[Footnote 19:  Fellows had not formerly the rather contemptuous meaning that it has now; it meant simply comrades.]

Anon they saw knights all armed come in at the hall door, and did off their helms and their arms, and said unto Galahad:  “Sir, we have hied right much for to be with you at this table where the holy meat shall be departed.”

Then said he:  “Ye be welcome, but of whence be ye?”

So three of them said they were of Gaul, and other three said they were of Ireland, and the other three said they were of Denmark.

Therewith a voice said:  “There be two among you that be not in the quest of the Sangreal, and therefore depart ye.”

Then King Pelles and his son departed.  And therewithal beseemed them that there came a man, and four angels from heaven, clothed in likeness of a bishop, and had a cross in his hand; and these four angels bare him in a chair, and set him down before the table of silver whereupon the Sangreal was; and it seemed that he had in middes of his forehead letters the which said:  “See ye here Joseph, the first bishop of Christendom, the same which Our Lord succoured in the city of Sarras in the spiritual place.”

Then the knights marveled, for that bishop was dead more than three hundred year tofore.  “O knights,” said he, “marvel not, for I was sometime an earthly man.”

With that they heard the chamber door open, and there they saw angels; and two bare candles of wax, and the third a towel, and the fourth a spear which bled marvelously, that three drops fell within a box which he held with his other hand.  And they set the candles upon the table, and the third the towel upon the vessel, and the fourth the holy spear even upright upon the vessel.  And then the bishop made semblaunt[20] as though he would have gone to the sacring[21] of the mass.  And then he did that longed[22] to a priest to do a mass.  And then he went to Galahad and kissed him, and bade him go and kiss his fellows:  and so he did anon.

[Footnote 20:  Semblaunt meant show, appearance.]

[Footnote 21:  Sacring is from sacre, an old word meaning consecrate.]

[Footnote 22:  That is, belonged.]

“Now,” said he, “servants of Jesu Christ, ye shall be fed afore this table with sweetmeats that never knights tasted.”

And when he had said, he vanished away.  And they set them at the table in great dread, and made their prayers.

Then looked they and saw a man come out of the Holy Vessel, that had all the signs of the passion of Jesu Christ, bleeding all openly, and said:  “My knights, and my servants, and my true children, which be come out of deadly life into spiritual life, I will now no longer hide me from you, but ye shall see now a part of my secrets and of my hidden things:  now hold and receive the high meat which ye have so much desired.”  Then took he himself the Holy Vessel and came to Galahad; and he kneeled down, and there he received his Saviour, and after him so received all his fellows; and they thought it so sweet that it was marvelous to tell.