{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart397.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart397.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart397.htm","text":"CHAPTER VIII\nOf an advision which Sir Bors had that night, and how he\nfought and overcame his adversary.\nAND anon as he was asleep him befell a vision, that there\ncame to him two birds, the one as white as a swan, and\nthe other was marvellous black; but it was not so great\nas the other, but in the likeness of a Raven. Then the\nwhite bird came to him, and said: An thou wouldst give\nme meat and serve me I should give thee all the riches of\nthe world, and I shall make thee as fair and as white as I\nam. So the white bird departed, and there came the black\nbird to him, and said: An thou wolt, serve me to-morrow\nand have me in no despite though I be black, for wit thou\nwell that more availeth my blackness than the other's\nwhiteness. And then he departed.\nAnd he had another vision: him thought that he\ncame to a great place which seemed a chapel, and there he\nfound a chair set on the left side, which was worm-eaten\nand feeble. And on the right hand were two flowers like\na lily, and the one would have benome the other's whiteness,\nbut a good man departed them that the one touched\nnot the other; and then out of every flower came out\nmany flowers, and fruit great plenty. Then him thought\nthe good man said: Should not he do great folly that\nwould let these two flowers perish for to succour the\nrotten tree, that it fell not to the earth? Sir, said he, it\nseemeth me that this wood might not avail. Now keep\nthee, said the good man, that thou never see such adventure\nbefall thee.\nThen he awaked and made a sign of the cross in midst\nof the forehead, and so rose and clothed him. And there\ncame the lady of the place, and she saluted him, and he\nher again, and so went to a chapel and heard their service.\nAnd there came a company of knights, that the lady had\nsent for, to lead Sir Bors unto battle. Then asked he his\narms. And when he was armed she prayed him to take a\nlittle morsel to dine. Nay, madam, said he, that shall I\nnot do till I have done my battle, by the grace of God.\nAnd so he leapt upon his horse, and departed, all the\nknights and men with him. And as soon as these two\nladies met together, she which Bors should fight for\ncomplained her, and said: Madam, ye have done me wrong\nto bereave me of my lands that King Aniause gave me,\nand full loath I am there should be any battle. Ye shall\nnot choose, said the other lady, or else your knight withdraw\nhim.\nThen there was the cry made, which party had the\nbetter of the two knights, that his lady should rejoice all\nthe land. Now departed the one knight here, and the\nother there. Then they came together with such a\nraundon that they pierced their shields and their hauberks,\nand the spears flew in pieces, and they wounded either\nother sore. Then hurtled they together, so that they fell\nboth to the earth, and their horses betwixt their legs; and\nanon they arose, and set hands to their swords, and smote\neach one other upon the heads, that they made great\nwounds and deep, that the blood went out of their bodies.\nFor there found Sir Bors greater defence in that knight\nmore than he weened. For that Pridam was a passing\ngood knight, and he wounded Sir Bors full evil, and he\nhim again; but ever this Pridam held the stour in like\nhard. That perceived Sir Bors, and suffered him till he\nwas nigh attaint. And then he ran upon him more and\nmore, and the other went back for dread of death. So in\nhis withdrawing he fell upright, and Sir Bors drew his\nhelm so strongly that he rent it from his head, and gave\nhim great strokes with the flat of his sword upon the\nvisage, and bade him yield him or he should slay him.\nThen he cried him mercy and said: Fair knight, for God's\nlove slay me not, and I shall ensure thee never to war\nagainst thy lady, but be alway toward her. Then Bors\nlet him be; then the old lady fled with all her knights.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XVI CHAPTER VIII","type":"page"}