Le Morte Darthur
wend never that a knight of your age might have been so strong in the
grace of our Lord Jesu Christ. Not for then ye shall go unto your rest,
for I will not counsel you this day, it is too late, and to-morrow I
shall counsel you as I can.
CHAP. XIII.
_Of the holy communication of an abbot to Sir Bors, and how the abbot
counselled him._
And that night was Sir Bors served richly, and on the morn early he
heard mass, and the abbot came to him and bad him good morrow, and Bors
to him again. And then he told him he was a fellow of the quest of the
Sancgreal, and how he had charge of the holy man to eat bread and
water. Then [said the abbot] our Lord Jesu Christ shewed Him unto you,
in the likeness of a soul that suffered great anguish for us since He
was put upon the cross, and bled His heart blood for mankind: there was
the token and the likeness of the Sancgreal that appeared afore you,
for the blood that the great fowl bled revived the chickens from death
to life. And by the bare tree is betokened the world, which is naked
and without fruit, but if it come of our Lord. Also the lady for whom
ye fought for, and king Aniause, which was lord there tofore,
betokeneth Jesu Christ, which is the King of the world; and that ye
fought with the champion for the lady, this it betokeneth: for when ye
took the battle for the lady, by her ye shall understand the new law of
Jesu Christ and holy Church; and by the other lady ye shall understand
the old law and the fiend, which all day warreth against holy Church,
therefore ye did your battle with right. For ye be Jesu Christ’s
knights, therefore ye ought to be defenders of holy Church. And by the
black bird might ye understand the holy Church, which saith I am black,
but he is fair. And by the white bird might men understand the fiend.
And I shall tell you how the swan is white without forth, and black
within; it is hypocrisy which is without yellow or pale, and seemeth
without forth the servants of Jesu Christ, but they be within so
horrible of filth and sin, and beguile the world evil. Also when the
fiend appeared to thee in likeness of a man of religion, and blamed
thee that thou left thy brother for a lady, so led thee where thou
seemed thy brother was slain, but he is yet on live, and all was for to
put thee in error, and bring thee unto vain hope and lechery, for he
knew thou were tender hearted, and all was for thou shouldest not find
the blessed adventure of the Sancgreal. And the third fowl betokeneth
the strong battle against the fair ladies which were all devils. Also
the dry tree, and the white lily:—the dry tree betokeneth thy brother
Sir Lionel, which is dry without virtue, and therefore many men ought
to call him the rotten tree, and the worm-eaten tree, for he is a
murderer and doth contrary to the order of knighthood. And the two
white flowers signify two maidens, the one is a knight which was
wounded the other day, and the other is the gentlewoman which ye
rescued; and why the other flower drew nigh the other, that was the
knight which would have dishonoured her, and himself both. And, Sir
Bors, ye had been a great fool, and in great peril, to have seen those
two flowers perish for to succour the rotten tree, for and they had
sinned together they had been damned: and for that ye rescued them
both, men might call you a very knight and servant of Jesu Christ.
CHAP. XIV.
_How Sir Bors met with his brother Sir Lionel, and how Sir Lionel would
have slain Sir Bors._
Then went Sir Bors from thence, and commended the abbot unto God. And
then he rode all that day, and harboured with an old lady. And on the
morn he rode to a castle in a valley, and there he met with a yeoman
going a great pace toward a forest. Say me, said Sir Bors, canst thou
tell me of any adventure? Sir, said he, here shall be under this castle
a great and a marvellous tournament. Of what folks shall it be? said
Sir Bors. The earl of Plains (said he) shall be on the one party, and
the lady’s nephew of Hervin on the other party. Then Bors thought to be
there, if he might meet with his brother Sir Lionel, or any other of
his fellowship which were in the quest of the Sancgreal. And then he
turned to an hermitage that was in the entry of the forest. And when he
was come thither, he found there Sir Lionel his brother, which sat all
armed at the entry of the chapel door, for to abide there harbour till
on the morn that the tournament shall be. And when Sir Bors saw him he
had great joy of him, that was it marvel to tell of his joy. And then
he alight off his horse and said, Fair sweet brother, when came ye
hither? Anon as Sir Lionel saw him he said, Ah Bors, ye may not make
none avaunt, but, as for you, I might have been slain; when ye saw two
knights leading me away, beating me, ye left me to succour a
gentlewoman, and suffered me in peril of death: for never erst ne did
no brother to another so great an untruth. And for that misdeed now I
ensure you but death, for well have ye deserved it; therefore keep thee
from henceforward, and that shall ye find as soon as I am armed. When
Sir Bors understood his brother’s wrath, he kneeled down to the earth,
and cried him mercy, holding up both his hands, and prayed him to
forgive him his evil will. Nay, said Lionel, that shall never be, and I
may have the higher hand, that I make mine avow to God: thou shalt have
death for it, for it were pity ye lived any longer. Right so he went
in, and took his harness, and mounted upon his horse, and came tofore
him and said, Bors, keep thee from me, for I shall do to thee as I
would to a felon or a traitor, for ye be the untruest knight that ever
came out of so worthy an house as was king Bors de Ganis, which was our
father; therefore start upon thy horse, and so shall ye be most at your
advantage. And but if ye will, I will run upon thee there as ye stand
upon foot, and so the shame shall be mine and the harm yours; but of
that shame reck I nought. When Sir Bors saw that he must fight with his
brother or else to die, he nist not what to do. Then his heart
counselled him not thereto, in as much as Lionel was born or he,
wherefore he ought to bear him reverence; yet kneeled he down afore
Lionel’s horse feet, and said, Fair sweet brother, have mercy upon me
and slay me not, and have in remembrance the great love which ought to
be between us twain. What Sir Bors said to Lionel he recked not, for
the fiend had brought him in such a will that he should slay him. Then
when Lionel saw he would none other, and that he would not have risen
to give him battle, he rushed over him, so that he smote Bors with his
horse feet upward to the earth, and hurt him so sore that he swooned of
distress, the which he felt in himself to have died without confession.
