第 四百四十七 章 · How Sir Bors returned and told tidings of Sir Launcelot;

. How Sir Bors returned and told tidings of Sir Launcelot;

and of the tourney, and to whom the prize was given.

Then Sir Bors made him ready to depart from Sir Launcelot; and then Sir

Launcelot said: Fair cousin, Sir Bors, recommend me unto all them unto

whom me ought to recommend me unto. And I pray you, enforce yourself at

that jousts that ye may be best, for my love; and here shall I abide

you at the mercy of God till ye come again. And so Sir Bors departed

and came to the court of King Arthur, and told them in what place he

had left Sir Launcelot. That me repenteth, said the king, but since he

shall have his life we all may thank God. And there Sir Bors told the

queen in what jeopardy Sir Launcelot was when he would assay his horse.

And all that he did, madam, was for the love of you, because he would

have been at this tournament. Fie on him, recreant knight, said the

queen, for wit ye well I am right sorry an he shall have his life. His

life shall he have, said Sir Bors, and who that would otherwise, except

you, madam, we that be of his blood should help to short their lives.

But madam, said Sir Bors, ye have been oft-times displeased with my

lord, Sir Launcelot, but at all times at the end ye find him a true

knight: and so he departed.

And then every knight of the Round Table that were there at that time

present made them ready to be at that jousts at All Hallowmass, and

thither drew many knights of divers countries. And as All Hallowmass

drew near, thither came the King of Northgalis, and the King with the

Hundred Knights, and Sir Galahad, the haut prince, of Surluse, and

thither came King Anguish of Ireland, and the King of Scots. So these

three kings came on King Arthur’s party. And so that day Sir Gawaine

did great deeds of arms, and began first. And the heralds numbered that

Sir Gawaine smote down twenty knights. Then Sir Bors de Ganis came in

the same time, and he was numbered that he smote down twenty knights;

and therefore the prize was given betwixt them both, for they began

first and longest endured. Also Sir Gareth, as the book saith, did that

day great deeds of arms, for he smote down and pulled down thirty

knights. But when he had done these deeds he tarried not but so

departed, and therefore he lost his prize. And Sir Palomides did great

deeds of arms that day, for he smote down twenty knights, but he

departed suddenly, and men deemed Sir Gareth and he rode together to

some manner adventures.

So when this tournament was done Sir Bors departed and rode till he

came to Sir Launcelot, his cousin; and then he found him walking on his

feet, and there either made great joy of other; and so Sir Bors told

Sir Launcelot of all the Jousts like as ye have heard. I marvel, said

Sir Launcelot, that Sir Gareth, when he had done such deeds of arms,

that he would not tarry. Thereof we marvelled all, said Sir Bors, for

but if it were you, or Sir Tristram, or Sir Lamorak de Galis, I saw

never knight bear down so many in so little a while as did Sir Gareth:

and anon he was gone we wist not where. By my head, said Sir Launcelot,

he is a noble knight, and a mighty man and well breathed; and if he

were well assayed, said Sir Launcelot I would deem he were good enough

for any knight that beareth the life; and he is a gentle knight,

courteous, true, and bounteous, meek, and mild, and in him is no manner

of mal engin, but plain, faithful, and true.

So then they made them ready to depart from the hermit. And so upon a

morn they took their horses and Elaine le Blank with them; and when

they came to Astolat there were they well lodged, and had great cheer

of Sir Bernard, the old baron, and of Sir Tirre, his son. And so upon

the morn when Sir Launcelot should depart, fair Elaine brought her

father with her, and Sir Lavaine, and Sir Tirre, and thus she said: