mber to him the fairest lady than ever he saw, and more
richer beseen 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 chastity,
so wist not he how to answer her.

CHAPTER XII. How the devil in a woman's likeness would have had Sir Bors
to have lain by her, and how by God's grace he escaped.

ALAS, said she, Bors, shall ye not do my will? Madam, said Bors, there
is no lady in the 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 the
great hardiness that I have heard of you, that needs ye must lie by
me this night, and therefore I pray you grant it me. Truly, said he,
I shall not do it in no manner 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 an 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
or 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 uncounselled in himself that liefer he had they all had
lost their souls than he his, and with that they fell adown all at
once unto the earth. And when he saw that, he was all abashed, and h