ad
thereof great marvel. With that he blessed his body and his visage. And
anon he heard a great noise and a great cry, as though all the fiends of
hell had been about him; and therewith he saw neither tower, nor lady,
nor gentlewoman, nor no chapel where he brought his brother to. Then
held he up both his hands to the heaven, and said: Fair Father God, I am
grievously escaped; and then he took his arms and his horse and rode on
his way.

Then he heard a clock smite on his right hand; and thither he came to an
abbey on his right hand, closed with high walls, and there was let in.
Then they supposed that he was one of the quest of the Sangreal, so they
led him into a chamber and unarmed him. Sirs, said Sir Bors, if there be
any holy man in this house I pray you let me speak with him. Then one
of them led him unto the Abbot, which was in a chapel. And then Sir Bors
saluted him, and he him again. Sir, said Bors, I am a knight-errant;
and told him all the 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 bade 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, since 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 of Our Lord. Also the lady for whom ye
fought for, and King Aniause which was lord there-to-fore, 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