_How Sir Bors made Sir Pedivere to yield him, and of marvellous
adventures that he had, and how he achieved them._
Then Sir Bors thought he should no more go into that chamber to rest
him, and so Sir Bors dressed him betwixt the knight and that chamber
door, and there Sir Bors smote him down, and then that knight yielded
him. What is your name? said Sir Bors. Sir, said he, my name is
Pedivere of the Straight Marches. So Sir Bors made him to swear at
Whitsunday next coming to be at the court of king Arthur and yield him
there as a prisoner, as an overcome knight by the hands of Sir Bors. So
thus departed Sir Pedivere of the Straight Marches. And then Sir Bors
laid him down to rest, and then he heard and felt much noise in that
chamber; and then Sir Bors espied that there came in, he wist not
whether at the doors or windows, shot of arrows and of quarels, so
thick that he marvelled, and many fell upon him and hurt him in the
bare places. And then Sir Bors was ware where came in an hideous lion;
so Sir Bors dressed him unto the lion, and anon the lion bereft him of
his shield, and with his sword Sir Bors smote off the lion’s head.
Right so Sir Bors forthwithal saw a dragon in the court, passing
horrible, and there seemed letters of gold written in his forehead; and
Sir Bors thought that the letters made a signification of king Arthur.
Right so there came an horrible libard and an old, and there they
fought long, and did great battle together. And at the last the dragon
spit out of his mouth as it had been an hundred dragons, and lightly
all the small dragons slew the old dragon, and tare him all to pieces.
Anon withal there came an old man into the hall, and he sat him down in
a fair chair, and there seemed to be two adders about his neck, and
then the old man had an harp, and there he sang an old song, how Joseph
of Aramathie came into this land. Then when he had sung, the old man
bad Sir Bors—Go from thence, for here shall ye have no more
adventures, and full worshipfully have ye done, and better shall ye do
hereafter. And then Sir Bors seemed that there came the whitest dove
with a little golden censer in her mouth; and anon therewithal the
tempest ceased and passed that afore was marvellous to hear. So was all
that court full of good savours. Then Sir Bors saw four children
bearing four fair tapers, and an old man in the midst of the children
with a censer in his one hand, and a spear in his other hand, and that
spear was called the spear of vengeance.