"How hast thou done since I departed?"
"Weakly and wickedly enough," he answered. "A witch beguiled me, and I nearly fell a victim to her wiles."
"Knew you her not?"
"Only that I deem the foul fiend sent her here to shame me."
"Worse than that, good knight. Your victory is greater than you deem.
That seeming woman who deceived you was no less an adversary than the master-fiend of h.e.l.l, who has power over all the lesser devils, and, had you yielded you had been lost forever. For this is the mighty champion against whom you were forwarned; he who was once the brightest angel of heaven, and was driven out by our Lord Christ for his sins, and thus lost his heritage. But that the grace of G.o.d was on your side you would have fallen before this champion of evil. Take this, Sir Percivale, as a warning and an example."
With these words the good man vanished away. Then the mariners carried the wounded knight on board their ship, and set sail, bearing him rapidly away from that scene of temptation and victory.
CHAPTER V.
THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF SIR BORS.
When Sir Bors parted from his companions, on the quest of the Sangreal, not far had he gone when he met a religious man riding on an a.s.s, whom he courteously saluted.
"Who are you?" asked the good man.
"I am one of those knights who have set out in quest of the Sangreal,"
said Bors. "I would fain have your counsel in this high duty, for great honor shall come to him who succeeds therein."
"That is true," said the good man. "He that wins the Sangreal will be counted the best knight and the purest soul among men. None can hope to attain it except through cleanness of spirit."
Then they rode together till they came to a hermitage. Here Bors went into the chapel with his companion, and confessed to him, and ate bread and drank water with him.
"Now," said the good man, "I charge you that you take no other food than bread and water till you sit at the table where the Sangreal shall be."
"To that I agree. But how know you that I shall ever sit there?"
"I know it, let that suffice; but few of your comrades shall have that honor."
"All that G.o.d sends me will be welcome," said Bors.
"Also, instead of a shirt, and in token of chastis.e.m.e.nt, you shall wear this garment," and the good man produced a scarlet coat, which Bors promised to wear next his skin till the Sangreal should be won.
Then, after further wholesome advice, he resumed his armor and departed.
He had gone but a little way from the hermitage when he pa.s.sed a tree that was little more than an old and leafless trunk, and on one of its boughs he saw a great bird, surrounded by young that were nearly dead with hunger. As, he continued to look at this strange sight, the bird smote itself in the breast with its sharp beak, and bled till it died among its young. Then the young birds fed on their mother"s blood, and were revived thereby.
This to Bors seemed full of deep significance, and he pondered deeply upon it as he rode onward. By even-song he found himself near a strong and high tower, where he asked shelter for the night, and was hospitably welcomed.
When he had disarmed he was led to a richly furnished apartment, where he found a young and fair lady, who welcomed him gladly to her tower, and invited him to take supper with her.
The table was set with rich meats and many dainties, but Bors forgot not the hermit"s charge, and bade an attendant to bring him water. In this he sopped bread and ate it.
"How is this?" asked the lady in surprise. "Like you not my meat?"
"Truly I do, madam; yet I may eat no other food this day."
Then the lady was silent, for she feared to displease him by questioning. After supper, while they sat talking, a squire came, who said,--
"Madam, you know well what is set for to-morrow. You must provide a champion to fight in your quarrel against Pridam le Noire, or your sister will have this castle and all your lands."
"I know that," she said, with a deep sigh. "May G.o.d save me from being robbed, for I see no earthly aid."
Her sorrow touched Bors, who asked,--
"What means this, madam?"
"Sir," she said, "I shall tell you. There was formerly a king named Aniause, who owned all these lands. By chance he loved my sister, who is much older than I,--and much wickeder also, I fear. He gave her this land to govern; but she brought into it many evil customs, and caused the death of many of his kinsmen. When the king saw how vilely she governed, he drove her away, and put me over this district. But he is now dead, and she is making war on me, and has destroyed many of my men, and turned others from me, so that I have little left but this tower, and the few men that guard it. Even this she now threatens to take from me, unless I can find a knight to fight her champion, who will appear before my gates to-morrow."
"Is it so?" said Bors. "Who is this Pridam le Noire?"
"He is the most stalwart knight in this country, and has no equal among us."
"Madam," said Bors, "you have given me shelter; in return I shall aid you as far as I can in your trouble. You may send word that you have found a knight who will fight with this Pridam the Black, in G.o.d"s quarrel and yours."
"Then may G.o.d"s blessing rest upon you," she cried, gladly. And word was sent out that she had found a champion who would take on himself her quarrel.
That evening she did what lay in her power to make Bors welcome, and sent him at bedtime to a chamber whose bed was soft as down, and spread with silken coverings.
But in no bed would he rest, but laid himself on the floor, as he had vowed to do till he found the Sangreal.
As he lay there asleep there came to him a vision. He seemed to see two birds, one white as a swan, the other of smaller size, and shaped like a raven, with plumage of inky blackness. The white bird came to him and said, "If thou wilt give me meat and serve me, I shall give thee all the riches of the world, and make thee as fair and white as I am." Then the white bird departed, and the black bird came and said, "I beg that you will serve me to-morrow, and hold me in no despite; for this I tell you, that my blackness will avail you more than the other"s whiteness." And this bird, too, departed.
But his dream continued, and he seemed to come to a great place, that looked like a chapel. Here he saw on the left side a chair, which was worm-eaten and feeble. And on the right hand were two flowers of the shape of a lily, and one would have taken the whiteness from the other but that a good man separated them, and would not let them touch. And out of each came many flowers and plentiful fruit. Then the good man said, "Would not he act with great folly that should let these two flowers perish to succor the rotten tree, and keep it from falling?"
"Sir," said the dreamer, "it seems to me that the flower is of more value than the wood." "Then take heed that you never choose the false for the true."
With this Bors awoke, and made the sign of the cross on his forehead, and then rose and dressed. When he had come to the lady she saluted him, and led him to a chapel, where they heard the morning service. Quickly afterwards there came a company of knights that the lady had sent for, to lead her champion to battle. After he had armed, she begged him to take some strengthening food.
"Nay, madam," he answered, "that I shall not do till I have fought this battle, in which I ask but G.o.d"s grace to aid me."
This said, he sprang upon his horse, and set out with the knights and men, closely followed by the lady and her train. They soon came to where the other party were encamped, and with them the lady of their choice.
"Madam," said the lady of the tower, "you have done me great wrong to take from me the lands which King Aniause gave me. And I am sorry that there should be any battle."
"You shall not choose," said the other, "unless you withdraw your knight and yield the tower."
"That I shall not do. You have robbed me enough already."
Then was the trumpet sounded, and proclamation was made that whichever champion won the battle, the lady for whom he fought should enjoy all the land. This done, the two champions drew aside, and faced each other grimly in their armor of proof.
But when the sound for the onset was blown they put spurs to their steeds, which rushed together like two lions, and the knights struck each other with such force that their spears flew to pieces and both fell to the earth.