第 四百零一 章 · How the devil in a woman’s likeness would have had Sir

. 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 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 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.