r Galahad," said the squire, when he had come to the White Abbey,
"that knight that wounded Bagdemagus sendeth you greeting, and bade that
ye should bear this shield, where through great adventures should
befall."

"Now blessed be God and fortune," said Galahad. And then he asked his
arms, and mounted upon his horse, and hung the white shield about his
neck, and commended them unto God.

Then within a while came Galahad thereas[16] the White knight abode him
by the hermitage, and every each saluted other courteously.

[Footnote 16: _Thereas_ is an old word meaning _where_.]

"Sir," said Galahad, "by this shield be many marvels fallen?"

"Sir," said the knight, "it befell after the passion of our Lord Jesu
Christ thirty-two year, that Joseph of Arimathie, the gentle knight, the
which took down our Lord off the holy Cross, at that time he departed
from Jerusalem with a great party of his kindred with him. And so he
laboured till that they came to a city that hight[17] Sarras.

[Footnote 17: _Hight_ means _was called_.]

"And at that same hour that Joseph came to Sarras there was a King that
hight Evelake, that had great war against the Saracens, and in especial
against one Saracen, the which was King Evelake's cousin, a rich king
and a mighty, which marched nigh this land. So on a day these two met to
do battle. Then Joseph, the son of Joseph of Arimathie, went to King
Evelake and told him he should be discomfit and slain, but if he left
his belief of the old law and believed upon the new law. And then there
he shewed him the right belief of the Holy Trinity, to the which he
agreed unto with all his heart; and there this shield was made for King
Evelake, in the name of Him that died upon the Cross.

"And when Evelake was in the battle there was a cloth set afore the
shield, and when he was in the greatest peril he let put away the cloth,
and then his enemies saw a figure of a man on the Cross, wherethrough
they all were discomfit.

"Then soon after there fell a great marvel, that the cross of the shield
at one time vanished away that no man wist where it became.

"Not long after that Joseph was laid in his deadly bed. And when King
Evelake saw that he made much sorrow, and said: 'For thy love I have
left my country, and sith ye shall depart out of this world, leave me
some token of yours that I may think on you.' Joseph said: 'That will I
do full gladly; now bring me your shield that I took you.' Then Joseph
bl