Le Morte Darthur
chased out of their lands. Then befell that young lady to come to her
estate again, by the mighty prowess of Sir Bors de Ganis. So when all
the country was well set in peace, then Sir Bors took his leave and
departed, and she thanked him greatly, and would have given him great
riches, but he refused it. Then he rode all that day till night, and
came to an harbour, to a lady which knew him well enough, and made of
him great joy. Upon the morn, as soon as the day appeared, Bors
departed from thence, and so rode into a forest unto the hour of
mid-day, and there befell him a marvellous adventure. So he met at the
departing of the two ways two knights, that led Lionel his brother all
naked, bounden upon a strong hackney, and his hands bounden tofore his
breast: and every each of them held in his hand thorns, wherewith they
went beating him so sore that the blood trailed down more than in an
hundred places of his body, so that he was all blood tofore and behind,
but he said never a word, as he which was great of heart; he suffered
all that ever they did to him as though he had felt none anguish. Anon
Sir Bors dressed him to rescue him that was his brother: and so he
looked upon the other side of him, and saw a knight which brought a
fair gentlewoman, and would have set her in the thickest place of the
forest, for to have been the more surer out of the way from them that
sought him. And she, which was nothing assured, cried with an high
voice, Saint Mary, succour your maid!
And anon she espied where Sir Bors came riding. And when she came nigh
him, she deemed him a knight of the Round Table, whereof she hoped to
have some comfort; and then she conjured him, by the faith that he owed
unto Him in whose service thou art entered in, and for the faith ye owe
unto the high order of knighthood, and for the noble king Arthur’s
sake, that I suppose that made thee knight, that thou help me, and
suffer me not to be shamed of this knight!
When Bors heard her say thus, he had so much sorrow there he nist not
what to do. For if I let my brother be in adventure he must be slain,
and that would I not for all the earth. And if I help not the maid, she
is shamed for ever, and also she shall lose her honour, the which she
shall never get again. Then lift he up his eyes, and said weeping, Fair
sweet Lord Jesu Christ, whose liege man I am, keep Lionel my brother,
that these knights slay him not; and for pity of you, and for Mary’s
sake, I shall succour this maid.
CHAP. X.
_How Sir Bors left to rescue his brother, and rescued the damsel; and
how it was told him that Lionel was dead._
Then dressed he him unto the knight the which had the gentlewoman, and
then he cried, Sir knight, let your hand off that maiden, or ye be but
dead. And then he set down the maiden and was armed at all pieces, save
he lacked his spear. Then he dressed his shield, and drew out his
sword, and Bors smote him so hard that it went through his shield and
haberjon on the left shoulder; and through great strength he beat him
down to the earth; and at the pulling out of Bors’ spear there he
swooned.
Then came Bors to the maid, and said, How seemeth it you? Of this
knight ye be delivered at this time. Now Sir, said she, I pray you lead
me there as this knight had me.—So shall I do gladly: and took the
horse of the wounded knight, and set the gentlewoman upon him, and so
brought her as she desired. Sir knight, said she, ye have better sped
than ye weened, for if ye had not saved me five hundred men should have
died for it.—What knight was he that had you in the forest?—By my
faith, said she, he is my cousin. So wot I never with what craft the
fiend enchafed him, for yesterday he took me from my father privily;
for I nor none of my father’s men mistrusted him not. And if he had
shamed me, he should have died for the sin, and his body shamed and
dishonoured for ever. Thus as she stood talking with him, there came
twelve knights seeking after her, and anon she told them all how Bors
had delivered her; then they made great joy, and besought him to come
to her father, a great lord, and he should be right welcome. Truly,
said Bors, that may not be at this time, for I have a great adventure
to do in this country. So he commended them unto God, and departed.
Then Sir Bors rode after Lionel his brother by the trace of their
horses. Thus he rode seeking a great while. Then he overtook a man
clothed in a religious clothing, and rode on a strong black horse,
blacker than a bery, and said, Sir knight, what seek you? Sir, said he,
I seek my brother, that I saw within a while beaten with two knights.
Ah Bors, discomfort you not, nor fall into no vain hope, for I shall
tell you tidings such as they be; for truly he is dead. Then shewed he
him a new slain body, lying in a bush, and it seemed him well that it
was the body of Lionel. And then he made such a sorrow that he fell to
the earth all in a swoon, and lay a great while there. And when he came
to himself he said, Fair brother, sith the company of you and me is
parted, shall I never have joy in my heart; and now He which I have
taken unto my Master, He be my help. And when he had said thus, he took
his body lightly in his arms, and put it upon the bow of his saddle.
And then he said to the man, Canst thou tell me unto some chapel, where
that I may bury this body? Come on, said he, here is one fast by. And
so long they rode till they saw a fair tower, and afore it there seemed
an old feeble chapel. And then they alight both, and put him into a
tomb of marble.
CHAP. XI.