So when Lionel saw this, he alight off his horse, to have smitten off
his head. And so he took him by the helm, and would have rent it from
his head. Then came the hermit running unto him, which was a good man
and of great age, and well had he heard all the words that were between
them, and so fell down upon Sir Bors.
CHAP. XV.
_How Sir Colgrevance fought against Sir Lionel for to save Sir Bors,
and how the hermit was slain._
Then he said to Lionel, Ah, gentle knight, have mercy upon me and on
thy brother, for if thou slay him thou shalt be dead of sin, and that
were sorrowful; for he is one of the worthiest knights of the world,
and of the best conditions. So God me help, said Lionel, Sir priest,
but if ye flee from him I shall slay you, and he shall never the sooner
be quit. Certes, said the good man, I had lever ye slay me than him,
for my death shall not be great harm, not half so much as of his. Well,
said Lionel, I am agreed; and set his hand to his sword, and smote him
so hard that his head went backward. Not for that he restrained him of
his evil will, but took his brother by the helm, and unlaced it to have
stricken off his head, and had slain him without fail, but so it
happed, Colgrevance, a fellow of the Round Table, came at that time
thither, as our Lord’s will was. And when he saw the good man slain, he
marvelled much what it might be. And then he beheld Lionel would have
slain his brother, and knew Sir Bors which he loved right well. Then
start he down and took Lionel by the shoulders, and drew him strongly
aback from Bors, and said, Lionel, will ye slay your brother, the
worthiest knight of the world one? and that should no good man suffer.
Why, said Sir Lionel, will ye let me? therefore if ye intermit you in
this, I shall slay you, and him after. Why, said Colgrevance, is this
sooth, that ye will slay him? Slay him will I, said he, who so say the
contrary; for he hath done so much against me that he hath well
deserved it; and so ran upon him, and would have smitten him through
the head; and Sir Colgrevance ran betwixt them and said, And ye be so
hardy to do so mote, we two shall meddle together. When Lionel
understood his words, he took his shield afore him, and asked him what
he was; and he told him Colgrevance, one of his fellows. Then Lionel
defied him, and gave him a great stroke through the helm. Then he drew
his sword, for he was a passing good knight, and defended him right
manfully. So long endured the battle that Sir Bors rose up all
anguishly, and beheld Sir Colgrevance, the good knight, fight with his
brother for his quarrel. Then was he full sorry and heavy, and thought,
if Colgrevance slew him that was his brother he should never have joy,
and if his brother slew Colgrevance the shame should ever be his. Then
would he have risen to have departed them but he had not so much might
to stand on foot: so he abode him so long till Colgrevance had the
worse, for Sir Lionel was of great chivalry and right hardy, for he had
pierced the hauberk and the helm, that he abode but death. For he had
lost much of his blood, that it was marvel that he might stand upright.
Then beheld he Sir Bors, which sat dressing him upward, and said, Ah
Bors, why come ye not to cast me out of peril of death, wherein I have
put me to succour you, which were right now nigh the death? Certes,
said Lionel, that shall not avail you, for none of you shall bear
other’s warrant, but that ye shall die both of my hand. When Bors heard
that, he did so much he rose and put on his helm. Then perceived he
first the hermit priest which was slain, then made he a marvellous
sorrow upon him.
CHAP. XVI.
_How Sir Lionel slew Sir Colgrevance, and how after he would have slain
Sir Bors._
Then oft Colgrevance cried upon Sir Bors, Why will ye let me die here
for your sake? if it please you that I die for you the death, it will
please me the better for to save a worthy man. With that word Sir
Lionel smote off the helm from his head. Then Colgrevance saw that he
might not escape; then he said, Fair sweet Jesu, that I have misdone
have mercy upon my soul; for such sorrow that my heart suffereth for
goodness, and for alms deed that I would have done here, be to me
aligement of penance unto my soul’s health. At these words Lionel smote
him so sore that he bare him to the earth. So when he had slain
Colgrevance, he ran upon his brother as a fiendly man, and gave him
such a stroke that he made him stoop; and he, that was full of
humility, prayed him, for God’s love to leave this battle: For and it
befell, fair brother, that I slew you, or ye me, we should be dead of
that sin. Never God me help but if I have on you mercy, and I may have
the better hand. Then drew Bors his sword, all weeping, and said, Fair
brother, God knoweth mine intent. Ah, fair brother, ye have done full
evil this day to slay such an holy priest, the which never trespassed.