The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-18 00:00:00

t, THE n'OLY GRAIL,"

At the present time, when nearly everybody is discus-
sing Mr. Tennyson's new poem, it may be interesting to
give a t description of what "The Search for the
Holy Grail" means. According to the tradition
of the "Death of Arthur," after Christ and
the Twelve Apostles had left the Upper Room in
which they had celebrated the Last Supper, Joseph of •
Arimathea elate: ed the apartment, and, as a memorial of
the sacred event, he took away the vessel in which our
Saviour had eaten the Paschal Lamb. According, however,
to a more poetical tradition, which is followed by the
Poet-Laureate, Joseph carried off the cup in which Christ
had drunk with his disciples. Following both traditions,
we find that the saint took the relic to the Cross, and, as he
held it up, drops of blood from the wounds of his crucified
Saviour fell into the sacred cup. Thus he became
possessed of the Holy Grail, which was his constant com-
pauion in his wanderings through Pagan lands, until he
reached England, and founded Glastonbury Abbey. At
that time the Holy Grail was the most precious possession
of traditional England. It was the symbol, we are told,
of our Saviour's presence among men; it effected miracu-
lous cures ; and its presence healed the sick, gave strength
to the lame, and even rolled back the gates of death. The
wickedness c f the land, however, caused it to disappear
from human sight, leaving in the minds of all men the faith
that to search for the Holy Grail was the highest duty of
Christian knighthood, and to find the sacred symbol the
highest felicity of life. That legend vas a tradition of
the Round Table at which sat the Arthurian knights. It
was even whispered that some of those champions had
been mysteriously fed from the holy cup; and it was
said that Sir Launcelot of the Lake had been
thus favoured by Heaven when resting at the
castle of Pelles, " King of the foreign country, and cousin
nigh unto Joseph of Arimathea." But, since he was not
pure, Sir Launcelot was fated never to touch the Holy
Grail. That felicity was reserved for his son, the
good knight Sir Galahad; and the Arthurian warriors
know him to be the chosen of Heaven when,
on the first occasion of his entering their company,
he sat unharmed in the chair of Merlin, which to all
but stainless knights was a seat of death. Thus, also, it
was seen that the time had come for the Holy Quest. But
the task was perilous as well as fruitless to those who were
living in sin. Disaster chastised the unworthy
knights who had set out on the sacred errand.
Others, who although shining lights of chivalry, still
bore some traces of earthly imperfections, caught a
glimpse, and only a glimpse, of the Ginn. Thus, when
Sir Ector de Maris and Sir revels ale de Galis went in
search of Sir Launcelot after he had rushed away mad
from the presence of his angry Queen, they met in their
wanderings, and, not recognising each other, they fought
until each fancied that Le Lad been wounded unto
death. Then both found out that they belonged to the
Bound Table, and presently both were healed by the
Holy Grail. Being the less worthy knight, Sir Ector did
not sco the awful presence, but the pure Sir Percival°
" had a glimmering of the vessel and of the maiden who
Lore it." For the same reason Sir Launcelot never found
the object of his search. That "great and guilty love he
bore the Queen" made him unworthy to touch the holy of
holies. But, because he was the bravest knight in
nil the world, because he struggled against his sin, and
was ultimately to die in the sanctity of religion,
he was permitted to approach the sacred presence,
and to see what he was fated never to touch, for
on iushiug fol ward to told' the holy treasure, he was
smitten down, and lay in a long stupor. Only
Sir Percivale, Sir Roes de Cards, and Sir Gala-
had were to find the Holy Grail. They find it
at the castle of King Pelles, where Joseph of Arimathea
comes back from the place of the dead to address the awe-
struck ],nights, and where the Master Himself appears, to
bid them partake of His feast. They receive the precious
vessel and depart. Then, at a second appearance
of Joseph, Sir Galahad is singled out for the
special favour of Heaven, and receives the sacred
boon from the hands of the Saint himself. That is
the token of his high felicity. So, giving to his companions
the kiss of farewell, he leaves this life, and is borne to the
clouds of heaven by angel hands. Sir Percivale goes into
monastery;a after many wanderings Sir Bors reaches
Camelot, to tell the knights the fate of the sacred Quest;
and so ends the search for the Holy Grail. The sacred
symbol is claimed to be in the possession of the Cathedral
in Genoa, and is stated to be two palms wide, hexagonal
in shape, and green like an emerald.