Clemence Housman - The Life of Sir Aglovale de Galis - Chapter XX lyrics

WELL alone came Aglovale to Camelot, and all timely he came for hearing the last tidings of his brother. For few days later Sir Bors returned from that far-off city of Sarras, where he had laid to earth the mortal covers of three pure souls: maiden Saint, Galahad, and Percivale. Beside the vacant sieges of his two fellows Bors took his place, and before Arthur and the broken fellowship told the tale of how the Quest was achieved, and many high adventures therewith of the Table, and the Ship, and the Sword; of the pa**ing of Percivale's sister Saint, and how dead she came in the body to keep tryst; how they rested in prison with marvellous consolation; how in the city of Sarras Galahad was crowned king, and how he died for holy joy. Sir Launcelot bowed down, weeping for his son in sorrow and joy, and many another wept with him. Sir Aglovale neither bowed, nor wept, nor spoke. Once Sir Bors at the first looked upon him earnestly, meeting a pa**ive stare. He came to the tale of how Sir Percivale took on religious clothing, and in a hermitage abode, praying and wasting away till he died upon Easter Day. Once again he looked on Sir Aglovale; even then he sat rigid and still as stone. Those who remembered to mark him were not drawn to approach in the kindness of common dole one so unmoved. Only Launcelot, and he was blinded. He came by, and turned to take Sir Aglovale by the hand. "Ah, Sir Aglovale, we be fellows this day beyond the rest; for to you and to me most near as brother and son are these two best knights in the world, Sir Galahad and Sir Percivale, fellows without peer." Aglovale blessed him as the indigent blesses alms, and gripped so hard that Sir Launcelot took away bruised fingers. Late that night came Sir Bors to Sir Aglovale's lodging. "I pray you, Sir Aglovale, give me leave to be free of your privacy at this time, though I know you so little, but by hearsay." "Make free. In the name of God, give me to hear what is mine, though it be but grief." "Sir, I bring you your own again," said Bors, and put into his hands his own sword that Percivale had taken. At that there was glow in ashes. Aglovale took the blade and handled it over and over, and kissed devoutly the red cross in the hilts. For this same blade tokened loss and gain: regained from Arthur, regained from Lamorak, regained from Percivale; thrice annealed, he held it dear. Said Bors, "Hear how Sir Percivale delivered this charge. He kneeled, and lifting up the hilts between his two hands, he cried, 'I swear, brother Sir Aglovale, I swear I do love you.'" Aglovale turned away abrupt with a heavy breath. Said Bors, "Help me to speak lest I do wrong between you and Sir Percivale." "That you cannot. You mean kindly. Tread on." Bors could not. "Have patience," he said, "and first hear me out on a trouble of mine own." He told the tale that my most dear Master has recorded, of the grief and offence that came between him and his brother Lionel as they went their ways on the Quest. For he abandoned his brother, him stripped naked, bound, barbarously used; and he left him to bodily d**h, and chose rather, for the worship of Jesu God and Saint Mary Mother, to go save a maid in desperate case, and so to deliver two unhappy souls from sin and shame that is deadlier than d**h. But by the mercy of God Sir Lionel did not die. Soon he met with him again. Alas! enraged he found him. No plea, no meekness availed. His dear brother set upon him to slay him, and so fell was his mood that he slew without mercy a priest and a knight who came between for mediation. In the end, said Bors, the wrath of God smote them down at their strife; and when his dear brother came to himself in his arms he forgave him gently for all his deep offence. Aglovale heard the tale quietly; he did not pronounce on it well or ill. Bors went on. He left his brother, he said; for a voice bade him go seek Sir Percivale needing his fellowship on the deep. And so he did; and after a day and a night he came to the sea, where lay a ship all white under the moon. Straightway he entered, and right so the night darkened on a sudden, and the vessel, starting from land like a winged thing, took flight away. And there in the midst, sleeping, by morning light he found Sir Percivale according to the sending voices. So with joy and comfort of each other they sailed together the great seas, many days drifting and driving, yet unafraid. At that time either told other how he had been tempted on the Quest. Sir Percivale told how a fiend had carried him and cast him down in a wilderness to hunger, and how he was tempted of the Master Fiend of Hell in a fair shape, and drank strong drink and turned to sin. But he sinned not indeed, for by God's grace he looked upon his sword with the holy sign upon it, and right so called upon God, whereat the Fiend fled away. Then Percivale caught his sword and drove it through his own flesh for penance; and thereafter spent and feeble he came into the ship that wafted him to their meeting. Aglovale fingered the blade and the hilts with a grim smile, and Sir Bors eyed him doubtfully and went on. He said that when he came to tell in turn his adventures past, how he had abandoned his brother and aggrieved him deadly, that Sir Percivale was moved to great distress with heavy weeping, and swooned for sorrow. "So it was, Sir Aglovale," said Bors, "that Sir Percivale gave me to know more than a little. "Yea, more than a little!" said Bors. "I know all. Oh, sir, I know all!" Aglovale pressed down his head upon his hands. Hot and quivering he said, "Sure he must have loved you dearly." "Aye, that he did!" said Bors. "Like a brother." "Like a brother!" breathed Aglovale. Cried Bors, distressed, " Not as he loved you, Sir Aglovale. You he loved above all the world above measure as father, brother, friend in one. He scarce could speak for weeping as he told how you did deserve his love, and how he failed you." "Cease, cease!" groaned Aglovale. "I will not. He