Anon withal there came an old man into the hall, and he sat him down in
a fair chair, and there seemed to be two adders about his neck; and
then the old man had an harp, and there he sang an old song how Joseph
of Armathie came into this land. Then when he had sung, the old man
bade Sir Bors go from thence. For here shall ye have no more
adventures; and full worshipfully have ye done, and better shall ye do
hereafter. And then Sir Bors seemed that there came the whitest dove
with a little golden censer in her mouth. And anon therewithal the
tempest ceased and passed, that afore was marvellous to hear. So was
all that court full of good savours. Then Sir Bors saw four children
bearing four fair tapers, and an old man in the midst of the children
with a censer in his own hand, and a spear in his other hand, and that
spear was called the Spear of Vengeance.
CHAPTER VI. How Sir Bors departed; and how Sir Launcelot was rebuked of
Queen Guenever, and of his excuse.
Now, said that old man to Sir Bors, go ye to your cousin, Sir
Launcelot, and tell him of this adventure the which had been most
convenient for him of all earthly knights; but sin is so foul in him he
may not achieve such holy deeds, for had not been his sin he had passed
all the knights that ever were in his days; and tell thou Sir
Launcelot, of all worldly adventures he passeth in manhood and prowess
all other, but in this spiritual matters he shall have many his better.
And then Sir Bors saw four gentlewomen come by him, purely beseen: and
he saw where that they entered into a chamber where was great light as
it were a summer light; and the women kneeled down afore an altar of
silver with four pillars, and as it had been a bishop kneeled down
afore that table of silver. And as Sir Bors looked over his head he saw
a sword like silver, naked, hoving over his head, and the clearness
thereof smote so in his eyes that as at that time Sir Bors was blind;
and there he heard a voice that said: Go hence, thou Sir Bors, for as
yet thou art not worthy for to be in this place. And then he yede
backward to his bed till on the morn. And on the morn King Pelles made
great joy of Sir Bors; and then he departed and rode to Camelot, and
there he found Sir Launcelot du Lake, and told him of the adventures
that he had seen with King Pelles at Corbin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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