Then said he to Galahad:  “Son, wottest thou what I hold betwixt my hands?”

“Nay,” said he, “but if ye will tell me.”  “This is,” said he, “the holy dish wherein I ate the lamb on Sher-Thursday.[23] And now hast thou seen that thou most desire to see, but yet hast thou not seen it so openly as thou shalt see it in the city of Sarras in the spiritual place.  Therefore thou must go hence and bear with thee this Holy Vessel; for this night it shall depart from the realm of Logris, that it shall never be seen more here.  And wottest thou wherefor?  For he is not served nor worshipped to his right by them of this land, for they be turned to evil living; therefore I shall disinherit them of the honour which I have done them.  And therefore go ye three to-morrow unto the sea, where ye shall find your ship ready, and with you take no more but Sir Percivale and Sir Bors.”  Then gave he them his blessing and vanished away.

[Footnote 23:  Sher-Thursday or Maundy Thursday is the name given to Thursday of the Holy Week, the day on which the Last Supper was celebrated.]

That same night about midnight came a voice among them which said:  “My sons and not my chief sons, my friends and not my warriors, go ye hence where ye hope best to do and as I bade you.”

“Ah, thanked be Thou, Lord, that Thou wilt vouchsafe to call us, Thy sinners.  Now may we well prove that we have not lost our pains.”

And anon in all haste they took their harness and departed.  But the three knights of Gaul, one of them hight Claudine, King Claudas’ son, and the other two were great gentlemen.  Then prayed Galahad to every each of them, that if they come to King Arthur’s court that they should salute Sir Launcelot, his father, and of them of the Round Table; and prayed them if that they came on that part that they should not forget it.

Right so departed Galahad, Percivale and Bors with him; and so they rode three days, and then they came to a rivage,[24] and found a ship.  And when they came to the board they found in the middes the table of silver and the Sangreal which was covered with red samite.

[Footnote 24:  Rivage is an old word meaning bank.]

Then were they glad to have such things in their fellowship; and so they entered and made great reverence thereto; and Galahad fell in his prayer long time to Our Lord, that at what time he asked, that he should pass out of this world.  So much he prayed till a voice said to him:  “Galahad, thou shalt have thy request; and when thou askest the death of thy body thou shalt have it, and then shalt thou find the life of the soul.”

Percivale heard this, and prayed him to tell him wherefore he asked such things.

“That shall I tell you,” said Galahad; “the other day when we saw a part of the adventures of the Sangreal I was in such joy of heart, that I trow never man was that was earthly.  And therefore I wot well, when my body is dead my soul shall be in great joy to see the blessed Trinity every day, and the Majesty of Our Lord, Jesu Christ.”