CHAPTER I
How Sir Gawaine was nigh weary of the quest of the Sangreal,and of his marvellous dream.
WHEN Sir Gawaine was departed from his fellowship he rode long without any adventure.For he found not the tenth part of adventure as he was wont to do.For Sir Gawaine rode from Whitsuntide until Michaelmas and found none adventure that pleased him.So on a day it befell Gawaine met with Sir Ector de Maris,and either made great joy of other that it were marvel to tell.And so they told everych other,and complained them greatly that they could find none adventure.Truly,said Sir Gawaine unto Sir Ector,I am nigh weary of this quest,and loath I am to follow further in strange countries.
One thing marvelled me,said Sir Ector,I have met with twenty knights,fellows of mine,and all they complain as I do.I have marvel,said Sir Gawaine,where that Sir Launcelot,your brother,is.Truly,said Sir Ector,Icannot hear of him,nor of Sir Galahad,Percivale,nor Sir Bors.Let them be,said Sir Gawaine,for they four have no peers.And if one thing were not in Sir Launcelot he had no fellow of none earthly man;but he is as we be,but if he took more pain upon him.But an these four be met together they will be loath that any man meet with them;for an they fail of the Sangreal it is in waste of all the remnant to recover it.
Thus Ector and Gawaine rode more than eight days,and on a Saturday they found an old chapel,the which was wasted that there seemed no man thither repaired;and there they alighted,and set their spears at the door,and in they entered into the chapel,and there made their orisons a great while,and set them down in the sieges of the chapel.And as they spake of one thing and other,for heaviness they fell asleep,and there befell them both marvellous adventures.Sir Gawaine him seemed he came into a meadow full of herbs and flowers,and there he saw a rack of bulls,an hundred and fifty,that were proud and black,save three of them were all white,and one had a black spot,and the other two were so fair and so white that they might be no whiter.And these three bulls which were so fair were tied with two strong cords.
And the remnant of the bulls said among them:Go we hence to seek better pasture.And so some went,and some came again,but they were so lean that they might not stand upright;and of the bulls that were so white,that one came again and no mo.But when this white bull was come again among these other there rose up a great cry for lack of wind that failed them;and so they departed one here and another there:this advision befell Gawaine that night.
CHAPTER II
Of the advision of Sir Ector,and how he jousted with Sir Uwaine les Avoutres,his sworn brother.
BUT to Ector de Maris befell another vision the contrary.
For it seemed him that his brother,Sir Launcelot,and he alighted out of a chair and leapt upon two horses,and the one said to the other:Go we seek that we shall not find.And him thought that a man beat Sir Launcelot,and despoiled him,and clothed him in another array,the which was all full of knots,and set him upon an ass,and so he rode till he came to the fairest well that ever he saw;and Sir Launcelot alighted and would have drunk of that well.And when he stooped to drink of the water the water sank from him.And when Sir Launcelot saw that,he turned and went thither as the head came from.
And in the meanwhile he trowed that himself and Sir Ector rode till that they came to a rich man's house where there was a wedding.And there he saw a king the which said:Sir knight,here is no place for you.And then he turned again unto the chair that he came from.
Thus within a while both Gawaine and Ector awaked,and either told other of their advision,the which marvelled them greatly.Truly,said Ector,I shall never be merry till I hear tidings of my brother Launcelot.Now as they sat thus talking they saw an hand showing unto the elbow,and was covered with red samite,and upon that hung a bridle not right rich,and held within the fist a great candle which burned right clear,and so passed afore them,and entered into the chapel,and then vanished away and they wist not where.And anon came down a voice which said:Knights of full evil faith and of poor belief,these two things have failed you,and therefore ye may not come to the adventures of the Sangreal.
Then first spake Gawaine and said:Ector,have ye heard these words?Yea truly,said Sir Ector,I heard all.Now go we,said Sir Ector,unto some hermit that will tell us of our advision,for it seemeth me we labour all in vain.And so they departed and rode into a valley,and there met with a squire which rode on an hackney,and they saluted him fair.Sir,said Gawaine,can thou teach us to any hermit?Here is one in a little mountain,but it is so rough there may no horse go thither,and therefore ye must go upon foot;there shall ye find a poor house,and there is Nacien the hermit,which is the holiest man in this country.And so they departed either from other.
And then in a valley they met with a knight all armed,which proffered them to joust as far as he saw them.In the name of God,said Sir Gawaine,sith I departed from Camelot there was none proffered me to joust but once.
And now,sir,said Ector,let me joust with him.Nay,said Gawaine,ye shall not but if I be beat;it shall not for-think me then if ye go after me.And then either embraced other to joust and came together as fast as their horses might run,and brast their shields and the mails,and the one more than the other;and Gawaine was wounded in the left side,but the other knight was smitten through the breast,and the spear came out on the other side,and so they fell both out of their saddles,and in the falling they brake both their spears.