“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 bled sore at the nose, so that he might not by no mean be staunched.  And there upon that shield he made a cross of his own blood.

“’Now may ye see a remembrance that I love you, for ye shall never see this shield but ye shall think on me, and it shall always be as fresh as it is now.  And never shall man bear this shield about his neck but he shall repent it, unto the time that Galahad, the good knight, bear it; and he last of my lineage shall have it about his neck, that shall do many marvelous deeds.’”

THE GRAIL ACHIEVED

So departed Galahad from thence, and he rode five days till that he came to the maimed king.  And ever followed Percivale the five days, asking where he had been.

So on a day it befell that they came out of a great forest, and there they met at traverse with Sir Bors, the which rode alone.  It is none need to tell if they were glad; and them he saluted, and they yielded him honour and good adventure, and every each told other.

Then rode they a great while till that they came to the castle of Carbonek.  And when they entered within the castle King Pelles[18] knew them; then there was great joy, for they wist well by their coming that they had fulfilled the quest of the Sangreal.

[Footnote 18:  King Pelles was the grandfather of Galahad.]

Then Eliazar, King Pelles’ son, brought tofore them the broken sword wherewith Joseph was stricken through the thigh.  Then Bors set his hand thereto, if that he might have soldered it again; but it would not be.  Then he took it to Percivale, but he had no more power thereto than he.

“Now have ye it again,” said Percivale to Galahad, “for an it be ever achieved by any bodily man ye must do it.”

And then he took the pieces and set them together, and they seemed that they had never been broken, and as well as it had been first forged.  And when they within espied that the adventure of the sword was achieved, then they gave the sword to Bors; for he was a good knight and a worthy man.  And anon alit a voice among them, and said:  “They that ought not to sit at the table of Jesu Christ arise, for now shall very knights be fed.”  So they went thence, all save King Pelles and Eliazar, his son, the which were holy men, and a maid which was his niece; and so these three fellows[19] and they three were there, no more.