THE VICTORY OF SIR BORS OVER HIMSELF
When Sir Bors was departed from Vagon, he met with a religious man
riding on an ass, and Sir Bors saluted him. Anon the good man knew him
to be one of the knights errant that was in the quest of the Holy Grail.
"What are ye?" said the good man.
"Sir," said he, "I am a knight that fain would be counselled in the
quest of the Holy Grail, for he shall have much earthly honour that may
bring it to an end."
"Verily," said the good man, "that is sooth, for he shall be the best
knight of the world, and the fairest of all the fellowship. But wit ye
well, there shall none attain it but by cleanness of heart and of life."
So rode they together till they came to a hermitage, and there he
prayed Bors to dwell all that night with him. So he alighted and put
away his armour, and prayed him that he might be confessed. So they
went into the chapel, and there he was clean confessed; and they ate
bread and drank water together.
"Now," said the good man, "I pray thee that thou eat none other, till
that thou sit at the table where the Holy Grail shall be."
"Sir," said he, "I agree thereto; but how wit ye that I shall sit
there?"
"Yes," said the good man, "that know I, but there shall be few of your
fellowship with you."
"All is welcome," said Sir Bors, "that God sendeth me."
Also the good man in sign of chastisement put on him a scarlet coat,
instead of his shirt, and found him in so vigorous a life, and so
stable, that he marvelled, and felt that he was never corrupt in
fleshly lusts. Then Sir Bors put on his armour, and took his leave,
and so departed.
After he had ridden a day or two on his road, he met about the hour of
noon at the parting of two ways two knights, that led Lionel, his
brother, bound upon a strong hackney and his hands bound tofore his
breast. Each of the two held in his hands thorns, wherewith they went
beating him so sore that the blood trailed down more than in a hundred
places of his body. But he said never a word, as he which was great of
heart; he suffered all that ever they did to him as though he had felt
none anguish.
Anon Sir Bors dressed him to rescue him that was his brother. Just
then he chanced to look upon his other side, and saw a knight which
brought a fair gentlewoman, and would have dragged her into the
thickest part of the forest out of the way of them that sought to
rescue her.
Anon she espied where Sir Bors came riding. She deemed him a knight of
the Round Table, wherefore she hoped to have some comfort; and she
conjured him by the faith that he owed unto him in whose service he had
entered, and the fidelity he owed unto the high order of knighthood,
and for the noble King Arthur's sake, to help her in her sore distress.
When Sir Bors heard her cry, he had so much sorrow he knew not what to
do. "For," said he, "if I let my brother be in adventure he must be
slain, and that would I not for all the earth. And if I help not the
maid in her peril, I am shamed for ever." Then he lifted up his eyes,
and said weeping, "Fair Lord Jesu Christ, whose liege man I am, keep
Lionel my brother, that these knights slay him not; and for Mary's
sake, I shall succour this maid."
Then dressed he him unto the knight the which had the gentlewoman, and
cried, "Sir knight, let your hand off that maiden, or ye be but a dead
man."
The knight set down the maiden, and drew out his sword, but Bors smote
him so hard that he beat him down to the earth. Then came twelve
knights seeking the gentlewoman, and anon she told them all how Bors
had delivered her. They made great joy, and besought him to come to
her father, a noble lord; but Bors had a great adventure in hand, and
might not delay. So he commended them unto God, and departed.
Then Sir Bors rode after Lionel his brother by the trace of their
horses. He sought a great while; and at the last he overtook a man
clothed in religious clothing, that told him Lionel was dead, and
showed him a slain body, lying in a thicket, that well seemed to him
the body of Lionel. Then he made such a sorrow that he fell to the
earth all in a swoon, and lay a great while there.
When he came to himself he said, "Fair brother, since the company of
you and me is parted, shall I never have joy in my heart; and now He
which I have taken as to my Master, He be my help."
When he had said thus, he took the body lightly in his arms and put it
upon the bow of his saddle, and so rode to an old feeble chapel fast
by, and put him into a tomb of marble.
Then went Sir Bors from thence, and rode all that day, and then turned
to a hermitage, at the entry of a forest. There he found Lionel his
brother, which sat all armed at the chapel door. For he was yet on
life, and a fiend had deceived Bors with the body left in the chapel,
for to put him in error so that he might not find the blessed adventure
of the Holy Grail.
When Sir Bors saw his brother alive he had great joy of him, that it
was marvel to tell of his joy. And then he alighted off his horse, and
said, "Fair sweet brother, when came ye thither?"
Anon as Sir Lionel saw him he said, "Ah, Bors, ye may make no boast.
For all you I might have been slain. When ye saw two knights leading
me away, beating me, ye left me for to succour a gentlewoman, and
suffered me to remain in peril of death. Never before did any brother
to another so great an untruth. And for that misdeed now I ensure you
but death, for well have ye deserved it. Therefore guard yourself from
henceforward, and that shall ye find needful as soon as I am armed."
When Sir Bors understood his brother's wrath, he kneeled down to the
earth and cried him mercy, holding up both his hands, and prayed him to
forgive him his evil will; but Lionel would show no pity, and made his
avow to God that he should have only death. Right so he went in and
put on his harness; then he mounted upon his horse and came tofore him,
and said, "Bors, keep thee from me, for I shall do to thee as I would
to a felon or a traitor, for ye be the untruest knight that ever came
out of so worthy a house as was that of our father, King Bors of Ganis."
