CHAPTER XV

How Sir Colgrevance fought against Sir Lionel for to save
Sir Bors, and how the hermit was slain.


THEN he said to Lionel:  Ah gentle knight, have mercy
upon me and on thy brother, for if thou slay him thou
shalt be dead of sin, and that were sorrowful, for he is
one of the worthiest knights of the world, and of the best
conditions.  So God help me, said Lionel, sir priest, but
if ye flee from him I shall slay you, and he shall never the
sooner be quit.  Certes, said the good man, I have liefer
ye slay me than him, for my death shall not be great
harm, not half so much as of his.  Well, said Lionel, I
am greed; and set his hand to his sword and smote him
so hard that his head yede backward.  Not for that he
restrained him of his evil will, but took his brother by the
helm, and unlaced it to have stricken off his head, and
had slain him without fail.  But so it happed, Colgrevance
a fellow of the Round Table, came at that time thither as
Our Lord's will was.  And when he saw the good man
slain he marvelled much what it might be.  And then he
beheld Lionel would have slain his brother, and knew Sir
Bors which he loved right well.  Then stert he down and
took Lionel by the shoulders, and drew him strongly
aback from Bors, and said:  Lionel, will ye slay your
brother, the worthiest knight of the world one? and that
should no good man suffer.  Why, said Lionel, will ye
let me? therefore if ye entermete you in this I shall slay
you, and him after.  Why, said Colgrevance, is this
sooth that ye will slay him?  Slay him will I, said
he, whoso say the contrary, for he hath done so much
against me that he hath well deserved it.  And so ran
upon him, and would have smitten him through the
head, and Sir Colgrevance ran betwixt them, and said:
An ye be so hardy to do so more, we two shall meddle
together.

When Lionel understood his words he took his shield
afore him, and asked him what that he was.  And he told
him, Colgrevance, one of his fellows.  Then Lionel defied
him, and gave him a great stroke through the helm.
Then he drew his sword, for he was a passing good
knight, and defended him right manfully.  So long dured
the battle that Bors rose up all anguishly, and beheld [how]
Colgrevance, the good knight, fought with his brother
for his quarrel; then was he full sorry and heavy, and
thought if Colgrevance slew him that was his brother he
should never have joy; and if his brother slew Colgrevance
the shame should ever be mine.  Then would he
have risen to have departed them, but he had not so
much might to stand on foot; so he abode him so long
till Colgrevance had the worse, for Lionel was of great
chivalry and right hardy, for he had pierced the hauberk
and the helm, that he abode but death, for he had lost
much of his blood that it was marvel that he might stand
upright.  Then beheld he Sir Bors which sat dressing him
upward and said:  Ah, Bors, why come ye not to cast me
out of peril of death, wherein I have put me to succour
you which were right now nigh the death?  Certes, said
Lionel, that shall not avail you, for none of you shall bear
others warrant, but that ye shall die both of my hand.
When Bors heard that, he did so much, he rose and put
on his helm.  Then perceived he first the hermit-priest
which was slain, then made he a marvellous sorrow upon
him.