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

CHAPTER V

HOW KING ARTHUR SHEWED THE STONE HOVING ON THE WATER TO GALAHAD, AND
HOW HE DREW OUT THE SWORD

The queen heard thereof, and came after with many ladies, and shewed
them the stone where it hoved on the water. Sir, said the king unto
Sir Galahad, here is a great marvel as ever I saw, and right good
knights have essayed 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 sometime was 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 strode that Balin gave unto my grandfather King Pelles, the
which is not yet whole, nor not shall be till I heal him. Therewith
the king and all espied where came riding down the river a lady on a
white palfrey toward them. Then she saluted the king and the queen,
and asked if that Sir Launcelot was there. And then he answered
himself: I am here, fair lady. Then she said all with weeping: How
your great doing is changed sith this day in the morn. Damosel, why
say you so? said Launcelot. I say you sooth, said the damosel, for ye
were this day the best knight of the world, but who should say so now,
he should be a liar, for there is now one better than ye, and well it
is proved by the adventures of the sword whereto ye durst not set to
your hand; and that is the change and leaving of your name. Wherefore
I make unto you a remembrance, that ye shall not ween from henceforth
that ye be the best knight of the world. As touching unto that, said
Launcelot, I know well I was never the best. Yes, said the damosel,
that were ye, and are yet, of any sinful man of the world. And, Sir
king, Nacien, the hermit, sendeth thee word, that thee shall befall
the greatest worship that ever be