_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 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, said the priest, I shall tell you a part now,
and the other deal to-morrow. The white fowl betokeneth a gentlewoman,
fair and rich, which loveth thee, and hath loved thee long; and if thou
refuse her love, she shall go die anon, if thou have no pity on her.
That signifieth the great bird, the which shall make thee for to refuse
her. Now, for no fear nor for no dread that thou hast of God, thou
shalt not refuse her, but thou wouldest not do it for to be holden
chaste, for to conquer the praise of the vain-glory of the world; for
that shall befall thee now, and thou refuse 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
full easily. But thou weenedst to rescue a maid, which pertained
nothing to thee. Now look thou whether it had been greater harm of thy
brother’s death, or else to have suffered her for to have lost her
honour. 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 loth; for
wit ye well there is nothing in the world but I had lever 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 more thought 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 that 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 all owe 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, insomuch 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 Sir 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.