Kabanata Kabanata 398 · How the lady was returned to her lands by the battle of Sir

. How the lady was returned to her lands by the battle of Sir

Bors, and of his departing, and how he met Sir Lionel taken and beaten

with thorns, and also of a maid which should have been devoured.

So then came Bors to all those that held lands of his lady, and said he

should destroy them but if they did such service unto her as longed to

their lands. So they did their homage, and they that would not were

chased out of their lands. Then befell that young lady to come to her

estate again, by the mighty prowess of Sir Bors de Ganis. So when all

the country was well set in peace, then Sir Bors took his leave and

departed; and she thanked him greatly, and would have given him great

riches, but he refused it.

Then he rode all that day till night, and came to an harbour to a lady

which knew him well enough, and made of him great Joy. Upon the morn,

as soon as the day appeared, Bors departed from thence, and so rode

into a forest unto the hour of midday, and there befell him a

marvellous adventure. So he met at the departing of the two ways two

knights that led Lionel, his brother, all naked, bounden upon a strong

hackney, and his hands bounden to-fore his breast. And everych of them

held in his hands thorns wherewith they went beating him so sore that

the blood trailed down more than in an hundred places of his body, so

that he was all blood to-fore and behind, 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; and so he

looked upon the other side of him, and saw a knight which brought a

fair gentlewoman, and would have set her in the thickest place of the

forest for to have been the more surer out of the way from them that

sought him. And she which was nothing assured cried with an high voice:

Saint Mary succour your maid. And anon she espied where Sir Bors came

riding. And when she came nigh him she deemed him a knight of the Round

Table, whereof she hoped to have some comfort; and then she conjured

him: By the faith that he ought unto Him in whose service thou art

entered in, and for the faith ye owe unto the high order of knighthood,

and for the noble King Arthur’s sake, that I suppose made thee knight,

that thou help me, and suffer me not to be shamed of this knight. When

Bors heard her say thus he had so much sorrow there he nist not what to

do. For 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 she is shamed

for ever, and also she shall lose her virginity the which she shall

never get again. Then lift he up his eyes and said weeping: Fair sweet

Lord Jesu Christ, whose liege man I am, keep Lionel, my brother, that

these knights slay him not, and for pity of you, and for Mary’s sake, I

shall succour this maid.