cross he there abode
still. All this Sir Launcelot saw and beheld, for he slept not verily;
and he heard him say: O sweet Lord, when shall this sorrow leave me?
and when shall the holy vessel come by me, wherethrough I shall be
blessed? For I have endured thus long, for little trespass. A full
great while complained the knight thus, and always Sir Launcelot heard
it. With that Sir Launcelot saw the candlestick with the six tapers
come before the cross, and he saw nobody that brought it. Also there
came a table of silver, and the holy vessel of the Sangreal, which
Launcelot had seen aforetime in King P