Notforthenyeshallgountoyourrest,forwllnotcounselyouthsday,tstoolate,andto-morrowshallcounselyouascan。
OftheholycommuncatonofanAbbottoSrBors,andhowtheAbbotcounselledhm。
ANDthatnghtwasSrBorsservedrchly;andonthemornearlyheheardmass,andtheAbbotcametohm,andbadehmgoodmorrow,andBorstohmagan。AndthenhetoldhmhewasafellowofthequestoftheSangreal,andhowhehadchargeoftheholymantoeatbreadandwater。Then[sadtheAbbot]:OurLordJesuChrstshowedhmuntoyounthelkenessofasoulthatsufferedgreatangushforus,snceHewasputuponthecross,andbledHsheart-bloodformanknd:therewasthetokenandthelkenessoftheSangrealthatappearedaforeyou,forthebloodthatthegreatfowlbledrevvedthechckensfromdeathtolfe。AndbythebaretreesbetokenedtheworldwhchsnakedandwthoutfrutbutftcomeofOurLord。Alsotheladyforwhomyefoughtfor,andKngAnausewhchwaslordthere-to-fore,betokenethJesuChrstwhchstheKngoftheworld。Andthatyefoughtwththechamponforthelady,thstbetokeneth:
forwhenyetookthebattleforthelady,byhershallyeunderstandthenewlawofJesuChrstandHolyChurch;
andbytheotherladyyeshallunderstandtheoldlawandthefend,whchalldaywarrethaganstHolyChurch,thereforeyeddyourbattlewthrght。ForyebeJesuChrst’sknghts,thereforeyeoughttobedefendersofHolyChurch。AndbytheblackbrdmghtyeunderstandHolyChurch,whchsayethamblack,buthesfar。Andbythewhtebrdmghtmenunderstandthefend,andshalltellyouhowtheswanswhtewthout-
forth,andblackwthn:tshypocrsywhchswthoutyelloworpale,andseemethwthout-forththeservantsofJesuChrst,buttheybewthnsohorrbleofflthandsn,andbeguletheworldevl。Alsowhenthefendappearedtotheenlkenessofamanofrelgon,andblamedtheethatthouleftthybrotherforalady,soledtheewherethouseemedthybrotherwasslan,buthesyetalve;andallwasfortoputtheenerror,andbrngtheeuntowanhopeandlechery,forheknewthouweretenderhearted,andallwasforthoushouldstnotfndtheblessedadventureoftheSangreal。Andthethrdfowlbetokeneththestrongbattleaganstthefarladeswhchwerealldevls。Alsothedrytreeandthewhtelly:thedrytreebetokeneththybrotherLonel,whchsdrywthoutvrtue,andthereforemanymenoughttocallhmtherottentree,andtheworm-eatentree,forhesamurdereranddothcontrarytotheorderofknghthood。Andthetwowhteflowerssgnfytwomadens,theonesaknghtwhchwaswoundedtheotherday,andtheothersthegentlewomanwhchyerescued;andwhytheotherflowerdrewnghtheother,thatwastheknghtwhchwouldhavedefouledherandhmselfboth。AndSrBors,yehadbeenagreatfoolandngreatperlfortohaveseenthosetwoflowerspershfortosuccourtherottentree,forantheyhadsnnedtogethertheyhadbeendamned;andforthatyerescuedthemboth,menmghtcallyouaveryknghtandservantofJesuChrst。
HowSrBorsmetwthhsbrotherSrLonel,andhowSrLonelwouldhaveslanSrBors。
THENwentSrBorsfromthenceandcommendedtheAbbotuntoGod。Andthenherodeallthatday,andharbouredwthanoldlady。Andonthemornherodetoacastlenavalley,andtherehemetwthayeomangongagreatpacetowardaforest。Sayme,sadSrBors,canstthoutellmeofanyadventure?Sr,sadhe,hereshallbeunderthscastleagreatandamarvelloustournament。Ofwhatfolksshalltbe?sadSrBors。TheEarlofPlansshallbentheoneparty,andthelady’snephewofHervnontheotherparty。ThenBorsthoughttobetherefhemghtmeetwthhsbrotherSrLonel,oranyotherofhsfellowshp,whchwerenthequestoftheSangreal。Andthenheturnedtoanhermtagethatwasntheentryoftheforest。
