as ye may see. And now may ye suffer
me to go my way, for I have said you the sooth. And then he departed
with a great tempest.

Then was the good man and Sir Launcelot more gladder than they were
to-fore. And then Sir Launcelot dwelled with that good man that night.
Sir, said the good man, be ye not Sir Launcelot du Lake? Yea, sir, said
he. What seek ye in this country? Sir, said Sir Launcelot, I go to seek
the adventures of the Sangreal. Well, said he, seek it ye may well,
but though it were here ye shall have no power to see it no more than a
blind man should see a bright sword, and that is long on your sin, and
else ye were more abler than any man living. And then Sir Launcelot
began to weep. Then said the good man: Were ye confessed sith ye entered
into the quest of the Sangreal? Yea, sir, said Sir Launcelot. Then upon
the morn when the good man had sung his mass, then they buried the dead
man. Then Sir Launcelot said: Father, what shall I do? Now, said the
good man, I require you take this hair that was this holy man's and put
it next thy skin, and it shall prevail thee greatly. Sir, and I will do
it, said Sir Launcelot. Also I charge you that ye eat no flesh as long
as ye be in the quest of the Sangreal, nor ye shall drink no wine, and
that ye hear mass daily an ye may do it. So he took the hair and put it
upon him, and so departed at evensong-time.

And so rode he into a forest, and there he met with a gentlewoman riding
upon a white palfrey, and then she asked him: Sir knight, whither ride
ye? Certes, damosel, said Launcelot, I wot not whither I ride but as
fortune leadeth me. Ah, Sir Launcelot, said she, I wot what adventure ye
seek, for ye were afore time nearer than ye be now, and yet shall ye see
it more openly than ever ye did, and that shall ye understand in short
time. Then Sir Launcelot asked her where he might be harboured that
night. Ye shall not find this day nor night, but to-morn ye shall find
harbour good, and ease of that ye be in doubt of And then he commended
her unto God. Then he rode till that he came to a Cross, and took that
for his host as for that night.

CHAPTER III. Of an advision that Sir Launcelot had, and how he told it
to an hermit, and desired counsel of him.

AND so he put his horse to pasture, and did off his helm and his shield,
and made his prayers unto the Cross that he never fall in deadly sin
again. And so he laid him down to sleep. And anon as he was asleep it
bef