_How Sir Bors departed; and how Sir Launcelot was rebuked of queen
Guenever, and of his excuse._
Now, said that old man to Sir Bors, go ye to your cousin Sir Launcelot,
and tell him of this adventure, the which had been most convenient for
him of all earthly knights, but sin is so foul in him he may not
achieve such holy deeds; for, had not been his sin, he had passed all
the knights that ever were in his days. And tell thou Sir Launcelot, of
all worldly adventures he passeth in manhood and prowess all other, but
in these spiritual matters he shall have many his better. And then Sir
Bors saw four gentlewomen coming by him poorly beseen, and he saw where
that they entered into a chamber where was great light, as it were a
summer light, and the women kneeled down afore an altar of silver with
four pillars, and as it had been a bishop kneeled down afore that table
of silver. And as Sir Bors looked over his head, he saw a sword like
silver, naked, hoving over his head, and the clearness thereof smote so
in his eyes that at that time Sir Bors was blind, and there he heard a
voice that said, Go hence, thou Sir Bors, for as yet thou art not
worthy for to be in this place. And then he went backward to his bed
till on the morn. And on the morn king Pelles made great joy of Sir
Bors, and then he departed and rode to Camelot, and there he found Sir
Launcelot du Lake, and told him of the adventures he had seen with king
Pelles at Corbin. So the noise sprang in king Arthur’s court that Sir
Launcelot had a child by Elaine, the daughter of king Pelles, wherefore
queen Guenever was wroth and gave many rebukes to Sir Launcelot, and
called him false knight. And then Sir Launcelot told the queen all, and
how he was made to meet her by enchantment, in likeness of the queen.
So the queen held Sir Launcelot excused. And, as the book saith, king
Arthur had been in France, and had made war upon the mighty king
Claudas, and had won much of his lands; and when the king was come
again he let cry a great feast, that all lords and ladies of all
England should be there, but if it were such as were rebellious against
him.