le upon his shoulder that was furred
with ermine, and put that upon him. And the old knight said unto the
young knight: "Sir, follow me."

And anon he led him unto the Siege Perilous, where beside sat Sir
Launcelot; and the good man lift up the cloth, and found these letters
that said thus: "This is the siege of Sir Galahad, the haut[6] prince."

[Footnote 6: _Haut_ is an old form of _haughty_]

"Sir," said the old knight, "wit ye well that place is yours." And then
he set him down surely in that siege.

And then he said to the old man: "Sir, ye may now go your way, for well
have ye done that ye were commanded to do."

So the good man departed. Then all the knights of the Round Table
marveled greatly of Sir Galahad, that he durst sit there in that Siege
Perilous, and was so tender of age; and wist not from whence he came,
but all only by God; and said, "This is he by whom the Sangreal shall be
achieved, for there never sat none but he, but he were mischieved."[7]

[Footnote 7: That is, _harmed_.]

Then came King Arthur unto Galahad and said:
"Sir, ye be welcome, for ye shall move many good
knights to the quest of the Sangreal, and ye shall
achieve that never knights might bring to an end."

* * * * *

GALAHAD DRAWS THE SWORD OF BALIN LE SAVAGE

Then the King took him by the hand, and went down from the palace to
shew Galahad the adventures of the stone.

"Sir," said the King unto Sir Galahad, "here is a great marvel as I ever
saw, and right good knights have assayed and failed."

"Sir," said Galahad, "that is no marvel, for this adventure is not
theirs but mine; and for the surety of this sword I brought none with
me, for here by my side hangeth the scabbard."

And anon he laid his hand on the sword, and lightly drew it out of the
stone, and put it in the sheath, and said unto the King, "Now it goeth
better than it did aforehand."

"Sir," said the King, "a shield God shall send you."

"Now have I that sword that was sometime the good knight's, Balin le
Savage, and he was a passing good man of his hands; and with this sword
he slew his brother Balan, and that was great pity, for he was a good
knight, and either slew other through a dolorous stroke."

* * * * *

THE HOLY GRAIL APPEARS

"I am sure," said the King, "at this quest of the Sangreal shall all ye
of the Table Round depart, and never shall I see you whole together;
therefore, I