Book: Le Morte Darthur

T >> Thomas Malory >> Le Morte Darthur




So rode they together till that they came to an hermitage.
And there he prayed Bors to dwell all that night
with him. And so he alighted and put away his armour,
and prayed him that he might be confessed; and so they
went into the chapel, and there he was clean confessed, and
they ate bread and drank water together. Now, said the
good man, I pray thee that thou eat none other till that
thou sit at the table where the Sangreal shall be. Sir, said
he, I agree me thereto, but how wit ye that I shall sit
there. Yes, said the good man, that know I, but there
shall be but few of your fellows with you. All is welcome,
said Sir Bors, that God sendeth me. Also, said the good
man, instead of a shirt, and in sign of chastisement, ye
shall wear a garment; therefore I pray you do off all your
clothes and your shirt: and so he did. And then he took
him a scarlet coat, so that should be instead of his shirt till
he had fulfilled the quest of the Sangreal; and the good
man found in him so marvellous a life and so stable, that
he marvelled and felt that he was never corrupt in fleshly
lusts, but in one time that he begat Elian le Blank.

Then he armed him, and took his leave, and so
departed. And so a little from thence he looked up into
a tree, and there he saw a passing great bird upon an old
tree, and it was passing dry, without leaves; and the bird
sat above, and had birds, the which were dead for hunger.
So smote he himself with his beak, the which was great
and sharp. And so the great bird bled till that he died
among his birds. And the young birds took the life by
the blood of the great bird. When Bors saw this he wist
well it was a great tokening; for when he saw the great
bird arose not, then he took his horse and yede his way.
So by evensong, by adventure he came to a strong tower
and an high, and there was he lodged gladly.



CHAPTER VII

How Sir Bors was lodged with a lady, and how he took upon
him for to fight against a champion for her land.


AND when he was unarmed they led him into an high
tower where was a lady, young, lusty, and fair. And she
received him with great joy, and made him to sit down by
her, and so was he set to sup with flesh and many dainties.
And when Sir Bors saw that, he bethought him on his
penance, and bade a squire to bring him water. And so
he brought him, and he made sops therein and ate them.
Ah, said the lady, I trow ye like not my meat. Yes,
truly, said Sir Bors, God thank you, madam, but I may
eat none other meat this day. Then she spake no more
as at that time, for she was loath to displease him. Then
after supper they spake of one thing and other.

With that came a squire and said: Madam, ye must
purvey you to-morn for a champion, for else your sister
will have this castle and also your lands, except ye can
find a knight that will fight to-morn in your quarrel
against Pridam le Noire. Then she made sorrow and
said: Ah, Lord God, wherefore granted ye to hold my
land, whereof I should now be disherited without reason
and right? And when Sir Bors had heard her say thus,
he said: I shall comfort you. Sir, said she, I shall tell
you there was here a king that hight Aniause, which held
all this land in his keeping. So it mishapped he loved a
gentlewoman a great deal elder than I. So took he her
all this land to her keeping, and all his men to govern;
and she brought up many evil customs whereby she put to
death a great part of his kinsmen. And when he saw that,
he let chase her out of this land, and betook it me, and all
this land in my demesnes. But anon as that worthy king
was dead, this other lady began to war upon me, and hath
destroyed many of my men, and turned them against me,
that I have well-nigh no man left me; and I have nought
else but this high tower that she left me. And yet she
hath promised me to have this tower, without I can find a
knight to fight with her champion.

Now tell me, said Sir Bors, what is that Pridam le
Noire? Sir, said she, he is the most doubted man of this
land. Now may ye send her word that ye have found a
knight that shall fight with that Pridam le Noire in God's
quarrel and yours. Then that lady was not a little glad,
and sent word that she was purveyed, and that night Bors
had good cheer; but in no bed he would come, but laid
him on the floor, nor never would do otherwise till that
he had met with the quest of the Sangreal.



CHAPTER VIII

Of an advision which Sir Bors had that night, and how he
fought and overcame his adversary.


AND anon as he was asleep him befell a vision, that there
came to him two birds, the one as white as a swan, and
the other was marvellous black; but it was not so great
as the other, but in the likeness of a Raven. Then the
white bird came to him, and said: An thou wouldst give
me meat and serve me I should give thee all the riches of
the world, and I shall make thee as fair and as white as I
am. So the white bird departed, and there came the black
bird to him, and said: An thou wolt, serve me to-morrow
and have me in no despite though I be black, for wit thou
well that more availeth my blackness than the other's
whiteness. And then he departed.

And he had another vision: him thought that he
came to a great place which seemed a chapel, and there he
found a chair set on the left side, which was worm-eaten
and feeble. And on the right hand were two flowers like
a lily, and the one would have benome the other's whiteness,
but a good man departed them that the one touched
not the other; and then out of every flower came out
many flowers, and fruit great plenty. Then him thought
the good man said: Should not he do great folly that
would let these two flowers perish for to succour the
rotten tree, that it fell not to the earth? Sir, said he, it
seemeth me that this wood might not avail. Now keep
thee, said the good man, that thou never see such adventure
befall thee.

