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For all true hearts be blazoned on her tomb
In letters gold and azure！' which was wrought
Thereafter； but when now the lords and dames
And people； from the high door streaming； brake
Disorderly； as homeward each； the Queen；
Who marked Sir Lancelot where he moved apart；
Drew near； and sighed in passing； 'Lancelot；
Forgive me； mine was jealousy in love。'
He answered with his eyes upon the ground；
'That is love's curse； pass on； my Queen； forgiven。'
But Arthur； who beheld his cloudy brows；
Approached him； and with full affection said；
'Lancelot； my Lancelot； thou in whom I have
Most joy and most affiance； for I know
What thou hast been in battle by my side；
And many a time have watched thee at the tilt
Strike down the lusty and long practised knight；
And let the younger and unskilled go by
To win his honour and to make his name；
And loved thy courtesies and thee； a man
Made to be loved； but now I would to God；
Seeing the homeless trouble in thine eyes；
Thou couldst have loved this maiden； shaped； it seems；
By God for thee alone； and from her face；
If one may judge the living by the dead；
Delicately pure and marvellously fair；
Who might have brought thee； now a lonely man
Wifeless and heirless； noble issue； sons
Born to the glory of thine name and fame；
My knight； the great Sir Lancelot of the Lake。'
Then answered Lancelot； 'Fair she was； my King；
Pure； as you ever wish your knights to be。
To doubt her fairness were to want an eye；
To doubt her pureness were to want a heart
Yea； to be loved； if what is worthy love
Could bind him； but free love will not be bound。'
'Free love； so bound； were freest；' said the King。
'Let love be free； free love is for the best：
And； after heaven； on our dull side of death；
What should be best； if not so pure a love
Clothed in so pure a loveliness？ yet thee
She failed to bind； though being； as I think；
Unbound as yet； and gentle； as I know。'
And Lancelot answered nothing； but he went；
And at the inrunning of a little brook
Sat by the river in a cove； and watched
The high reed wave； and lifted up his eyes
And saw the barge that brought her moving down；
Far…off； a blot upon the stream； and said
Low in himself； 'Ah simple heart and sweet；
Ye loved me； damsel； surely with a love
Far tenderer than my Queen's。 Pray for thy soul？
Ay； that will I。 Farewell toonow at last
Farewell； fair lily。 〃Jealousy in love？〃
Not rather dead love's harsh heir； jealous pride？
Queen； if I grant the jealousy as of love；
May not your crescent fear for name and fame
Speak； as it waxes； of a love that wanes？
Why did the King dwell on my name to me？
Mine own name shames me； seeming a reproach；
Lancelot； whom the Lady of the Lake
Caught from his mother's armsthe wondrous one
Who passes through the vision of the night
She chanted snatches of mysterious hymns
Heard on the winding waters； eve and morn
She kissed me saying； 〃Thou art fair； my child；
As a king's son；〃 and often in her arms
She bare me； pacing on the dusky mere。
Would she had drowned me in it； where'er it be！
For what am I？ what profits me my name
Of greatest knight？ I fought for it； and have it：
Pleasure to have it； none； to lose it； pain；
Now grown a part of me： but what use in it？
To make men worse by making my sin known？
Or sin seem less； the sinner seeming great？
Alas for Arthur's greatest knight； a man
Not after Arthur's heart！ I needs must break
These bonds that so defame me： not without
She wills it： would I； if she willed it？ nay；
Who knows？ but if I would not； then may God；
I pray him； send a sudden Angel down
To seize me by the hair and bear me far；
And fling me deep in that forgotten mere；
Among the tumbled fragments of the hills。'
So groaned Sir Lancelot in remorseful pain；
Not knowing he should die a holy man。
The Holy Grail
From noiseful arms； and acts of prowess done
In tournament or tilt； Sir Percivale；
Whom Arthur and his knighthood called The Pure；
Had passed into the silent life of prayer；
Praise； fast； and alms； and leaving for the cowl
The helmet in an abbey far away
From Camelot； there； and not long after； died。
And one； a fellow…monk among the rest；
Ambrosius； loved him much beyond the rest；
And honoured him； and wrought into his heart
A way by love that wakened love within；
To answer that which came： and as they sat
Beneath a world…old yew…tree； darkening half
The cloisters； on a gustful April morn
That puffed the swaying branches into smoke
Above them； ere the summer when he died
The monk Ambrosius questioned Percivale：