When Sir Bors saw that he must fight with his brother or else die, he
wist not what to do. Then his heart counselled him not to fight,
inasmuch as Lionel was born before him, wherefore he ought to bear him
reverence. Again kneeled he down afore Lionel's horse's feet, and
said, "Fair sweet brother, have mercy upon me and slay me not, and have
in remembrance the great love which ought to be between us twain."
What Sir Bors said Lionel recked not, for the fiend had brought him in
such a will that he was determined to slay him. Then when Lionel saw
he would none other, and that he would not rise to give him battle, he
rushed over him, so that his horse's feet smote Bors to the earth, and
hurt him so sore that he swooned of distress. When Lionel saw this, he
alighted from his horse to smite off his head. So he took him by the
helm, and would have rent it from his head, had not the hermit come
running unto him, which was a good man and of great age. Well had he
heard all the words that were between them, and so fell down upon Sir
Bors.
Then he said to Lionel, "Ah, gentle knight, have mercy upon me and on
thy brother, for if thou slay him thou shalt commit a deadly sin, and
that were sorrowful; for he is one of the worthiest knights of the
world, and of the best conditions."
"So God me help," said Lionel, "sir priest, unless ye flee from him I
shall slay you, and he shall never the sooner be quit."
"Verily," said the good man, "I had rather ye slay me than him, for my
death shall not be great harm, not half so much as his."
"Well," said Lionel, "I am agreed"; and he set his hand to his sword,
and smote the hermit so hard that his head went backward.
For all that, he restrained him not of his evil will, but took his
brother by the helm, and unlaced it to strike off his head. And he
would have slain him without fail, but so it happened that Colgrevance,
a fellow of the Round Table, came at that time thither, as our Lord's
will was. First he saw the good man slain, then he beheld how Lionel
would slay his brother, whom he knew and loved right well. Anon he
sprang down and took Lionel by the shoulders, and drew him strongly
back from Bors, and said, "Lionel, will ye slay your brother, one of
the worthiest knights of the world? That should no good man suffer."
"Why," said Sir Lionel, "will ye hinder me? If ye interfere in this, I
shall slay you, and him after."
Then Lionel ran upon Bors, and would have smitten him through the head,
but Sir Colgrevance ran betwixt them, and said, "If ye be so hardy as
to do so more, we two shall meddle together."
Then Lionel defied him, and gave a great stroke through the helm. Now
Colgrevance drew his sword, for he was a passing good knight, and
defended himself right manfully. So long endured the battle that Sir
Bors awoke from his swoon, and rose up all anguishly, and beheld Sir
Colgrevance, the good knight, fight with his brother for his quarrel.
Then was he full sorry and heavy, and would have risen to part them.
But he had not so much might as to stand on foot, and must abide so
long till Colgrevance had the worse, for Sir Lionel was of great
chivalry and right hardy.
Only death awaited Colgrevance, when he beheld Sir Bors assaying to
rise, and he cried, "Ah, Bors, come ye and cast me out of peril of
death, wherein I have put me to succour you, which were right now nigh
to death."
When Bors heard that, he did so much as to rise and put on his helm,
making a marvellous sorrow at the sight of the dead hermit hard by.
With that Lionel smote Colgrevance so sore that he bare him to the
earth.
When he had slain Colgrevance, he ran upon his brother as a fiendly
man, and gave him such a stroke that he made him stoop; and he, full of
humility, prayed him for God's love to leave this battle. But Lionel
would not, and then Bors drew his sword, all weeping, and said, "Fair
brother, God knoweth mine intent. Ah, brother, ye have done full evil
this day to slay such a holy priest, the which never trespassed. Also
ye have slain a gentle knight, one of our fellows. And well wot ye
that I am not afraid of you greatly, but I dread the wrath of God.
This is an unkindly war; therefore may God show miracle upon us both.
Now God have mercy upon me, though I defend my life against my brother."
With that Bors lifted up his hands, and would have smitten Lionel, but
even then he heard a voice that said, "Flee, Bors, and touch him not."
Right so came a cloud betwixt them in likeness of a fire, so that both
their shields burned. Then were they sore afraid, and fell both to the
earth, and lay there a great while in a swoon. When they came to
themselves, Bors saw that his brother had no harm, wherefore he gave
thanks, for he feared God had taken vengeance upon him. With that he
heard a voice say, "Bors, go hence and bear thy brother no longer
fellowship, but take thy way anon right to the sea, for Sir Percivale
abideth thee there."
So Sir Bors departed from Lionel, and rode the next way to the sea. On
the strand he found a ship covered all with white samite. He alighted
from his horse and entered into the ship, and anon it departed into the
sea, and went so fast that him seemed the ship went flying. Then he
saw in the midst of the ship a knight lie, all armed save his helm, and
he knew that it was Sir Percivale. And either made great joy of other,
that it was marvel to hear.
Then Sir Bors told Sir Percivale how he came into the ship, and by
whose admonishment, and either told other of his temptations, as ye
have heard toforehand. So went they downward in the sea, one while
backward, another while forward, and each comforted other, and oft were
they in their prayers. Then said Sir Percivale, "We lack nothing but
Galahad, the good knight."