said he forsook you unbrotherly; yet knew not at that time what he did. When he heard how before King and fellows you had cried out against his unkindness, then he did know." "Mercy, leave this! I know better than you." Cried Bors, "But I know, I! For when I had forsaken my brother I fell to anguish of doubt that I was not justified. And I, I had trusted him to know how hard I turned me from the call of natural affection. Yea, and I had doubted of him that he should grudge against God Who called me from him in his dire need." Aglovale rocked and sighed, and Bors went on. He told of maiden Saint, how she brought Sir Galahad with her to sail with them the seas; and how she brought faith and comfort to Sir Percivale; for she, by her life and words, showed him how true to God our Maker can human affections be. So she taught and consoled him till the day of her d**h, when she gave up her sweet life most charitably for the healing of a vile creature. "God rest her dear soul," said Aglovale. "She used to pray for me." "Sir," cried Bors, "God only knows how constant were Sir Percivale's prayers for you. In sleep I have heard him often, in fever often. And hard he prayed, the prayer that God denied, to see you face to face but once before he departed this life." Aglovale heard on in silence the meek and pitiful tale of Percivale's end. By slow degrees, he dwined and wasted after his sister's d**h, though for the months in prison and for Galahad's year of reign the presence of the Holy Grail sustained him. He had little strength in him left when Galahad's soul departed, caught up into heaven with the Holy Grail. Thereafter meekly he dressed his heart to d**h. Yea, it was pitiful. Sound and fit in spirit, he was too weak in body to seek after his brother, him bitter and broken to despair, crying out on him, "He left me unkindly." For a year he lingered alive in sorrow and prayer, and sorrowing he died. He pa**ed away with the cry, "Aglovale, Aglovale." From sleep Bors heard it, and sprang. Dead he lay, his arms wide spread, tears upon his visage. Aglovale shrank and covered his ears to shut out the profanation of speech upon his heart's privacy. When he lifted his head Bors, still and mute, was regarding him with eyes brimful of distress. He started up and stood away. Said Bors, "Sir, an you shut your ears against me I have done. I pray God move your heart somehow yet, though human means fail." Aglovale wrung open his heart. "Help me, Sir Bors! You shall know, because you loved him." "In the name of God!" said Bors. Said Aglovale, "When Percivale called, I heard. I saw. Weeping, he looked on me face to face. His arms were open wide. I knew when he died." "You heard his call! You saw him so as he died!" "He never knew me; albeit we were at one. He died and never knew we were at one." "You were at one!" "Yea, yea! He pa**ed me upon empty night. Before I could reach him by word or touch he was gone from me uncomforted. God rest his soul!" "Ah, sir, lead, for this light blinds me." "The fault was mine. Would to God I had trusted him fully and deserved full trust. He died, and never knew I understood and approved." "You understood and approved! You who cried out on his unkindness!" "Yea, so! Unkind, unkind! Ah, God, unkind he was, and had to be. And I cried: yea, I thought blame that he forsook me. Sir, I have learned better. I was out, and he was true: yea, very faithful in his unkindness. Alas! for Percivale! Gone gone! He prayed for me constantly! and I, ah God, despaired! God rest him. Jesu God comfort him. I would have given this dear world away but once to hold his hand, and look him in the eyes, and say well done. He pa**ed me upon empty night. Gone, gone for ever." "Not so," said Bors. "He has gone from this life: God has taken him from his pains. Pray we He may reveal all for his joy, and bring us in His presence to meet hereafter." Aglovale stared silent. "God keep him to peace," he said at last. After awhile Bors spoke. "Sir, I speak abashed, yet for the love of Sir Percivale give me to know more. How came you, who cried against him, by such true and perfect understanding? for ye were far apart and without tidings." "I," stammered Aglovale, "reached after him in vain; but at last I met him." "Sir, how can that be? Sir, I have no right to ask, but by the common love we bear Sir Percivale let me understand." "Make you free. I, too, was on the Quest of the Grail, and on the Quest of Percivale, as both were one. It came to pa** that God Almighty required me to forego natural affection, the call of blood, honour to father and brethren dead, and to follow only our fair Lord Jesu. And so I did. And when I had done so and was come to myself, lo! Percivale shone clear to my heart, and I understood. We were close. I knew it then." "Alas! he never knew. The last he knew of you was that time of the Holy Visitation, when secretly you came and went again, avoiding him." "No, no," said Aglovale. "That I never did!" "How so? He sought you, and you would not be found." "I was not there not in the body." He smote down his face upon his hands loth to unclose; but a true and single-hearted man was against him, constrained him, and so he told all. They came upon high and intimate speech as to the Holy Quest and the significance of it; and Bors was amazed at the reach and insight he met. Himself who had attained had but little to teach Sir Aglovale, who in darkness had come to discern how the outward vision of the Mystery was but a shadow of the inward. "I have learned hard," said Aglovale. Said honest Bors, "Sir, now is there no room left me to wonder how such a flower of knighthood as Sir Percivale came from the keep of such a man as you." At that Aglovale glowed red, for dearer praise could not touch him. Bors saw his colour different. "Ah, pardon!" he cried. "Take me as I mean: I would that such a man as you were more rightly esteemed among us all." "Most men," said Sir Aglovale, "I do think, are esteemed better than they deserve. I no worse at all. For God's sake let me lie!"