[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xiiij

THenne wente sir Bors from thens and commaunded the Abbot vnto god / And thenne he rode alle that day and herberowed with an old lady / And on the morne he ro∣de to a Castel in a valey / and there he mette with a yoman go∣ynge a grete paas toward a foreste / Saye me sayd syre Bors canst thow telle me of ony aduenture / Syre sayd he / here shall be vnder this Castel a grete and a merueyllous turnement / of what folkes shal hit be sayd syr Bors / The erle of playns shal be in the one party / & the ladyes neuew of Heruyn on the other party / thēnne bors thouʒt to be there yf he myʒt mete with his broder syr Lyonel or ony other of his felaushyp / whyche were in the quest of the Sancgreal / And thenne he torned to an hermytage that was in the entre of the foreste / And when he was come thyder / he fonde there syr Lyonel his broder whi¦che sat al armed at the entre of the Chappel dore for to abyde there herberowe tyl on the morn that the turnement shalle be / And whanne sir Bors sawe hym / he had grete Ioye of hym / that it were merueil to telle of hys Ioye / And thenne he a∣lyghte of his hors / and sayd fair swete broder whanne came ye hydder / Anone as Lyonel sawe hym he said ¶A Bors ye maye not make none auaunt / but as for you I myʒt haue ben slayn whan ye sawe two knyʒtes ledyng me awey betyng me ye lefte me for to socoure a gentilwoman / and suffred me in pe¦rylle of deth / for neuer erst ne dyd no broder to another so gre¦te an vntrouthe / And for that mysdede now I ensure you but deth / for wel haue ye deserued it / therfore kepe the from hensfor∣ward / and that shal ye fynde as soone as I am armed / whan sir Bors vnderstood his broders wrath / he knelyd doune to

the erthe / and cryed hym mercy / holdyng vp both his handes and prayd hym to forgyue hym his euyll wylle / Nay sayd Lyonel that shalle neuer be and I maye haue the hyher hand that I make myn auowe to god / thow shalt haue dethe for it for it were pyte ye lyued any lenger / Ryghte soo he wente in and took his harneis and mounted vpon his hors / and cam to fore hym and sayd / Bors kepe the from me / for I shall do to the as I wold to a felon or a traytour / for ye be the vntruest knyght that euer came oute of soo worthy an hows / as was kynge Bors de ganys / whiche was oure fader / therfore starte vpon thy hors / and soo shalle ye be moost at your auauntage And but yf ye wylle / I wille renne vpon yow there as ye stande vpon foote / and soo the shame shalle be myn / and the harme yours / but of that shame ne reke I noughte / whan syr Bors sawe that he must fyghte with his broder or els to dye / he nyst what to doo / thenne his herte counceyled hym not therto in as moche as Lyonel was borne or he / wherfor he ought to be¦re hym reuerence / yet kneled he doune afore Lyonels hors feet / and sayd fair swete broder haue mercy vpon me / and sle me not / and haue in remembraunce the grete loue whiche oughte to be bitwene vs tweyne / what syr Bors sayd to Lyonel he ro∣ughte not / for the fende had broughte hym in suche a wyl that he shold slee hym / Thenne whanne Lyonel sawe he wold none other / and that he wold not haue rysen to gyue hym bataille / he rasshed ouer hym so that he smote Bors with his hors feete vpward to the erthe / and hurte hym so sore that he swouned of distresse / the whiche he felte in hym self to haue dyed with∣oute confession / Soo whanne Lyonel sawe this / he alyghte of his hors to haue smyten of his hede / And soo he toke hym by the helme / and wold haue rente hit from his heed / ¶ Thenne came the heremyte rennyng vnto hym whiche was a good man and of grete age / and wel had herd alle the wordes that we¦re bitwene them / and soo folle doune vpon syre Bors