Then he awaked and made a sign of the cross in midst
of the forehead, and so rose and clothed him. And there
came the lady of the place, and she saluted him, and he
her again, and so went to a chapel and heard their service.
And there came a company of knights, that the lady had
sent for, to lead Sir Bors unto battle. Then asked he his
arms. And when he was armed she prayed him to take a
little morsel to dine. Nay, madam, said he, that shall I
not do till I have done my battle, by the grace of God.
And so he leapt upon his horse, and departed, all the
knights and men with him. And as soon as these two
ladies met together, she which Bors should fight for
complained her, and said: Madam, ye have done me wrong
to bereave me of my lands that King Aniause gave me,
and full loath I am there should be any battle. Ye shall
not choose, said the other lady, or else your knight withdraw
him.

Then there was the cry made, which party had the
better of the two knights, that his lady should rejoice all
the land. Now departed the one knight here, and the
other there. Then they came together with such a
raundon that they pierced their shields and their hauberks,
and the spears flew in pieces, and they wounded either
other sore. Then hurtled they together, so that they fell
both to the earth, and their horses betwixt their legs; and
anon they arose, and set hands to their swords, and smote
each one other upon the heads, that they made great
wounds and deep, that the blood went out of their bodies.
For there found Sir Bors greater defence in that knight
more than he weened. For that Pridam was a passing
good knight, and he wounded Sir Bors full evil, and he
him again; but ever this Pridam held the stour in like
hard. That perceived Sir Bors, and suffered him till he
was nigh attaint. And then he ran upon him more and
more, and the other went back for dread of death. So in
his withdrawing he fell upright, and Sir Bors drew his
helm so strongly that he rent it from his head, and gave
him great strokes with the flat of his sword upon the
visage, and bade him yield him or he should slay him.
Then he cried him mercy and said: Fair knight, for God's
love slay me not, and I shall ensure thee never to war
against thy lady, but be alway toward her. Then Bors
let him be; then the old lady fled with all her knights.



CHAPTER IX

How the lady was returned to her lands by the battle of Sir
Bors, and of his departing, and how he met Sir Lionel
taken and beaten with thorns, and also of a maid which
should have been devoured.


SO then came Bors to all those that held lands of his lady,
and said he should destroy them but if they did such
service unto her as longed to their lands. So they did
their homage, and they that would not were 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 midday, 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 to-fore his breast. And everych of them held
in his hands 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 to-fore 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 ought
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 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
virginity 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.



CHAPTER X

How Sir Bors left to rescue his brother, and rescued the
damosel; 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 habergeon 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 thereas 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 an I had lost
my maidenhead, 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
engine 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 had my maidenhead
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 berry, 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 wanhope;
for I shall tell you tidings such as they be, for truly he is
dead. Then showed 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 departed 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 arson 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 alighted both, and put him
into a tomb of marble.



CHAPTER 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 our 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, I
shall tell you a part now, and the other deal to-morrow.
The white fowl betokeneth a gentlewoman, fair and rich,
which loved thee paramours, and hath loved thee long;
and if thou warn her love she shall go die anon, if thou
have no pity on her. That signifieth the great bird, the
which shall make thee to warn her. Now for no fear that
thou hast, ne for no dread that thou hast of God, thou
shalt not warn her, but thou wouldst not do it for to be
holden chaste, for to conquer the loos of the vain glory of
the world; for that shall befall thee now an thou warn
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 easily, but thou weenedst to rescue a maid which
pertaineth nothing to thee. Now look thou whether it
had been greater harm of thy brother's death, or else to
have suffered her to have lost her maidenhood. 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 loath, for wit ye
well there is nothing in the world but I had liefer 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 thought more 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 than 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 owe all 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, in so much 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 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.



CHAPTER XII

How the devil in a woman's likeness would have had Sir
Bors to have lain by her, and how by God's grace he
escaped.


ALAS, said she, Bors, shall ye not do my will? Madam,
said Bors, there is no lady in the 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 the great
hardiness that I have heard of you, that needs ye must lie
by me this night, and therefore I pray you grant it me.
Truly, said he, I shall not do it in no manner 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 an 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 or 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 uncounselled in himself
that liefer he had they all had lost their souls than he his,
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, nor lady, nor 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 Sangreal, 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 weened 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.



CHAPTER 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 bade him good morrow, and Bors to him again. And
then he told him he was a fellow of the quest of the Sangreal,
and how he had charge of the holy man to eat bread
and water. Then [said the Abbot]: Our Lord Jesu Christ
showed 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 Sangreal 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-to-fore, 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 shall ye
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
Holy Church, which sayeth 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 alive; and all was for to put thee in error, and bring
thee unto wanhope and lechery, for he knew thou were
tender hearted, and all was for thou shouldst not find the
blessed adventure of the Sangreal. 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 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 defouled her and himself both. And Sir Bors, ye
had been a great fool and in great peril for to have seen
those two flowers perish for to succour the rotten tree, for
an 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.



CHAPTER 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 shall be in 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 Sangreal. 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 it were marvel to
tell of his joy. And then he alighted off his horse, and
said: Fair sweet brother, when came ye hither? Anon
as 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 for 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 an 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.

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