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 bear, 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 alit
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 dele to-morrow.
The white fowl betokeneth a gentlewoman, fair and
rich, which loved thee paramours, and hath loved thee
long; and if thou warne 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 warne
her. Now for no fear that thou hast, nor for no
dread that thou hast of God, thou shalt not warne
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 warne her, that
Launcelot, the good knight, thy cousin, shall die.
And therefore men shall now say that thou art a manslayer,