'O brother； I have seen this yew…tree smoke；
Spring after spring； for half a hundred years：
For never have I known the world without；
Nor ever strayed beyond the pale： but thee；
When first thou camestsuch a courtesy
Spake through the limbs and in the voiceI knew
For one of those who eat in Arthur's hall；
For good ye are and bad； and like to coins；
Some true； some light； but every one of you
Stamped with the image of the King； and now
Tell me； what drove thee from the Table Round；
My brother？ was it earthly passion crost？'
'Nay；' said the knight； 'for no such passion mine。
But the sweet vision of the Holy Grail
Drove me from all vainglories； rivalries；
And earthly heats that spring and sparkle out
Among us in the jousts； while women watch
Who wins； who falls； and waste the spiritual strength
Within us； better offered up to Heaven。'
To whom the monk： 'The Holy Grail！I trust
We are green in Heaven's eyes； but here too much
We moulderas to things without I mean
Yet one of your own knights； a guest of ours；
Told us of this in our refectory；
But spake with such a sadness and so low
We heard not half of what he said。 What is it？
The phantom of a cup that comes and goes？'
'Nay； monk！ what phantom？' answered Percivale。
'The cup； the cup itself； from which our Lord
Drank at the last sad supper with his own。
This； from the blessed land of Aromat
After the day of darkness； when the dead
Went wandering o'er Moriahthe good saint
Arimathaean Joseph； journeying brought
To Glastonbury； where the winter thorn
Blossoms at Christmas； mindful of our Lord。
And there awhile it bode； and if a man
Could touch or see it； he was healed at once；
By faith； of all his ills。 But then the times
Grew to such evil that the holy cup
Was caught away to Heaven； and disappeared。'
To whom the monk： 'From our old books I know
That Joseph came of old to Glastonbury；
And there the heathen Prince； Arviragus；
Gave him an isle of marsh whereon to build；
And there he built with wattles from the marsh
A little lonely church in days of yore；
For so they say； these books of ours； but seem
Mute of this miracle； far as I have read。
But who first saw the holy thing today？'
'A woman；' answered Percivale； 'a nun；
And one no further off in blood from me
Than sister； and if ever holy maid
With knees of adoration wore the stone；
A holy maid； though never maiden glowed；
But that was in her earlier maidenhood；
With such a fervent flame of human love；
Which being rudely blunted； glanced and shot
Only to holy things； to prayer and praise
She gave herself； to fast and alms。 And yet；
Nun as she was； the scandal of the Court；
Sin against Arthur and the Table Round；
And the strange sound of an adulterous race；
Across the iron grating of her cell
Beat； and she prayed and fasted all the more。
'And he to whom she told her sins； or what
Her all but utter whiteness held for sin；
A man wellnigh a hundred winters old；
Spake often with her of the Holy Grail；
A legend handed down through five or six；
And each of these a hundred winters old；
From our Lord's time。 And when King Arthur made
His Table Round； and all men's hearts became
Clean for a season； surely he had thought
That now the Holy Grail would come again；
But sin broke out。 Ah； Christ； that it would come；
And heal the world of all their wickedness！
〃O Father！〃 asked the maiden； 〃might it come
To me by prayer and fasting？〃 〃Nay；〃 said he；
〃I know not； for thy heart is pure as snow。〃
And so she prayed and fasted； till the sun
Shone； and the wind blew； through her； and I thought
She might have risen and floated when I saw her。
'For on a day she sent to speak with me。
And when she came to speak； behold her eyes
Beyond my knowing of them； beautiful；
Beyond all knowing of them； wonderful；
Beautiful in the light of holiness。
And 〃O my brother Percivale；〃 she said；
〃Sweet brother； I have seen the Holy Grail：
For； waked at dead of night； I heard a sound
As of a silver horn from o'er the hills
Blown； and I thought； 'It is not Arthur's use
To hunt by moonlight；' and the slender sound
As from a distance beyond distance grew
Coming upon meO never harp nor horn；
Nor aught we blow with breath； or touch with hand；
Was like that music as it came； and then
Streamed through my cell a cold and silver beam；
And down the long beam stole the Holy Grail；
Rose…red with beatings in it； as if alive；
Till all the white walls of my cell were dyed
With rosy colours leaping on the wall；
And then the music faded； and the Grail
Past； and the beam decayed； and from the walls
The rosy