Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XI CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V

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.