CHAPTER XX

How Galahad and his fellows were fed of the holy Sangreal, and how our lord appeared to them, and other things

Then King Pelles and his son departed.  And therewithal beseemed them that there came a man, and four angels from heaven, clothed in likeness of a bishop, and had a cross in his hand; and there four angels bare him in a chair, and set him down before the table of silver whereupon the Sangreal was; and it seemed that he had in middes of his forehead letters the which said:  See ye here Joseph, the first bishop of Christendom, the same which Our Lord succoured in the city of Sarras in the spiritual place.  Then the knights marvelled, for that bishop was dead more than three hundred years tofore.  O knights, said he, marvel not, for I was sometime an earthly man.  With that they heard the chamber door open, and there they saw angels; and two bare candles of wax, and the third a towel, and the fourth a spear which bled marvellously, that three drops fell within a box which he held with his other hand.  And they set the candles upon the table, and the third the towel upon the vessel, and the fourth the holy spear even upright upon the vessel.  And then the bishop made semblant as though he would have gone to the sacring of the mass.  And then he took an ubblye which was made in likeness of bread.  And at the lifting up there came a figure in likeness of a child, and the visage was as red and as bright as any fire, and smote himself into the bread, so that they all saw it that the bread was formed of a fleshly man; and then he put it into the holy vessel again, and then he did that longed to a priest to do to a mass.  And then he went to Galahad and kissed him, and bad him go and kiss his fellows:  and so he did anon.  Now, said he, servants of Jesu Christ, ye shall be fed afore this table with sweetmeats that never knights tasted.  And when he had said, he vanished away.  And they set them at the table in great dread and made their prayers.  Then looked they and saw a man come out of the holy vessel, that had all the signs of the passion of Jesu Christ, bleeding all openly, and said:  My knights, and my servants, and my true children, which be come out of deadly life into spiritual life, I will now no longer hide me from you, but ye shall see now a part of my secrets and of my hidden things:  now hold and receive the high meat which ye have so much desired.  Then took he himself the holy vessel and came to Galahad; and he kneeled down, and there he received his Saviour, and after him so received all his fellows; and they thought it so sweet that it was marvellous to tell.  Then said he to Galahad:  Son, wotest 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.