Summary: Chapter 30
Sir Aglovale returns to Camelot and swears revenge on
the Orkney faction for having killed his brother Lamorak. Arthur
convinces Aglovale that the only way to stop the bloodshed is for
him to give up on revenge. Aglovale tells Arthur about the adventures
of his youngest brother, Sir Percival, who is also a holy knight
like Galahad. Percival has some adventures in a magical forest and
then boards a magical barge with Sir Bors and Sir Galahad. In the
barge, they are joined by Percival’s sister, a holy nun. On their
search for the Holy Grail, the three knights get into a fight with
a group of men and slaughter them. Galahad tells them the slaughter
is not sinful, since the murdered men were not christened. They
then come to another castle, where Percival’s sister sacrifices
her life to save a woman with a fatal disease. After telling his
stories, Aglovale asks Arthur to invite the Orkneys to dinner on
his behalf.
Summary: Chapter 31
Other returning knights bring contradicting rumors about
the adventures of Bors, Percival, and Galahad. Rumors fly that Lancelot has
died or gone mad. Guenever becomes less cautious, and Mordred and
Agravaine wait eagerly for her to reveal her affair. Lancelot returns
to Camelot exhausted but sane. Uncle Dap tells Arthur that Lancelot
has been wearing a hair shirt—a painful way of doing penance for
one’s sins.
Summary: Chapter 32
The next day, Lancelot tells Arthur and Guenever the story
of his search for the Holy Grail. Guenever, now forty-two years
old, has dressed up and put on makeup in an effort to look good
for Lancelot, and his heart warms at the sight of her. Lancelot
tells them that he did not find the Holy Grail, which was reserved
for Galahad. Lancelot also says that if Galahad seems cold, it is
because he is more angelic than human. Lancelot relates that Galahad
defeated him in jousting. Lancelot then confessed his sins, which
he thought would make him the best knight in the world again. But
he was then beaten by another group of knights, after which he fell
asleep in a chapel. When he woke up, his sword and armor had been
taken from him. He then began to wear the hair shirt as penance.
Thinking he had cleansed himself and could fight as well as he had
before, Lancelot fought a knight dressed in black but was again
defeated.
Summary: Chapter 33
Arthur is outraged that Lancelot, his best knight, has
been beaten. Lancelot continues with his story: he then got on a
magic barge, and Galahad soon joined him. Eventually Galahad got
out to seek the Holy Grail. The barge eventually returned to the
castle where the Grail was located, and Lancelot was allowed to
watch Galahad and other holy knights participate in a Mass in a
chapel that contains the Holy Grail.
Summary: Chapter 34
Having found God, Lancelot decides to end his affair with
Guenever, but she is confident he will return to her. The narrator
explains that Guenever is not an evil seductress, for seductresses
usually leave men hollow, while both the men that Guenever loves
have accomplished great things.
Summary: Chapter 35
Guenever’s faith in Lancelot’s love grows weaker as time
passes. One day, she demands that he go on another quest instead
of torturing her with his presence. Just as Lancelot has
decided to give up his abstinence and rekindle his affair with Guenever,
she leaves the room and refuses to talk to him. He leaves Camelot
the next morning.
