When the old man departed twenty squires met him, and they took their horses and rode away.
The knights of the Round Table wondered greatly at Sir Galahad, because he was so youthful, and because he dared to sit in the Perilous Seat; and they did not know where he was from, save from God, and they said, “This is he by whom the Holy Grail shall be achieved, for no man ever before sat there unhurt.”
Sir Launcelot looked at his son with great joy, and Sir Bors said to his comrades, “Upon pain of my life, this young knight shall come to great honor.”
There was so much noise in the hall that the queen heard it, and she had a great desire to see the knight who dared such an adventure. When dinner was done the king rose and went to Sir Galahad’s seat and lifted the cloth and read his name. Then he showed it to Sir Gawain and said, “Fair nephew, now we have among us the blameless knight who will bring honor to us all; and, upon pain of my life, he shall achieve the Holy Grail, as Sir Launcelot has given us to understand.”
King Arthur then came to Sir Galahad and said, “Sir, you are welcome, for you shall move many good knights to seek the Holy Grail, and you shall achieve what no other knight has been able to accomplish.”
Sir Galahad Wins the Sword of Balin Le Savage
The king then took Sir Galahad by the hand, and went down to the river to show him the adventure of the stone, and the queen and many ladies went with them and saw the stone floating in the water.
“Sir,” said the king to him, “here is a great marvel as ever I saw, and right good knights have attempted it and failed.”
“Sir,” answered Sir Galahad, “that is no marvel, for the adventure is not theirs, but mine; and because of this sword I brought none with me, for its empty scabbard hangs by my side.”
Then he grasped the sword quickly, and drew it out of the stone, and put it into his scabbard, and said, “Now it goes better than it did before.”