r that shall befall thee now an thou warne 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 easily, but thou weenest to rescue a
maid which pertaineth nothing to thee. Now look thou whether it had
been greater harm of thy brother's death, or else to have suffered her
to have lost her maidenhood. Then asked he him: Hast thou heard the
tokens oL 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 thought more 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 bysene than ever he saw Queen Guenever or any
other estate. Lo, said they, Sir Bors, here is the lady unto whom we
owe all 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,
in so much 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 Bors understood her words he was right evil at
ease, which in no manner would not break chasity, so wist not he how
to answer her.

CHAPTER XII

HOW A DEVIL IN WOMAN'S LIKENESS WOULD HAVE TEMPTED SIR BORS, AND HOW
BY GOD'S GRACE HE ESCAPED

Alas, said she, B