resently he should arm him and
mount on his horse and joust at you or any other; and so he were here,
well might we be the worse thereof. And therefore do I keep him so
close and quiet within yonder, for that I would not have him see you
nor none other, for and he were so soon to die, sore loss would it be
to the world."

"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "What name hath he?"

"Sir," saith he, "He hath made him of himself, and therefore do I call
him Par-lui-fer, of dearness and love."

"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "May it not be in any wise that I may see
him?"

"Sir," saith the hermit, "I have told you plainly that nowise may it
not be. No strange man shall not see him within yonder until such time
as he be whole and of good cheer."

"Sir," saith Messire Gawain, "Will you in nowise do nought for me
whatsoever I may say?"

"Certes, sir, no one thing is there in the world that I would tell him,
save he spake first to me."

Hereof is Messire Gawain right sorrowful that he may not speak to the
knight. "Sir," saith he to the hermit, "Of what age is the knight, and
of what lineage?"

"Of the lineage of Joseph of Abarimacie the Good Soldier."

V.

Thereupon behold you a damsel that cometh to the door of the chapel and
calleth very low to the hermit, and the hermit riseth up and taketh
leave of Messire Gawain, and shutteth the door of the chapel; and the
squire leadeth away the destrier and beareth the arms within door and
shutteth the postern door of the house. And Messire abideth without and
knoweth not of a truth whether it be the son of the Widow Lady, for
many good men there be of one lineage. He departeth all abashed and
entereth again into the forest. The history telleth not all the
journeys that he made. Rather, I tell you in brief words that he
wandered so far by lands and kingdoms that he found a right fair land
and a rich, and a castle seated in the midst thereof. Thitherward
goeth he and draweth nigh the castle and seeth it compassed about of
high walls, and he seeth the entrance of the castle far without. He
looketh and seeth a lion chained that lay in the midst of the entrance
to the gate, and the chain was fixed in the wall. And on either side
of the gate he seeth two serjeants of beaten copper that were fixed to
the wall, and by engine shot forth quarrels from their cross-bows with
great force and great wrath. Messire Gawain durst not come anigh the
gate for that he seeth the lion and these