Chapter 14

CHAPTER XIV.
THE STORY OF PERCEVAL. "-Sir Percivale,
Whom Arthur and his knighthood called the Pure."
TENNYSON. THE father and two elder brothers of Perceval had fallen in battle
or tournaments, and hence, as the last hope of his family, his
mother retired with him into a solitary region, where he was brought
up in total ignorance of arms and chivalry. He was allowed no weapon
but "a lyttel Scots spere," which was the only thing of all "her
lordes faire gere" that his mother carried to the wood with her. In
the use of this he became so skilful that he could kill with it not
only the animals of the chase for her table, but even birds on the
wing. At length, however, Perceval was roused to a desire of
military renown by seeing in the forest five knights who were in
complete armor. He said to his mother, "Mother, what are those
yonder?" "They are angels, my son," said she. "By my faith, I will
go and become an angel with them." And Perceval went to the road and
met them. "Tell me, good lad," said one of them, "sawest thou a knight
pass this way either to-day or yesterday?" "I know not," said he,
"what a knight is." "Such an one as I am," said the knight. "If thou
wilt tell me what I ask thee, I will tell thee what thou askest me."
"Gladly will I do so," said Sir Owain, for that was the knight's name.
"What is this?" demanded Perceval, touching the saddle. "It is a
saddle," said Owain. Then he asked about all the accoutrements which
he saw upon the men and the horses, and about the arms, and what
they were for, and how they were used. And Sir Owain showed him all
those things fully. And Perceval in return gave him such information
as he had.
Then Perceval returned to his mother, and said to her, "Mother,
those were not angels, but honorable knights." Then his mother swooned
away. And Perceval went to the place where they kept the horses that
carried firewood and provisions for the castle, and he took a bony,
piebald horse, which seemed to him the strongest of them. And he
pressed a pack into the form of a saddle, and with twisted twigs he
imitated the trappings which he had seen upon the horses. When he came
again to his mother the countess had recovered from her swoon. "My
son," said she, "desirest thou to ride forth?" "Yes, with thy
leave," said he. "Go forward then," she said, "to the court of Arthur,
where there are the best and the noblest and the most bountiful of
men, and tell him thou art Perceval, the son of Pelenore, and ask of
him to bestow knighthood on thee. And whenever thou seest a church,
repeat there thy paternoster; and if thou see meat and drink, and hast
need of them, thou mayest take them. If thou hear an outcry of one
in distress, proceed toward it, especially if it be the cry