And for he had served so long the devil,he shall have vengeance four-and-twenty days long,for that he hath been the devil's servant four-and-twenty years.And then soon after he shall return unto Camelot out of this country,and he shall say a part of such things as he hath found.
Now will I tell you what betokeneth the hand with the candle and the bridle:that is to understand the Holy Ghost where charity is ever,and the bridle signifieth abstinence.For when she is bridled in Christian man's heart she holdeth him so short that he falleth not in deadly sin.And the candle which sheweth clearness and sight signifieth the right way of Jesu Christ.And when he went and said:Knights of poor faith and of wicked belief,these three things failed,charity,abstinence,and truth;therefore ye may not attain that high adventure of the Sangreal.
CHAPTER V
Of the good counsel that the hermit gave to them.
CERTES,said Gawaine,soothly have ye said,that I see it openly.Now,I pray you,good man and holy father,tell me why we met not with so many adventures as we were wont to do,and commonly have the better.I shall tell you gladly,said the good man;the adventure of the Sangreal which ye and many other have undertaken the quest of it and find it not,the cause is for it appeareth not to sinners.Wherefore marvel not though ye fail thereof,and many other.For ye be an untrue knight and a great murderer,and to good men signifieth other things than murder.For I dare say,as sinful as Sir Launcelot hath been,sith that he went into the quest of the Sangreal he slew never man,nor nought shall,till that he come unto Camelot again,for he hath taken upon him for to forsake sin.And nere that he nis not stable,but by his thought he is likely to turn again,he should be next to enchieve it save Galahad,his son.But God knoweth his thought and his unstableness,and yet shall he die right an holy man,and no doubt he hath no fellow of no earthly sinful man.Sir,said Gawaine,it seemeth me by your words that for our sins it will not avail us to travel in this quest Truly,said the good man,there be an hundred such as ye be that never shall prevail,but to have shame.And when they had heard these voices they commended him unto God.
Then the good man called Gawaine,and said:It is long time passed sith that ye were made knight,and never sithen thou servedst thy Maker,and now thou art so old a tree that in thee is neither life nor fruit;wherefore bethink thee that thou yield to Our Lord the bare rind,sith the fiend hath the leaves and the fruit.Sir,said Gawaine an I had leisure I would speak with you,but my fellow here,Sir Ector,is gone,and abideth me yonder beneath the hill.Well,said the good man,thou were better to be counselled.Then departed Gawaine and came to Ector,and so took their horses and rode till they came to a forester's house,which harboured them right well.And on the morn they departed from their host,and rode long or they could find any adventure.
CHAPTER VI
How Sir Bors met with an hermit,and how he was confessed to him,and of his penance enjoined to him.
WHEN Bors was departed from Camelot he met with a religious man riding on an ass,and Sir Bors saluted him.
Anon the good man knew him that he was one of the knights-errant that was in the quest of the Sangreal.
What are ye?said the good man.Sir,said he,I am a knight that fain would be counselled in the quest of the Sangreal,for he shall have much earthly worship that may bring it to an end.Certes,said the good man,that is sooth,for he shall be the best knight of the world,and the fairest of all the fellowship.But wit you well there shall none attain it but by cleanness,that is pure confession.
So rode they together till that they came to an hermitage.
And there he prayed Bors to dwell all that night with him.And so he alighted and put away his armour,and prayed him that he might be confessed;and so they went into the chapel,and there he was clean confessed,and they ate bread and drank water together.Now,said the good man,I pray thee that thou eat none other till that thou sit at the table where the Sangreal shall be.Sir,said he,I agree me thereto,but how wit ye that I shall sit there.Yes,said the good man,that know I,but there shall be but few of your fellows with you.All is welcome,said Sir Bors,that God sendeth me.Also,said the good man,instead of a shirt,and in sign of chastisement,ye shall wear a garment;therefore I pray you do off all your clothes and your shirt:and so he did.And then he took him a scarlet coat,so that should be instead of his shirt till he had fulfilled the quest of the Sangreal;and the good man found in him so marvellous a life and so stable,that he marvelled and felt that he was never corrupt in fleshly lusts,but in one time that he begat Elian le Blank.
Then he armed him,and took his leave,and so departed.And so a little from thence he looked up into a tree,and there he saw a passing great bird upon an old tree,and it was passing dry,without leaves;and the bird sat above,and had birds,the which were dead for hunger.
So smote he himself with his beak,the which was great and sharp.And so the great bird bled till that he died among his birds.And the young birds took the life by the blood of the great bird.When Bors saw this he wist well it was a great tokening;for when he saw the great bird arose not,then he took his horse and yede his way.
So by evensong,by adventure he came to a strong tower and an high,and there was he lodged gladly.
CHAPTER VII
How Sir Bors was lodged with a lady,and how he took upon him for to fight against a champion for her land.
AND when he was unarmed they led him into an high tower where was a lady,young,lusty,and fair.And she received him with great joy,and made him to sit down by her,and so was he set to sup with flesh and many dainties.
And when Sir Bors saw that,he bethought him on his penance,and bade a squire to bring him water.And so he brought him,and he made sops therein and ate them.
