Then this lady said to Sir Launcelot: Sir, if it please you will ye go
with me hereby into a chapel that we may give loving and thanking unto
God? Madam, said Sir Launcelot, come on with me, I will go with you.
So when they came there and gave thankings to God all the people, both
learned and lewd, gave thankings unto God and him, and said: Sir knight,
since ye have delivered this lady, ye shall deliver us from a serpent
there is here in a tomb. Then Sir Launcelot took his shield and said:
Bring me thither, and what I may do unto the pleasure of God and you I
will do. So when Sir Launcelot came thither he saw written upon the
tomb letters of gold that said thus: Here shall come a leopard of king's
blood, and he shall slay this serpent, and this leopard shall engender
a lion in this foreign country, the which lion shall pass all other
knights. So then Sir Launcelot lift up the tomb, and there came out an
horrible and a fiendly dragon, spitting fire out of his mouth. Then Sir
Launcelot drew his sword and fought with the dragon long, and at the
last with great pain Sir Launcelot slew that dragon. Therewithal came
King Pelles, the good and noble knight, and saluted Sir Launcelot, and
he him again. Fair knight, said the king, what is your name? I require
you of your knighthood tell me!

CHAPTER II. How Sir Launcelot came to Pelles, and of the Sangreal, and
of Elaine, King Pelles' daughter.

SIR, said Launcelot, wit you well my name is Sir Launcelot du Lake.
And my name is, said the king, Pelles, king of the foreign country, and
cousin nigh unto Joseph of Armathie. And then either of them made much
of other, and so they went into the castle to take their repast. And
anon there came in a dove at a window, and in her mouth there seemed a
little censer of gold. And herewithal there was such a savour as all the
spicery of the world had been there. And forthwithal there was upon the
table all manner of meats and drinks that they could think upon. So
came in a damosel passing fair and young, and she bare a vessel of gold
betwixt her hands; and thereto the king kneeled devoutly, and said his
prayers, and so did all that were there. O Jesu, said Sir Launcelot,
what may this mean? This is, said the king, the richest thing that any
man hath living. And when this thing goeth about, the Round Table shall
be broken; and wit thou well, said the king, this is the holy Sangreal
that ye have here seen. So the king and Sir Launcelot