out of the woful castle.  Now, Sir Gawaine, said the good man, thou must do penance for thy sin.  Sir, what penance shall I do?  Such as I will give, said the good man.  Nay, said Sir Gawaine, I may do no penance; for we knights adventurous oft suffer great woe and pain.  Well, said the good man, and then he held his peace.  And on the morn Sir Gawaine departed from the hermit, and betaught him unto God.  And by adventure he met with Sir Aglovale and Sir Griflet, two knights of the Table Round.  And they two rode four days without finding of any adventure, and at the fifth day they departed.  And every each held as befel them by adventure.  Here leaveth the tale oL Sir Gawaine and his fellows, and speak we of Sir Galahad.

CHAPTER XVII

How sir Galahad met with sir launcelot and sir Percivale, and smote them down, and departed from them

So when Sir Galahad was departed from the Castle oL Maidens he rode till he came to a waste forest, and there he met with Sir Launcelot and Sir Percivale, but they knew him not, for he was new disguised.  Right so Sir Launcelot, his father, dressed his spear and brake it upon Sir Galahad, and Galahad smote him so again that he smote down horse and man.  And then he drew his sword, and dressed him unto Sir Percivale, and smote him so on the helm, that it rove to the coif of steel; and had not the sword swerved Sir Percivale had been slain, and with the stroke he fell out of his saddle.  This jousts was done tofore the hermitage where a recluse dwelled.  And when she saw Sir Galahad ride, she said:  God be with thee, best knight of the world.  Ah certes, said she, all aloud that Launcelot and Percivale might hear it:  An yonder two knights had known thee as well as I do they would not have encountered with thee.  When Sir Galahad heard her say so he was adread to be known:  therewith he smote his horse with his spurs and rode a great pace froward them.  Then perceived they both that he was Galahad; and up they gat on their horses, and rode fast after him, but in a while he was out of their sight.  And then they turned again with heavy cheer.  Let us spere some tidings, said Percivale, at yonder recluse.  Do as ye list, said Sir Launcelot.  When Sir Percivale came to the recluse she knew him well enough, and Sir Launcelot both.  But Sir Launcelot rode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest, and held no path but as wild adventure led him.  And at the last he came to a stony cross which departed two ways in waste land; and by the cross was a stone that was of marble, but it was so dark that Sir Launcelot might not wit what it was.  Then Sir Launcelot looked by him, and saw an old chapel, and there he weened to have found people; and Sir Launcelot tied his horse till a tree, and there he did off his shield and hung it