she, for God’s love turn again if ye may, for
ye be come unto your death. Nay, they said, we
will not turn again, for He shall help us in whose
service we be entered in. Then as they stood
talking there came knights well armed, and bad them
yield them or else die. That yielding, said they,
shall be noyous to you. And therewith they let
their horses run, and Sir Percivale smote the foremost
to the earth, and took his horse, and mounted thereupon,
and the same did Galahad. Also Bors served another
so, for they had no horses in that country, for they
left their horses when they took their ship in other
countries. And so when they were horsed then
began they to set upon them; and they of the castle
fled into the strong fortress, and the three knights
after them into the castle, and so alit on foot, and
with their swords slew them down, and gat into the
hall. Then when they beheld the great multitude
of people that they had slain, they held themself
great sinners. Certes, said Bors, I ween an God
had loved them that we should not have had power to
have slain them thus. But they have done so much
against Our Lord that He would not suffer them to
reign no longer. Say ye not so, said Galahad,
for if they misdid against God, the vengeance is not
ours, but to Him which hath power thereof. So
came there out of a chamber a good man which was a
priest, and bare God’s body in a cup. And
when he saw them which lay dead in the hall he was
all abashed; and Galahad did off his helm and kneeled
down, and so did his two fellows. Sir, said they,
have ye no dread of us, for we be of King Arthur’s
court. Then asked the good man how they were
slain so suddenly, and they told it him. Truly,
said the good man, an ye might live as long as the
world might endure, ne might ye have done so great
an alms deed at this. Sir, said Galahad, I repent
me much, inasmuch as they were christened. Nay,
repent you not, said he, for they were not christened,
and I shall tell you how that I wot of this castle.
Here was Lord Earl Hernox not but one year, and he
had three sons, good knights of arms, and a daughter,
the fairest gentlewoman that men knew. So those
three knights loved their sister so sore that they
brent in love, and so they lay by her, maugre her head.
And for she cried to her father they slew her, and
took their father and put him in prison, and wounded
him nigh to death, but a cousin of hers rescued him.
And then did they great untruth: they slew clerks
and priests, and made beat down chapels, that Our
Lord’s service might not be served nor said.
And this same day her father sent to me for to be
confessed and houseld; but such shame had never man
as I had this day with the three brethren, but the
earl had me suffer, for he said they should not long
endure, for three servants of Our Lord should destroy
them, and now it is brought to an end. And by
this may ye wit that Our Lord is not displeased with
your deeds. Certes, said Galahad, an it had not
pleased Our Lord, never should we have slain so many
men in so little a while. And then they brought
the Earl Hernox out of prison into the middes of the
hall, that knew Galahad anon, and yet he saw him never
afore but by revelation of Our Lord.