_How the devil in a woman’s likeness would have tempted Sir Bors, and
how by God’s grace he escaped._
Alas! said she, Bors, shall ye not do my will? Madam, said Sir Bors,
there is no lady in this 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 great hardiness I have heard of you, that needs ye must give
me your love, and, therefore, I pray you grant it me. Truly, said he, I
shall not do it in no manner of 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 a 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 un-counselled within himself, that lever he had they
all had lost their souls than he is: 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,
ne lady, ne 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 Sancgreal. 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
wend 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.