adventure which he had seen. Sir Knight, said the Abbot, I
wot not what ye be, for I weened 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.

CHAPTER XIII

OF THE HOLY COMMUNICATION OF AN ABBOT TO SIR BORS, AND HOW THE ABBOT
COUNSELLED HIM

And that night was Sir Bors served richly; and on the morn early he
heard mass, and the Abbot came to him, and bad him good morrow, and
Bors to him again. And then he told him he was a fellow of the quest
of the Sangreal, and how he had charge of the holy man to eat bread
and water. Then said the Abbot: Our Lord Jesu Christ showed him unto
you in the likeness of a soul that suffered great anguish for us, syne
He was put upon the cross, and bled His heart blood for mankind: there
was the token and the likeness of the Sangreal that appeared afore
you, for the blood that the great fowl bled revived the chickens from
death to life. And by the bare tree is betokened the world which is
naked and without fruit but if it come to Our Lord. Also the lady for
whom ye fought for, and King Aniause which was lord there tofore,
betokeneth Jesu Christ which is the King of the world. And that ye
fought with the champion for the lady, this it betokeneth: for when ye
took the battle for the lady, by her shall ye understand the new law
of Jesu Christ and Holy Church; and by the other lady ye shall
understand the old law and the fiend, which all day warreth against
Holy Church, therefore ye did your battle with right. For ye be Jesu
Christ's knights, therefore ye ought to be defenders of Holy Church.
And by the black bird might ye understand Holy Church, which sayeth I
am black, but he is fair. And by the white bird might men understand
the fiend, and I shall tell you how the swan is white without forth,
and black within: it is hypocrisy which is without yellow or pale, and
seemeth without forth the servants of Jesu Christ, but they be within
so horrible of filth and sin, and beguile the world evil. Also when
the fiend appeared to thee in likeness of a man of religion, and
blamed thee that thou left thy brother for a lady, so led thee where
thou seemed thy brother was slain, but he is yet on live; and all was
for to put thee in error, and bring thee unto wanhope and lechery, for
he knew thou were tender hearted