🧚 Opening, part 10

When they beheld each other they gave fair and courteous greeting, the one to the other, and Sir Gariët spake. "1 May He who can do all things shew favour and honour to ye Sir Knight, and to all who be with ye there within!"2

Sir Agloval looked upon Morien, and marked right well the fashion of him, and marvelled within himself what manner of knight he might well be who bare such guise.3 And Morien stood before him and asked him if he yet remembered how, seeking for Sir Lancelot, he came into the land of the Moors, and how he there loved a maiden, and plighted to her his troth, and how she granted to him her favours ere he departed from her upon his quest.4 He asked him if he yet thought thereupon, how, when he departed from the land he pledged his word to her that he would return, so soon as might be, to the country of the Moors, for her profit and for her honour?5 Did he yet think upon this?6

Sir Agloval made answer: "Sir Knight, I make no denial, yet have I but seldom been at rest.7 I rode in quest of Sir Lancelot awhile; and thereafter had I but little respite, since I brought my brother to court, where he was held in high honour, and so soon as he was made knight must I ride forth with him upon a journey which he would in no wise delay; for he was fain to avenge the harm done to our father many a year agone--that must ye understand.8 My brother knew well that our foes had taken to themselves the heritage that should have been ours, when they drave my father forth.9 This would he avenge, and spare not, and herein had we much strife ere we might regain it; but now have we done so much that we have won back our heritage and slain all those who had possessed themselves of our land.10 That so many years have fled since I sware to the maiden that I would return to her, that came of necessity.11 Now have I failed to keep mine oath, and needs must that I bethink me well, and seek counsel in the matter.12 I know not, and have no true tidings, whether that lady of whom ye speak be living or dead; naught do I know thereof!"13

Quoth Morien: "But I shall tell ye more thereof!14 She to whom ye gave your troth yet liveth and is my mother, and ye, Sir Knight, are my father!15 If ye will come with me, at her prayer and mine, then will ye do well and courteously.16 Ye begat me upon her who should be your wife, had ye kept your oath.17 Now bethink ye well, and say if ye will come or no. When ye parted from my mother she bare me though she knew it not.18 Thus, Sir Knight, did the matter fall out."19

Sir Agloval made answer: "By Heaven Sir Knight, I believe ye, every whit.20 That which the lady claimeth from me, in that I have thus betrayed her and foresworn mine oath, that will I make good, by the help of God.21 I will yet win her grace.22 Come ye to me here within to mine uncle and my brother, they shall counsel us well when they hear our tale--so shall we be more at ease."23

With that he undid the wicket. '24 Twould have done any heart good, who understood their speech, to see how Sir Agloval and Morien embraced and kissed each other.25 Any heart would have been the gladder who had seen and heard their gestures and their words, and in what love and friendship they betook themselves within, where they were right well received.26 Sir Agloval forthwith made known to his uncle and to Sir Perceval the true tale of his doings, and how that his son had come hither.27

When Sir Perceval heard this, never did knight receive so glad a welcome as that which he gave unto his nephew; so likewise did the hermit. '28 Twas bliss and fair speech there betwixt those knights, and in their honour did they bring forth such food and drink as was there within, and did all they might for their comfort.29 That even was there naught but gladness; each made great joy of the other, and erst as the knights were weary did they get them to sleep, as men are wont to do, till the day brake, and the sun shone forth.30

The knights lay longer abed than did the hermit, who had said and sung his orisons and his Mass ere day had dawned, or that the knights had arisen and done on their garments.31 Then spake Morien to his father, even as ye shall hear, and said he would ride thence, and was fain to know, without contention, if he would come with him to his mother, and do that which he promised when he departed from her, for the sake of God and of his own honour, and for their profit.32 He told how they had been deprived of their rightful heritage which had fallen to his mother from her father. "'33 Twas altogether denied her by the law of the land; yet 'twas the shame rather than the loss that grieved her, in that men called her son fatherless, and she might bring no proof of her word, nor shew them to their face the man who had begotten me!"34

Then said Sir Agloval, his father: "I will tell ye out and out how the thing stands with me, and tell ye all my counsel.35 Believe me well, I will not lie to ye in one word."36 And Morien hearkened and answered that he believed him fully.37

Thus they abode that day with the hermit, and were better served, in all that men might prepare for them, than I may well tell ye; and Morien prayed his father straitly that he would delay not, but would tell him what was in his thought and in his intent.38 Thus did he urge his father, till Sir Agloval told him all his mind.39

He said that he beheld a vision in a dream; it seemed to him that he rode throughout the day in a land where he saw naught but wilderness and wood, and trees, many and fair.40 By whiles he rode through hail and snow, by whiles through noontide heat, so that he was sore vexed.41 Whiles he saw the sun shine bright, whiles it was as if the twilight fell.42 He saw all kinds of beasts run through the forest, and folk, young and old, go up and down the woods.43 All this did he see in his dream, but nowhere in all this land did he come to where he might find shelter.44 But as it drew towards evening, and the light failed, did he think to see a tower, so strongly builded that none by force might lightly win their way within; but no doorway might he see, only, as it were, another tower that stood there.45 Within this he beheld a stairway, that wound upward to a doorway at the end.46 The door seemed to him high as a church, and of wrought ironwork.47 Were a man sick he might well be healed by the light that streamed forth from within, for, as he saw and looked upon it, it seemed as it might well be Heaven.48 And every step of the stairway was of good red gold.49 And he thought within himself that since those steps were so fair he might well set foot thereon, and tell the tale of them, how many they might be, that hereafter he might speak of the great marvel he had seen.50 But as he had counted sixty, and would set foot upon the next, lo! he saw none of all those he had left below him, save that upon which he stood, and on which his foot was set, and above him he saw naught.51 And it seemed to him that the door was distant from the step as high as one might shoot with a bow.52 Thus might he go neither forward nor backward.53 Then he beheld, and on the ground beneath were serpents and wild bears, even as if they would tear him; they gnashed their teeth as if they would seize him, and gaped with their jaws as they would swallow him.54 It seemed to him as if they were even at his heels, and he saw the snakes and dragons all twist themselves upwards. "55 And as I was thus fearful the step brake beneath me, and I fell downwards."56 From his great discomfort and his fear of the dragons he awoke, and slept no more.57