This king’s name was Evelake.  He had been converted by Saint Joseph of Arimathwa, who was sent by our Lord “to preach and teach the Christian faith.”  “Evelake,” says the legend, “followed Joseph of Arimathaea into England, to which country he brought the Holy Grail, the cup in which our Lord celebrated the institution of the Blessed Sacrament.”  This cup or chalice is said to have contained some drops of the Precious Blood.

And ever Evelake was busy to be there as the Sancgreall was.  And upon a time he nighed it so nigh that our Lord was displeased with him.  But ever he followed it more and more, till that God struck him almost blind.  Then this king cried mercy, and said:  “Fair Lord, let me never die till that the good knight of my blood of the ninth degree be comen, that I may see him openly, when he shall achieve the Sancgreall, that I may once kiss him.”

This “good knight” was, of course, Sir Galahad.  Meanwhile, “Sir Lancelot rode overthwart and endlong in a wild forest, and held no path but as wild adventure led him.  And at the last he came to a stony Cross which departed two ways in waste land, and by the Cross was a stone that was of marble, but it was so dark that Sir Lancelot might not wit what it was.  Then Sir Lancelot looked by him, and saw an old chapel, and there he wend to have found people.  And Sir Lancelot tied his horse till a tree, and there he did off his shield and hung it upon a tree.  And then he went to the chapel door, and found it waste and broken.  And within he found a fair altar full richly arrayed with cloth of clean silk, and there stood a fair clean candlestick which bare six great candles, and the candlestick was of silver.  And when Sir Lancelot saw this light he had great will for to enter into the chapel, but he could find no place where he might enter; then was he passing heavy and dismayed.  Then he returned and came to his horse, and did off his saddle and bridle, and let him pasture; and unlaced his helm, and ungirded his sword, and laid him down to sleep upon his shield tofore the Cross.  And so he fell on sleep, and half waking and half sleeping he saw, come by him, two palfreys all fair and white, the which bare a litter, therein lying a sick knight.  And when he was nigh the Cross he there abode still.  All this Sir Lancelot saw and beheld, for he slept not verily, and he heard him say:  Oh sweet Lord, when shall this sorrow leave me, and when shall the holy vessel come by me, wherethrough I shall be blessed, for I have endured thus long for little trespass.  And thus a great while complained the knight, and always Sir Lancelot heard it.  With that Sir Lancelot saw the candlestick with the six tapers come before the Cross, but he could see nobody that brought it.  And then came a table of silver, and the holy vessel of the Sancgreall, the which Sir Lancelot had seen tofore.  And there withal the sick knight set him upright and held up both his hands and said:  Fair, sweet Lord, which is here within this holy vessel,