_How Sir Bors told his dream to a priest which he had dreamed, and of
the counsel that the priest gave to him._
Now leave we him here, said the good man, and go we to harbour till
to-morrow, we will come here again to do him service. Sir, said Bors,
be ye a priest? Yea, forsooth, said he.—Then I pray you tell me a
dream that befell to me the last night.—Say on, said he. Then he began
so much to tell him of the great bird in the forest: and after told him
of his birds, one white, another black; and of the rotten tree, and of
the white flowers. Sir, said the priest, I shall tell you a part now,
and the other deal to-morrow. The white fowl betokeneth a gentlewoman,
fair and rich, which loveth thee, and hath loved thee long; and if thou
refuse her love, she shall go die anon, if thou have no pity on her.
That signifieth the great bird, the which shall make thee for to refuse
her. Now, for no fear nor for no dread that thou hast of God, thou
shalt not refuse her, but thou wouldest not do it for to be holden
chaste, for to conquer the praise of the vain-glory of the world; for
that shall befall thee now, and thou refuse her, that Launcelot, the
good knight thy cousin, shall die. And therefore men shall now say that
thou art a manslayer, both of thy brother Sir Lionel, and of thy cousin
Sir Launcelot du Lake, the which thou mightest have saved and rescued
full easily. But thou weenedst to rescue a maid, which pertained
nothing to thee. Now look thou whether it had been greater harm of thy
brother’s death, or else to have suffered her for to have lost her
honour. Then asked he him, Hast thou heard the tokens of thy dream, the
which I have told to you? Yea forsooth, said Sir Bors, all your
exposition and declaring of my dream I have well understood and heard.
Then said the man in this black clothing, Then is it in thy default if
Sir Launcelot thy cousin die. Sir, said Bors, that were me loth; for
wit ye well there is nothing in the world but I had lever do it than to
see my lord Sir Launcelot du Lake to die in my default. Choose ye now
the one or the other, said the good man. And then he led Sir Bors into
an high tower, and there he found knights and ladies. Those ladies said
he was welcome, and so they unarmed him. And when he was in his
doublet, men brought him a mantle furred with ermine, and put it about
him, and then they made him such cheer that he had forgotten all his
sorrow and anguish, and only set his heart in these delights and
dainties, and took no more thought for his brother Sir Lionel, neither
of Sir Launcelot du Lake his cousin. And anon came out of a chamber to
him the fairest lady that ever he saw, and more richer beseen than ever
he saw queen Guenever, or any other estate. Lo! said they, Sir Bors,
here is the lady unto whom we all owe our service, and I trow she be
the richest lady, and the fairest of all the world, and the which
loveth you best above all other knights, for she will have no knight
but you. And when he understood that language, he was abashed. Not for
then she saluted him, and he her; and then they sat down together, and
spake of many things, insomuch that she besought him to be her love,
for she had loved him above all earthly men, and she should make him
richer than ever was man of his age. When Sir Bors understood her words
he was right evil at ease, which in no manner would not break chastity,
so wist not he how to answer her.
CHAP. XII.
_How the devil in a woman’s likeness would have tempted Sir Bors, and
how by God’s grace he escaped._
Alas! said she, Bors, shall ye not do my will? Madam, said Sir Bors,
there is no lady in this world whose will I will fulfil as of this
thing, for my brother lieth dead which was slain right late. Ah, Bors,
said she, I have loved you long for the great beauty I have seen in
you, and great hardiness I have heard of you, that needs ye must give
me your love, and, therefore, I pray you grant it me. Truly, said he, I
shall not do it in no manner of wise. Then she made him such sorrow as
though she would have died. Well, Bors, said she, unto this have ye
brought me nigh to mine end. And therewith she took him by the hand,
and bade him behold her,—And ye shall see how I shall die for your
love. Ah, said then he, that shall I never see. Then she departed, and
went up into a high battlement, and led with her twelve gentlewomen:
and when they were above, one of the gentlewomen cried and said, Ah,
Sir Bors, gentle knight, have mercy on us all, and suffer my lady to
have her will: and if ye do not, we must suffer death with our lady,
for to fall down off this high tower. And if ye suffer us thus to die
for so little a thing, all ladies and gentlewomen will say of you
dishonour. Then looked he upward: they seemed all ladies of great
estate and richly and well beseen. Then had he of them great pity: not
for that he was un-counselled within himself, that lever he had they
all had lost their souls than he is: and with that they fell adown all
at once unto the earth. And when he saw that, he was all abashed, and
had thereof great marvel. With that he blessed his body and his visage;
and anon he heard a great noise and a great cry, as though all the
fiends of hell had been about him, and therewith he saw neither tower,
ne lady, ne gentlewoman, nor no chapel where he brought his brother to.
Then held he up both his hands to the heaven, and said, Fair Father
God, I am grievously escaped. And then he took his arms and his horse,
and rode on his way. Then he heard a clock smite on his right hand, and
thither he came to an abbey on his right hand, closed with high walls,
and there was let in. Then they supposed that he was one of the quest
of the Sancgreal. So they led him into a chamber, and unarmed him.
Sirs, said Sir Bors, if there be any holy man in this house, I pray you
let me speak with him. Then one of them led him unto the abbot, which
was in a chapel. And then Sir Bors saluted him, and he him again. Sir,
said Bors, I am a knight errant, and told him all the adventure which
he had seen. Sir knight, said the abbot, I wot not what ye be, for I