een
for more than four hundred and fifty winters. And while ye and your
kingdom did love Christ and did do His word, the Sangreal stayed within
your borders. But now ye war with each other, and are evil livers and
full of pride and mastery, and if ye do not repent and stay your
dishonour, then shall the Holy Vessel pass from Britain, and ruin and
death and civil war shall stalk through the land and leave it
desolate.'

Having spoken thus, the old man went from the hall, and none stayed
him; for too many there were who knew that they had been the evil
livers at whom his words had pointed.

Then uprose Sir Gawaine, who was a faithful knight and true man to his
king, though a proud one and a hasty. He was filled with sorrow for the
ruin that threatened his fair land.

'Now I do here avow,' he said, 'that to-morrow, without fail, I shall
set forth, and I shall labour with all the strength of my body and my
soul to go in quest of the Holy Graal, so that if I be fit to see it
and to bring it hither, this dear land may be saved from woe.'

So hot were his words that many of the better knights rose also, and
raising their right hands did make a like avowal; and those that cared
not for the quest felt that they must seem to do as the others did, and
so made avowal also, though in their hearts they thought more of pride
and earthly power.

'Gawaine, Gawaine,' cried the king, and the great tears stood in his
eyes, 'I know ye do right to avow this and to cause these others to
avow also; but a great dread is upon me, for I have great doubt that
this my fellowship shall never meet again.'

'Fear not,' said Lancelot, 'for bethink ye, my lord, in no better
adventure can we find death than in this quest, and of death we are all
sure.'

On the morrow the knights armed themselves, and bade farewell to King
Arthur and his queen, and there was much weeping and great sorrow. And
as the knights rode through the streets of Camelot the crowds stood and
wept, both rich and poor. All were full of dread to see so many brave
knights depart that never more would return.

Having passed through the gates of the town, every knight took the way
that he liked best.

Now Sir Galahad was without a shield, and he rode four days without
adventure. At evensong on the fourth day he came to an abbey of white
monks, and there was given great cheer. He found two other knights of
the Round Table at that abbey, the one King Bagdemagus and the other
Sir