For right profitable shall it be to all them that shall hear it
of the heart. For the sake of the worshipful men and good
knights of whose deeds shall remembrance be made, doth Josephus
recount this holy history, for the sake of the lineage of the
Good Knight that was after the crucifixion of Our Lord. Good
Knight was he without fail, for he was chaste and virgin of his
body and hardy of heart and puissant, and so were his conditions
without wickedness. Not boastful was he of speech, and it seemed
not by his cheer that he had so great courage; Natheless, of one
little word that he delayed to speak came to pass so sore
mischances in Greater Britain, that all the islands and all the
lands fell thereby into much sorrow, albeit thereafter he put
them back into gladness by the authority of his good knighthood.
Good knight was he of right, for he was of the lineage of Joseph
of Abarimacie. And this Joseph was his mother's uncle, that had
been a soldier of Pilate's seven years, nor asked he of him none
other guerdon of his service but only to take down the body of
Our Saviour from hanging on the cross. The boon him seemed full
great when it was granted him, and full little to Pilate seemed
the guerdon; for right well had Joseph served him, and had he
asked to have gold or land thereof, willingly would he have given
it to him. And for this did Pilate make him a gift of the
Saviour's body, for he supposed that Joseph should have dragged
the same shamefully through the city of Jerusalem when it had
been taken down from the cross, and should have left it without
the city in some mean place. But the Good Soldier had no mind
thereto, but rather honoured the body the most he might, rather
laid it along in the Holy Sepulchre and kept safe the lance
whereof He was smitten in the side and the most Holy Vessel
wherein they that believed on Him received with awe the blood