heretofore of old time.  I will well, said Galahad.  And there she brought him an horn of ivory, bounden with gold richly, and said:  Sir, blow this horn which will be heard two mile about this castle.  When Sir Galahad had blown the horn he set him down upon a bed.  Then came a priest to Galahad, and said:  Sir, it is past a seven year agone that these seven brethren came into this castle, and harboured with the lord of this castle, that hight the Duke Lianour, and he was lord of all this country.  And when they espied the duke’s daughter, that was a full fair woman, then by their false covin they made debate betwixt themself, and the duke of his goodness would have departed them, and there they slew him and his eldest son.  And then they took the maiden and the treasure of the castle.  And then by great force they held all the knights of this castle against their will under their obeisance, and in great service and truage, robbing and pillaging the poor common people of all that they had.  So it happened on a day the duke’s daughter said:  Ye have done unto me great wrong to slay mine own father, and my brother, and thus to hold our lands:  not for then, she said, ye shall not hold this castle for many years, for by one knight ye shall be overcome.  Thus she prophesied seven years agone.  Well, said the seven knights, sithen ye say so, there shall never lady nor knight pass this castle but they shall abide maugre their heads, or die therefor, till that knight be come by whom we shall lose this castle.  And therefore is it called the Maidens’ Castle, for they have devoured many maidens.  Now, said Galahad, is she here for whom this castle was lost?  Nay sir, said the priest, she was dead within these three nights after that she was thus enforced; and sithen have they kept her younger sister, which endureth great pains with more other ladies.  By this were the knights of the country come, and then he made them do homage and fealty to the king’s daughter, and set them in great ease of heart.  And in the morn there came one to Galahad and told him how that Gawaine, Gareth, and Uwaine, had slain the seven brethren.  I suppose well, said Sir Galahad, and took his armour and his horse, and commended them unto God.

CHAPTER XVI

How sir Gawaine came to the abbey for to follow Galahad, and how he was shriven to A hermit

Now, saith the tale, after Sir Gawaine departed, he rode many journeys, both toward and froward.  And at the last he came to the abbey where Sir Galahad had the white shield, and there Sir Gawaine learned the way to sewe after Sir Galahad; and so he rode to the abbey where Melias lay sick, and there Sir Melias told Sir Gawaine of the marvellous adventures that Sir Galahad did.  Certes, said Sir Gawaine, I am not happy that I took not the way that he went,