AndwhenhewascomeththerhefoundthereSrLonel,hsbrother,whchsatallarmedattheentryofthechapeldoorfortoabdethereharbourtllonthemornthatthetournamentshallbe。AndwhenSrBorssawhmhehadgreatjoyofhm,thattweremarveltotellofhsjoy。Andthenhealghtedoffhshorse,andsad:Farsweetbrother,whencameyehther?AnonasLonelsawhmhesad:AhBors,yemaynotmakenoneavaunt,butasforyoumghthavebeenslan;
whenyesawtwoknghtsleadngmeawaybeatngme,yeleftmefortosuccouragentlewoman,andsufferedmenperlofdeath;fornevererstneddnobrothertoanothersogreatanuntruth。Andforthatmsdeednowensureyoubutdeath,forwellhaveyedeservedt;
thereforekeeptheefromhenceforward,andthatshallyefndassoonasamarmed。WhenSrBorsunderstoodhsbrother’swrathhekneeleddowntotheearthandcredhmmercy,holdngupbothhshands,andprayedhmtoforgvehmhsevlwll。Nay,sadLonel,thatshallneverbeanmayhavethehgherhand,thatmakemneavowtoGod,thoushalthavedeathfort,fortwereptyyelvedanylonger。
Rghtsohewentnandtookhsharness,andmounteduponhshorse,andcameto-forehmandsad:Bors,keeptheefromme,forshalldototheeaswouldtoafelonoratrator,foryebetheuntruestknghtthatevercameoutofsoworthyanhouseaswasKngBorsdeGanswhchwasourfather,thereforestartuponthyhorse,andsoshallyebemostatyouradvantage。Andbutfyewllwllrunuponyouthereasyestanduponfoot,andsotheshameshallbemneandtheharmyours,butofthatshamenerecknought。
WhenSrBorssawthathemustfghtwthhsbrotherorelsetode,henstwhattodo;thenhsheartcounselledhmnotthereto,nasmuchasLonelwasbornorhe,whereforeheoughttobearhmreverence;yetkneeledhedownaforeLonel’shorse’sfeet,andsad:Farsweetbrother,havemercyuponmeandslaymenot,andhavenremembrancethegreatlovewhchoughttobebetweenustwan。WhatSrBorssadtoLonelheroughtnot,forthefendhadbroughthmnsuchawllthatheshouldslayhm。ThenwhenLonelsawhewouldnoneother,andthathewouldnothaversentogvehmbattle,herashedoverhmsothathesmoteBorswthhshorse,feetupward,totheearth,andhurthmsosorethatheswoonedofdstress,thewhchhefeltnhmselftohavededwthoutconfesson。SowhenLonelsawths,healghtedoffhshorsetohavesmttenoffhshead。Andsohetookhmbythehelm,andwouldhaverenttfromhshead。Thencamethehermtrunnnguntohm,whchwasagoodmanandofgreatage,andwellhadheardallthewordsthatwerebetweenthem,andsofelldownuponSrBors。
HowSrColgrevancefoughtaganstSrLonelfortosaveSrBors,andhowthehermtwasslan。
THENhesadtoLonel:Ahgentleknght,havemercyuponmeandonthybrother,forfthouslayhmthoushaltbedeadofsn,andthatweresorrowful,forhesoneoftheworthestknghtsoftheworld,andofthebestcondtons。SoGodhelpme,sadLonel,srprest,butfyefleefromhmshallslayyou,andheshallneverthesoonerbequt。Certes,sadthegoodman,haveleferyeslaymethanhm,formydeathshallnotbegreatharm,nothalfsomuchasofhs。Well,sadLonel,
amgreed;andsethshandtohsswordandsmotehmsohardthathsheadyedebackward。Notforthatherestranedhmofhsevlwll,buttookhsbrotherbythehelm,andunlacedttohavestrckenoffhshead,andhadslanhmwthoutfal。Butsothapped,ColgrevanceafellowoftheRoundTable,cameatthattmeththerasOurLord’swllwas。Andwhenhesawthegoodmanslanhemarvelledmuchwhattmghtbe。AndthenhebeheldLonelwouldhaveslanhsbrother,andknewSrBorswhchhelovedrghtwell。ThensterthedownandtookLonelbytheshoulders,anddrewhmstronglyabackfromBors,andsad:Lonel,wllyeslayyourbrother,theworthestknghtoftheworldone?andthatshouldnogoodmansuffer。Why,sadLonel,wllyeletme?thereforefyeentermeteyounthsshallslayyou,andhmafter。Why,sadColgrevance,sthssooththatyewllslayhm?Slayhmwll,sadhe,whososaythecontrary,forhehathdonesomuchaganstmethathehathwelldeservedt。Andsoranuponhm,andwouldhavesmttenhmthroughthehead,andSrColgrevanceranbetwxtthem,andsad:
Anyebesohardytodosomore,wetwoshallmeddletogether。
WhenLonelunderstoodhswordshetookhssheldaforehm,andaskedhmwhatthathewas。Andhetoldhm,Colgrevance,oneofhsfellows。ThenLoneldefedhm,andgavehmagreatstrokethroughthehelm。
Thenhedrewhssword,forhewasapassnggoodknght,anddefendedhmrghtmanfully。SolongduredthebattlethatBorsroseupallangushly,andbeheld[how]
Colgrevance,thegoodknght,foughtwthhsbrotherforhsquarrel;thenwashefullsorryandheavy,andthoughtfColgrevanceslewhmthatwashsbrotherheshouldneverhavejoy;andfhsbrotherslewColgrevancetheshameshouldeverbemne。Thenwouldhehaversentohavedepartedthem,buthehadnotsomuchmghttostandonfoot;soheabodehmsolongtllColgrevancehadtheworse,forLonelwasofgreatchvalryandrghthardy,forhehadpercedthehauberkandthehelm,thatheabodebutdeath,forhehadlostmuchofhsbloodthattwasmarvelthathemghtstanduprght。ThenbeheldheSrBorswhchsatdressnghmupwardandsad:Ah,Bors,whycomeyenottocastmeoutofperlofdeath,wherenhaveputmetosuccouryouwhchwererghtnownghthedeath?Certes,sadLonel,thatshallnotavalyou,fornoneofyoushallbearotherswarrant,butthatyeshalldebothofmyhand。
WhenBorsheardthat,heddsomuch,heroseandputonhshelm。Thenpercevedhefrstthehermt-prestwhchwasslan,thenmadeheamarvelloussorrowuponhm。
HowSrLonelslewSrColgrevance,andhowafterhewouldhaveslanSrBors。
THENoftColgrevancecreduponSrBors:Whywllyeletmedehereforyoursake?ftpleaseyouthat
deforyouthedeath,twllpleasemethebetterfortosaveaworthyman。WththatwordSrLonelsmoteoffthehelmfromhshead。ThenColgrevancesawthathemghtnotescape;thenhesad:FarsweetJesu,that
havemsdonehavemercyuponmysoul,forsuchsorrowthatmyheartsufferethforgoodness,andforalmsdeedthatwouldhavedonehere,betomealgementofpenanceuntomysoul’shealth。AtthesewordsLonelsmotehmsosorethathebarehmtotheearth。SohehadslanColgrevanceheranuponhsbrotherasafendlyman,andgavehmsuchastrokethathemadehmstoop。
AndhethatwasfullofhumltyprayedhmforGod’slovetoleavethsbattle:Forantbefell,farbrother,thatslewyouoryeme,weshouldbedeadofthatsn。
NeverGodmehelpbutfhaveonyoumercy,anmayhavethebetterhand。ThendrewBorshssword,allweepng,andsad:Farbrother,Godknowethmnentent。Ah,farbrother,yehavedonefullevlthsdaytoslaysuchanholyprestthewhchnevertrespassed。
Alsoyehaveslanagentleknght,andoneofourfellows。
Andwellwotyethatamnotafeardofyougreatly,butdreadthewrathofGod,andthssanunkndlywar,thereforeGodshowmracleuponusboth。NowGodhavemercyuponmethoughdefendmylfeaganstmybrother:wththatBorslftuphshandandwouldhavesmttenhsbrother。
HowtherecameavocewhchchargedSrBorstotouchhmnot,andofacloudthatcamebetweenthem。
ANDthenheheardavocethatsad:FleeBors,andtouchhmnot,orelsethoushaltslayhm。Rghtsoalghtedacloudbetwxtthemnlkenessofafreandamarvellousflame,thatboththertwosheldsbrent。
Thenweretheysoreafrad,thattheyfellbothtotheearth,andlaythereagreatwhlenaswoon。Andwhentheycametothemself,Borssawthathsbrotherhadnoharm;thenheheldupbothhshands,forhedreadGodhadtakenvengeanceuponhm。Wththatheheardavocesay:Bors,gohence,andbearthybrothernolongerfellowshp,buttakethywayanonrghttothesea,forSrPercvaleabdeththeethere。Thenhesadtohsbrother:
Farsweetbrother,forgvemeforGod’sloveallthat
havetrespasseduntoyou。Thenheanswered:Godforgvettheeanddogladly。
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