[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum Quartum

THenne as hit felle by fortune and aduenture sire Bo∣rs de ganys that was neuewe vnto sir Launcelot cam ouer that brydge / and ther syre Bromel and sire bors Iusted / & sir Bors smote syre Bromel suche a buffet that he bare hym ouer his hors croupe / And thenne syre Bromel as an hardy knyghte pulled out his suerd / and dressid his sheld to doo bataille with syr Bors / And thenne syr Bors alyʒte / and auoyded his hors / and there they dasshed to gyders ma∣ny sadde strokes / and long thus they foughte / tyl att the laste syr Bromel was leyd to the erthe / and there syre bors began to vnlace his helme to slee hym / Thenne syr bromel cryed syre bors mercy / and yelded hym / vpon this couenaunt thou shalt haue thy lyf said syr bors / soo thou goo vnto syr launcelot vp on whytsondaye that next cometh and yelde the vnto hym as knyghte recreaunt / I wille doo hit said syr bromel / and that he sware vpon the crosse of the swerd / and soo he lete hym de∣parte / and syr bors rode vnto kynge Pelles / that was within Corbyn / And whanne the kynge and Elayne his doughter wist that syr bors was neuewe vnto syr launcelot / they made hym grete chere / Thenne said dame Elayne / we merueyle whe∣re sir Launcelot is / for he came neuer here but ones / Meruelle not said sir bors / for this half yere he hath ben in pryson with quene Morgan le fay kyng Arthurs syster / Allas said dame Elayne that me repenteth / and euer syr bors beheld that child in her armes / and euer hym semed it was passynge lyke sire launcelot / Truly said Elayne wete ye wel this child he gat vp on me / Thēne sir bors wepte for Ioye / & he praid to god it myʒt

preue as good a knyghte as his fader was / And soo cam in a whyte douue / and she bare a lytel censer of gold in her mo∣uthe / and there was alle maner of metes and drynkes / and a mayden bare that Sancgreal / and she said openly / wete yow wel syr Bors that this child is Galahalt that shalle sytte in the sege peryllous and encheue the Sancgreal / and he shalle be moche better than euer was sir Launcelot du lake / that is his owne fader / & thenne they kneled doune / & made theyre deuocyons / and there was suche a sauour as alle the spyecery in the world had ben there / And whanne the douue took her flyghte / the mayden vanysshed with the Sancgreal as she cam Syr said sir Bors vnto kynge Pelles / this Castel may be na¦med the castel aduenturous / for here be many straunge aduen¦tures / that is sothe said the kynge / for wel maye this place be called the aduentures place / for there come but fewe knyghtes here that gone aweye with ony worship / be he neuer so strong here he may be preued / and but late sire Gawayne the good knyght gate but lytyl worship here / for I lete yow wete said kynge Pelles / here shalle no knyght wynne no worship / but if he be of worship hym self and of good lyuynge / and that lo∣ueth god and dredeth god / and els he geteth no worshyp here be he neuer soo hardy / that is wonderful thyng said syr Bors what ye meane in this Countrey / I wote not / for ye haue ma∣ny straunge aduentures / and therfor I wyl lye in this Cas∣tel this nyghte / ye shalle not doo so said kynge Pelles by my counceyll / for hit is hard and ye escape withoute a shame / I shalle take the aduenture that wille befalle me said syr Bors thenne I counceyle yow said the kynge to be confessid clene / As for that said sire Bors I wille be shryuen with a good wylle / Soo syr Bors was confessyd / and for al wymmen sir Bors was a vyrgyne / sauf for one / that was the doughter of kynge Brangorys / and on her he gat a child that hyghte E∣layne / and sauf for her syre Bors was a clene mayden / and soo sir Bors was ledde vnto bed in a fayr large chamber / and many dores were shette aboute the chamber / whan sir Bors as¦pyed alle tho dores / he auoyded alle the peple / for he myght ha¦ue no body with hym / but in no wyse syr Bors wold vnarme hym / but soo he leid hym doune vpon the bedde / and ryght soo

he sawe come in a lyghte that he myght wel see a spere grete & longe that came streyghte vpon hym poyntelynge / and to syre Bors semed that the hede of the spere brente lyke a tapre / and anon or syr Bors wyst / the spere hede smote hym in to the shol¦der an hand brede in depnesse / and that wound greued syre Bors passynge sore / And thenne he leyd hym doune ageyne for payne / and anone there with alle there came a knyght ar¦med with his shelde on his sholder and his suerd in his hande and he bad sir Bors aryse syr knyʒte and fyghte with me / I am sore hurte he said / but yet I shal not fayle the / And thenne syr Bors starte vp and dressid his shelde / and thenne they lasshed to gydders myghtely a grete whyle / and at the laste syr Bors bare hym bakward vntyl that he came vnto a chā∣ber dore / and there that knyghte yede in to that chamber & rested hym a grete whyle / And whan he hadde reposed hym he came out fresshely ageyne / and beganne newe bataille with sir bors myghtely and strongly