CHAPTER XVIII

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: