erlin made the Round Table in tokening of roundness of the world,
for by the Round Table is the world signified by right, for all the
world, Christian and heathen, repair unto the Round Table; and when they
are chosen to be of the fellowship of the Round Table they think them
more blessed and more in worship than if they had gotten half the world;
and ye have seen that they have lost their fathers and their mothers,
and all their kin, and their wives and their children, for to be of your
fellowship. It is well seen by you; for since ye have departed from your
mother ye would never see her, ye found such fellowship at the Round
Table. When Merlin had ordained the Round Table he said, by them which
should be fellows of the Round Table the truth of the Sangreal should be
well known. And men asked him how men might know them that should best
do and to enchieve the Sangreal? Then he said there should be three
white bulls that should enchieve it, and the two should be maidens, and
the third should be chaste. And that one of the three should pass his
father as much as the lion passeth the leopard, both of strength and
hardiness.

They that heard Merlin say so said thus unto Merlin: Sithen there shall
be such a knight, thou shouldest ordain by thy crafts a siege, that no
man should sit in it but he all only that shall pass all other knights.
Then Merlin answered that he would do so. And then he made the Siege
Perilous, in the which Galahad sat in at his meat on Whitsunday last
past. Now, madam, said Sir Percivale, so much have I heard of you that
by my good will I will never have ado with Sir Galahad but by way of
kindness; and for God's love, fair aunt, can ye teach me some way
where I may find him? for much would I love the fellowship of him. Fair
nephew, said she, ye must ride unto a castle the which is called Goothe,
where he hath a cousin-germain, and there may ye be lodged this night.
And as he teacheth you, seweth after as fast as ye can; and if he can
tell you no tidings of him, ride straight unto the Castle of Carbonek,
where the maimed king is there lying, for there shall ye hear true
tidings of him.

CHAPTER III. How Sir Percivale came into a monastery, where he found
King Evelake, which was an old man.

THEN departed Sir Percivale from his aunt, either making great sorrow.
And so he rode till evensong time. And then he heard a clock smite; and
then he was ware of an house closed well with walls and deep ditc