Branch X, part 3 of 6

¶"Sir," saith Lancelot, "it is no long time agone sithence I saw him in the house of the good King Hermit, that hath tended me and healed me right sweetly of the wounds that the knight gave me."

¶"And is the knight healed, then?" saith the hermit.

¶"Yea, Sir," saith Lancelot, "Whereof is right great joy. And wherefore do you ask me?"

¶"Well ought I to ask it," saith the hermit, "For my father is King Pelles, and his mother is my father's own sister."

¶"Ha, Sir, then is the King Hermit your father?"

¶"Yea, Sir, certes."

¶"Thereof do I love you the better," saith Lancelot, "For never found I any man that hath done me so much of love as hath he. And what, Sir, is your name?"

¶"Sir," saith he, "My name is Joseus, and yours, what?"

¶"Sir," saith he, "I am called Lancelot of the Lake."

¶"Sir," saith the hermit, "Right close are we akin, I and you."

¶"By my head," saith Lancelot, "Hereof am I right glad at heart."

¶Lancelot looketh and seeth in the hermit's house shield and spear, javelins and habergeon. "Sir," saith Lancelot, "What do you with these arms?"

¶"Sir," saith he, "this forest is right lonely, and this hermitage is far from any folk, and none are there here-within save me and my squire. So, when robbers come hither, we defend ourselves therewith."

¶"But hermits, methought, never assaulted nor wounded nor slew."

¶"Sir," saith the hermit, "God forbid I should wound any man or slay!"

¶"And how, then, do you defend yourselves?" saith Lancelot.

¶"Sir, I will tell you thereof. When robbers come to us, we arm ourselves accordingly. If I may catch hold of any in my hands, he cannot escape me. Our squire is so well-grown and hardy that he slayeth him forthwith or handleth him in such sort that he may never help himself after."

¶"By my head," saith Lancelot, "Were you not hermit, you would be valiant throughout."

¶"By my head," saith the squire. "You say true, for methinketh there is none so strong nor so hardy as he in all the kingdom of Logres."

¶The lodged Lancelot the night the best he could.

¶VIII.

¶When as they were in their first sleep, come four robber-knights of the forest that knew how a knight was lodged therewithin, and had coveted his horse and his arms. The hermit that was in his chapel saw them first, and awoke his squire and made him bring his arms all secretly; then he made his squire arm. "Sir," saith the squire, "Shall I waken the knight?"

¶"In nowise," saith the hermit, "until such time as we shall know wherefore."

¶He maketh open the door of the chapel and taketh a great coil of rope, and they issue forth, he and his squire, and they perceived the robbers in the stable where Lancelot's horse was. The hermit crieth out: the squire cometh forward and thereupon beareth one to the ground with his spear. The hermit seizeth him and bindeth him to a tree so strait that he may not move. The other three think to defend them and to rescue their fellow. Lancelot leapeth up all startled when he heareth the noise and armeth himself as quickly as he may, albeit not so quickly but that or ever he come, the hermit hath taken the other three and bound them with the fourth. But of them were some that were wounded right sore.

¶"Sir," saith the hermit to Lancelot, "It grieveth me that you have been awakened."

¶"Rather," saith Lancelot, "have you done me great wrong for that you ought to have awakened me sooner."

¶"Sir," saith the hermit, "We have assaults such as this often enough."

¶The four robbers cry mercy of Lancelot that he will pray the hermit to have pity upon them. And Lancelot saith God help not him that shall have pity on thieves! As soon as it was daylight, Lancelot and the squire led them into the forest, their hands all tied behind their backs, and have hanged them in a waste place far away from the hermitage. Lancelot cometh back again and taketh leave of Joseus the young hermit, and saith it is great loss to the world that he is not knight.

¶"Sir," saith the squire, "to me is it great joy, for many a man should suffer thereby."

¶Lancelot is mounted, and Joseus commendeth him to God, praying him much that he salute his father and cousin on his behalf, and Messire Gawain likewise that he met in the forest what time he came all weeping to the hermitage.

¶IX.

¶Lancelot hath set him forth again upon his way, and rideth by the high forests and findeth holds and hermitages enough, but the story maketh not remembrance of all the hostels wherein he harboured him. So far hath he ridden that he is come forth of the forest and findeth a right fair meadow-land all loaded with flowers, and a river ran in the midst there of that was right fair and broad, and there was forest upon the one side and the other, and the meadow lands were wide and far betwixt the river and the forest. Lancelot looketh on the river before him and seeth a man rowing a great boat, and seeth within the boat two knights, white and bald, and a damsel, as it seemed him, that held in her lap the head of a knight that lay upon a mattress of straw and was covered with a coverlid of marten's fur, and another damsel sate at his feet. There was a knight within in the midst of the boat that was fishing with an angle, the rod whereof seemeth of gold, and right great fish he took. A little cock-boat followed the boat, wherein he set the fish he took. Lancelot cometh anigh the bank the swiftest he may, and so saluteth the knights and damsels, and they return his salute right sweetly.