[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xv

THenne he sayd to Lyonel A gentyl knyghte haue mer¦cy vpon me and on thy b••oder / for yf thow slee hym /

thow shalte be dede of synne / and that were sorouful / for he is one of the worthyest knyghtes of the world / and of the best condycyons / Soo god me help sayd Lyonel syr preest / but yf ye flee from hym I shall slee yow / and he shalle neuer the so∣oner be quyte / Certes sayd the good man I haue leuer ye slee me than hym / for my dethe shalle not be grete harme not halfe soo moche as of his / wel sayd Lyonel I am greed / and sette his hand te his swerd and smote hym soo hard that his he∣de yede bakward / Not for that he restrayned hym of his euyll wylle / but took his broder by the helme and vnlaced hit to ha∣ue stryken of his hede / and had slayn hym withoute fayle but soo it happed Colgreuaunce a felawe of the round table cam at that tyme thyder as oure lordes wylle was / And whanne he sawe the good man slayne he merueylled moche what it myght be / And thenne he beheld Lyonel wold haue slayne his broder / and knewe syre Bors whiche he loued ryʒt wel Thenne starte he doune and toke Lyonel by the sholders and drewe hym strongly abak from Bors / and sayd Lyonel wylle ye slee your broder the worthyest knyghte of the world one / & that shold noo good man suffer / why sayd Lyonel / wylle ye lette me / therfor yf ye entermete yow in this I shall slee you and hym after / why sayd Colgreuaunce is this sothe that ye wille slee hym / slee hym wylle I sayd he / who so saye the con¦trary / For he hath done so moche ageynst me / that he hath wel deserued it / and soo ranne vpon hym / and wold haue smyten hym thurgh the hede / and sir Colgreuaunce ranne betwyx them and sayd & ye be so hardy to do soo more we two shal medle to gyders / when Lyonel vnderstood his wordes / he took his sh∣eld afore hym / and asked hym what that he was / and he told hym Colgreuaunce one of his felawes / Thenne Lyonel defyed hym / and gaf hym a grete stroke thurgh the helme / Thenne he drewe his suerd / for he was a passyng good knyʒte / and defen¦ded hym ryʒt manfully / soo longe dured the batail that Bors rose vp all anguysshly & behelde Colgreuaunce the good kny∣ght fought with his broder for his quarel / thenne was he full sory and heuy / and thoughte yf Colgreuaunce slee hym / that was his broder / he sholde neuer haue Ioye / And yf his broder slew Colgreuaūce the shame shold euer be myn / Thenne wolde

he haue rysen to haue departed them / but he had not soo moche myghte to stande on foote / soo he abode hym soo longe tyl Col¦greuaunce had the werse / for Lyonel was of grete chyualrye and ryghte hardy / for he had perced the hauberk and the helme that he abode but dethe / For he had lost moche of his blood that it was merueylle that he myghte stande vp ryghte / Thenne be∣held he syr Bors whiche sat dressynge hym vpward and said A Bors why come ye not to caste me oute of perylle of dethe wherin I haue put me to socoure yow whiche were ryght now nyghe the dethe / Certes said Lyonel that shall not auayle you for none of you shalle bere others waraunt / but that ye shalle dye bothe of my hand / when Bors herd that / he dyd soo moche he rose and putte on his helme / Thenne per••••yued he fyrste the heremyte preest whiche was slayne / thenne made he a merueil∣lous sorowe vpon hym /