Bab Bab 331 · How Sir Bors made Sir Pedivere to yield him, and of

. 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 nor windows, shot of arrows and of quarrels 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 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 leopard 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 Armathie came into this land. Then when he had sung, the old man

bade 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 own hand, and a spear in his other hand, and that

spear was called the Spear of Vengeance.