Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
History
Chronicle and Romance: Froissart, Malory, Holinshed: (The Harvard Classics Series)
England -- Social life and customs -- 16th century; Great Britain -- History -- Edward III, 1327-1377
And anon as he was asleep him befel a vision, that there came to him
two birds, the one as white as a swan, and the other was marvellous
black; but it was not so great as the other, but in the likeness of a
Raven. Then the white bird came to him, and said: An thou wouldst give
me meat and serve me I should give thee all the riches of the world,
and I shall make thee as fair and as white as I am. So the white bird
departed, and there came the black bird to him, and said: An thou
wolt, serve me to-morrow and have me in no despite though I be black,
for wit thou well that more availeth my blackness than the other's
whiteness. And then he departed. And he had another vision: him
thought that he came to a great place which seemed a chapel, and there
he found a chair set on the left side, which was wormeaten and feeble.
And on the right hand were two flowers like a lily, and the one would
have benome the other's whiteness but a good man departed them that
the one touched not the other; and then out of every flower came out
many flowers, and fruit great plenty. Then him thought the good man
said: Should not he do great folly that would let these two flowers
perish for to succour the rotten tree, that it fell not to the earth?
Sir, said he, it seemeth me that this wood might not avail. Now keep
thee, said the good man, that thou never see such adventure befall
thee. Then he awaked and made a sign of the cross in middes of the
forehead, and so rose and clothed him. And there came the lady of the
place, and she saluted him, and he her again, and so went to a chapel
and heard their service. And there came a company of knights, that the
lady had sent for, to lead Sir Bors unto battle. Then asked he his
arms. And when he was armed she prayed him to take a little morsel to
dine. Nay, madam, said he, that shall I not do till I have done my
battle, by the grace of God. And so he lept upon his horse, and
departed all the knights and men with him. And as soon as these two
ladies met together, she which Bors should fight for complained her,
and said: Madam, ye have done me wrong to bereave me of my lands that
King Aniause gave me, and full loth I am there should be any battle.
Ye shall not choose, said the other lady, or else your knight withdraw
him. Then there was the cry made, which party had the better of the
two knights, that his lady should rejoice all the land. Now departed
the one knight here, and the other there. Then they came together with
such a raundon that they pierced their shields and their hauberks, and
the spears flew in pieces, and they wounded either other sore. Then
hurtled they together, so that they fell both to the earth, and their
horses betwixt their legs; and anon they arose, and set hands to their
swords, and smote each one other upon the heads, that they made great
wounds and deep, that the blood went out of their bodies. For there
found Sir Bors greater defence in that knight more than he weened. For
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account