{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart329.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart329.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart329.htm","text":"CHAPTER IV\nHow Sir Bors came to Dame Elaine and saw Galahad,\nand how he was fed with the Sangreal.\nTHEN as it fell by fortune and adventure, Sir Bors de\nGanis, that was nephew unto Sir Launcelot, came over that\nbridge; and there Sir Bromel and Sir Bors jousted, and\nSir Bors smote Sir Bromel such a buffet that he bare him\nover his horse's croup. And then Sir Bromel, as an hardy\nknight, pulled out his sword, and dressed his shield to do\nbattle with Sir Bors. And then Sir Bors alighted and\navoided his horse, and there they dashed together many sad\nstrokes; and long thus they fought, till at the last Sir\nBromel was laid to the earth, and there Sir Bors began to\nunlace his helm to slay him. Then Sir Bromel cried Sir\nBors mercy, and yielded him. Upon this covenant thou\nshalt have thy life, said Sir Bors, so thou go unto Sir\nLauncelot upon Whitsunday that next cometh, and yield\nthee unto him as knight recreant. I will do it, said Sir\nBromel, and that he sware upon the cross of the sword.\nAnd so he let him depart, and Sir Bors rode unto King\nPelles, that was within Corbin.\nAnd when the king and Elaine his daughter wist that\nSir Bors was nephew unto Sir Launcelot, they made him\ngreat cheer. Then said Dame Elaine: We marvel where\nSir Launcelot is, for he came never here but once. Marvel\nnot, said Sir Bors, for this half year he hath been in prison\nwith Queen Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's sister. Alas,\nsaid Dame Elaine, that me repenteth. And ever Sir Bors\nbeheld that child in her arms, and ever him seemed it was\npassing like Sir Launcelot. Truly, said Elaine, wit ye well\nthis child he gat upon me. Then Sir Bors wept for joy,\nand he prayed to God it might prove as good a knight as\nhis father was. And so came in a white dove, and she\nbare a little censer of gold in her mouth, and there was all\nmanner of meats and drinks; and a maiden bare that\nSangreal, and she said openly: Wit you well, Sir Bors,\nthat this child is Galahad, that shall sit in the Siege Perilous,\nand achieve the Sangreal, and he shall be much better than\never was Sir Launcelot du Lake, that is his own father.\nAnd then they kneeled down and made their devotions,\nand there was such a savour as all the spicery in the world\nhad been there. And when the dove took her flight, the\nmaiden vanished with the Sangreal as she came.\nSir, said Sir Bors unto King Pelles, this castle may be\nnamed the Castle Adventurous, for here be many strange\nadventures. That is sooth, said the king, for well may\nthis place be called the adventures place, for there come\nbut few knights here that go away with any worship; be\nhe never so strong, here he may be proved; and but late\nSir Gawaine, the good knight, gat but little worship here.\nFor I let you wit, said King Pelles, here shall no knight\nwin no worship but if he be of worship himself and of\ngood living, and that loveth God and dreadeth God, and\nelse he getteth no worship here, be he never so hardy.\nThat is wonderful thing, said Sir Bors. What ye mean in\nthis country I wot not, for ye have many strange adventures,\nand therefore I will lie in this castle this night. Ye\nshall not do so, said King Pelles, by my counsel, for it is\nhard an ye escape without a shame. I shall take the\nadventure that will befall me, said Sir Bors. Then I\ncounsel you, said the king, to be confessed clean. As for\nthat, said Sir Bors, I will be shriven with a good will. So\nSir Bors was confessed, and for all women Sir Bors was a\nvirgin, save for one, that was the daughter of King Brangoris,\nand on her he gat a child that hight Elaine, and save\nfor her Sir Bors was a clean maiden.\nAnd so Sir Bors was led unto bed in a fair large\nchamber, and many doors were shut about the chamber.\nWhen Sir Bors espied all those doors, he avoided all the\npeople, for he might have nobody with him; but in no\nwise Sir Bors would unarm him, but so he laid him down\nupon the bed. And right so he saw come in a light, that\nhe might well see a spear great and long that came straight\nupon him pointling, and to Sir Bors seemed that the head\nof the spear brent like a taper. And anon, or Sir Bors\nwist, the spear head smote him into the shoulder an\nhand-breadth in deepness, and that wound grieved Sir Bors passing\nsore. And then he laid him down again for pain; and\nanon therewithal there came a knight armed with his shield\non his shoulder and his sword in his hand, and he bade Sir\nBors: Arise, sir knight, and fight with me. I am sore\nhurt, he said, but yet I shall not fail thee. And then Sir\nBors started up and dressed his shield; and then they\nlashed together mightily a great while; and at the last Sir\nBors bare him backward until that he came unto a chamber\ndoor, and there that knight yede into that chamber and\nrested him a great while. And when he had reposed him\nhe came out freshly again, and began new battle with Sir\nBors mightily and strongly.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XI CHAPTER IV","type":"page"}