vice.

Then after the service was done the king would wit how many had
undertaken the quest of the Holy Grail; and to accompt them he prayed
them all. Then found they by the tale an hundred and fifty, and all
were knights of the Round Table. And then they put on their helms and
departed, and recommended them all wholly unto the queen; and there was
weeping and great sorrow. Then the queen departed into her chamber and
held her, so that no man should perceive her great sorrows. When Sir
Launcelot missed the queen he went till her chamber, and when she saw
him she cried aloud: O Launcelot, Launcelot, ye have betrayed me and put
me to the death, for to leave thus my lord. Ah, madam, I pray you be
not displeased, for I shall come again as soon as I may with my worship.
Alas, said she, that ever I saw you; but he that suffered upon the cross
for all mankind, he be unto you good conduct and safety, and all the
whole fellowship.

Right so departed Sir Launcelot, and found his fellowship that abode
his coming. And so they mounted upon their horses and rode through the
streets of Camelot; and there was weeping of rich and poor, and the king
turned away and might not speak for weeping. So within a while they came
to a city, and a castle that hight Vagon. There they entered into the
castle, and the lord of that castle was an old man that hight Vagon, and
he was a good man of his living, and set open the gates, and made them
all the cheer that he might. And so on the morn they were all accorded
that they should depart everych from other; and on the morn they
departed with weeping cheer, and every knight took the way that him
liked best.

CHAPTER IX. How Galahad gat him a shield, and how they sped that
presumed to take down the said shield.

NOW rideth Sir Galahad yet without shield, and so he rode four days
without any adventure. And at the fourth day after evensong he came to
a White Abbey, and there he was received with great reverence, and led
unto a chamber, and there was he unarmed; and then was he ware of two[1]
knights of the Table Round, one was Sir Bagdemagus, and[1] that[1]
other[1] was Sir Uwaine. And when they saw him they went unto Galahad
and made of him great solace, and so they went unto supper. Sirs, said
Sir Galahad, what adventure brought you hither? Sir, said they, it is
told us that within this place is a shield that no man may bear about
his neck but he be mischieved outher dead within three days, or