CHAPTER III
 
 How Sir Percivale came into a monastery, where he found
 King Evelake, which was an old man.
 
 
 THEN departed Sir Percivale from his aunt, either making
 great sorrow.  And so he rode till evensong time.  And
 then he heard a clock smite; and then he was ware of an
 house closed well with walls and deep ditches, and there he
 knocked at the gate and was let in, and he alighted and
 was led unto a chamber, and soon he was unarmed.  And
 there he had right good cheer all that night; and on the
 morn he heard his mass, and in the monastery he found a
 priest ready at the altar.  And on the right side he saw a
 pew closed with iron, and behind the altar he saw a rich
 bed and a fair, as of cloth of silk and gold.
 
 Then Sir Percivale espied that therein was a man or a
 woman, for the visage was covered; then he left off his
 looking and heard his service.  And when it came to the
 sacring, he that lay within that parclos dressed him up, and
 uncovered his head; and then him beseemed a passing old
 man, and he had a crown of gold upon his head, and his
 shoulders were naked and unhilled unto his navel.  And
 then Sir Percivale espied his body was full of great wounds,
 both on the shoulders, arms, and visage.  And ever he held
 up his hands against Our Lord's body, and cried:  Fair,
 sweet Father, Jesu Christ, forget not me.  And so he lay
 down, but always he was in his prayers and orisons; and
 him seemed to be of the age of three hundred winter.  And
 when the mass was done the priest took Our Lord's body
 and bare it to the sick king.  And when he had used it he
 did off his crown, and commanded the crown to be set on
 the altar.
 
 Then Sir Percivale asked one of the brethren what he
 was.  Sir, said the good man, ye have heard much of
 Joseph of Aramathie, how he was sent by Jesu Christ into
 this land for to teach and preach the holy Christian faith;
 and therefore he suffered many persecutions the which the
 enemies of Christ did unto him, and in the city of Sarras
 he converted a king whose name was Evelake.  And so
 this king came with Joseph into this land, and ever he was
 busy to be thereas the Sangreal was; and on a time he
 nighed it so nigh that Our Lord was displeased with him,
 but ever he followed it more and more, till God struck
 him almost blind.  Then this king cried mercy, and
 said:  Fair Lord, let me never die till the good knight
 of my blood of the ninth degree be come, that I may
 see him openly that he shall enchieve the Sangreal, that
 I may kiss him.