s
power. And when she asked thee amends and to become her man, and thou
saidst thou wouldst not, that was to make thee to believe on her and
leave thy baptism. So he commanded Sir Percivale to depart, and so
he leapt over the board and the ship, and all went away he wist not
whither. Then he went up unto the rock and found the lion which always
kept him fellowship, and he stroked him upon the back and had great joy
of him.

CHAPTER VIII. How Sir Percivale saw a ship coming to him-ward, and how
the lady of the ship told him of her disheritance.

BY that Sir Percivale had abiden there till mid-day he saw a ship came
rowing in the sea, as all the wind of the world had driven it. And so
it drove under that rock. And when Sir Percivale saw this he hied him
thither, and found the ship covered with silk more blacker than any
bear, and therein was a gentlewoman of great beauty, and she was clothed
richly that none might be better. And when she saw Sir Percivale she
said: Who brought you in this wilderness where ye be never like to pass
hence, for ye shall die here for hunger and mischief? Damosel, said Sir
Percivale, I serve the best man of the world, and in his service he will
not suffer me to die, for who that knocketh shall enter, and who that
asketh shall have, and who that seeketh him he hideth him not. But then
she said: Sir Percivale, wot ye what I am? Yea, said he. Now who taught
you my name? said she. Now, said Sir Percivale, I know you better than
ye ween. And I came out of the waste forest where I found the Red Knight
with the white shield, said the damosel. Ah, damosel, said he, with
that knight would I meet passing fain. Sir knight, said she, an ye will
ensure me by the faith that ye owe unto knighthood that ye shall do my
will what time I summon you, and I shall bring you unto that knight.
Yea, said he, I shall promise you to fulfil your desire. Well, said she,
now shall I tell you. I saw him in the forest chasing two knights unto
a water, the which is called Mortaise; and they drove him into the water
for dread of death, and the two knights passed over, and the Red Knight
passed after, and there his horse was drenched, and he, through great
strength, escaped unto the land: thus she told him, and Sir Percivale
was passing glad thereof.

Then she asked him if he had ate any meat late. Nay, madam, truly I ate
no meat nigh this three days, but late here I spake with a good man that
fed me with his good words