[149] I cannot at all agree with Dr. Wechssler's view that the Galahad _Queste_ has been largely worked over; on the contrary it has been the least tampered with of all the Arthurian romances. I shall show this presently by comparison of texts.
[150] The worst fault of Dr. Wechssler's Grail study is that he predicates the distinctive traits of Perceval as being of Galahad--to whom they never in any sense belonged. Galahad is not Perceval's understudy, much less is he his original: he is an absolutely and entirely independent creation. The only quality they have in common is that of virginity, which is not of them, but of the monkish redactors of the legend. It is certainly no part of the primitive _Perceval_ tale.
[151] The passage which represents Gawain as admitting himself to be the slayer of eighteen out of the twenty-two knights who have lost their lives in the _Queste_, Baudemagus, his dearest friend according to the _Merlin Suite_, among them, should, I think, be printed at the end of the _Queste_, not at the beginning of the _Mort Artur_, where it is now generally found. It is entirely in accordance with the tone of the first named romance, and out of keeping with the latter. Moreover, both the Dutch _Lancelot_ and the 1533 version print it in the former position. The compiler of the _Tristan_ has generally been supposed to be the first to introduce the vilification of Gawain's character; in the light of Dr. Wechssler's suggestion it would be interesting to examine whether this presentment is to be found in the _Tristan before_ its contamination with the later _Lancelot-Map_ cycle. I think there were peculiarities in the original Gawain story, which, misunderstood by later compilers, helped to cast a false light on his character, but it is open to question whether it was the _Tristan_ compiler or the author of the Galahad _Queste_ who was the original propagator of calumny.
[152] The _Queste_ writer dwells upon instances of heroes betrayed through their love of women--Samson, Solomon, etc. If he had known the earlier _Lancelot-Borron_ story, with the instance of Merlin's betrayal by the lady who brought up Lancelot, he would surely have made use of so very _à propos_ an illustration.