rought him unto a tomb in the churchyard where there was night
and day such a noise that any man who heard it should be driven nigh
mad, or else lose his strength. 'Sir,' they said, 'we deem it a
fiend.' Sir Galahad drew near, all armed save his helmet, and stood by
the tomb. 'Lift up the stone,' said a monk, and Galahad lifted it, and
a voice cried, 'Come thou not nigh me, Sir Galahad, for thou shalt
make me go again where I have been so long.' But Galahad took no heed
of him, and lifted the stone yet higher, and there rushed from the
tomb a foul smoke, and in the midst of it leaped out the foulest
figure that ever was seen in the likeness of a man. 'Galahad,' said
the figure, 'I see about thee so many angels that my power dare not
touch thee.' Then Galahad, stooping down, looked into the tomb, and he
saw a body all armed lying there, with a sword by his side. 'Fair
brother,' said Galahad, 'let us remove this body, for he is not worthy
to be in this churchyard, being a false Christian man.'

This being done they all departed and returned unto the monastery,
where they lay that night, and the next morning Sir Galahad knighted
Melias his squire, as he had promised him aforetime. So Sir Galahad
and Sir Melias departed thence, in quest of the Holy Graal, but they
soon went their different ways and fell upon different adventures. In
his first encounter Sir Melias was sore wounded, and Sir Galahad came
to his help, and left him to an old monk who said that he would heal
him of his wounds in the space of seven weeks, and that he was thus
wounded because he had not come clean to the quest of the Graal, as
Sir Galahad had done. Sir Galahad left him there, and rode on till he
came to the Castle of Maidens, which he alone might enter who was free
from sin. There he chased away the Knights who had seized the castle
seven years agone, and restored all to the Duke's daughter, who owned
it of right. Besides this he set free the maidens who were kept in
prison, and summoned all those Knights in the country round who had
held their lands of the Duke, bidding them do homage to his daughter.
And in the morning one came to him and told him that as the seven
Knights fled from the Castle of Maidens they fell upon the path of Sir
Gawaine, Sir Gareth, and Sir Lewaine, who were seeking Sir Galahad,
and they gave battle; and the seven Knights were slain by the three
Knights. 'It is well,' said Galahad, and he took his armour and his
horse and r