his sword upon the visage, and
bad him yield him or he should slay him. Then he cried him mercy and
said: Fair knight, for God's love slay me not, and I shall ensure thee
never to war against thy lady, but be alway toward her. Then Bors let
him be; then the old lady fled with all her knights.

CHAPTER IX

HOW THE LADY WAS RETURNED TO HER LANDS BY THE BATTLE OF SIR BORS, AND
OF HIS DEPARTING, AND HOW HE MET SIR LIONEL TAKEN AND BEATEN WITH
THORNS, AND ALSO OF A MAID WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISHONOURED

So then came Bors to all those that held lands of his lady, and said
he should destroy them but if they did such service unto her as longed
to their lands. So they did their homage, and they that would not were
chased out of their lands. Then befel that young lady to come to her
estate again, by the mighty prowess of Sir Bors de Ganis. So when all
the country was well set in peace, then Sir Bors took his leave and
departed; and she thanked him greatly, and would have given him great
riches, but he refused it. Then he rode all that day till night, and
came to an harbour to a lady which knew him well enough, and made of
him great joy. Upon the morn, as soon as the day appeared, Bors
departed from thence, and so rode into a forest unto the hour of
midday, and there befel him a marvellous adventure. So he met at the
departing of the two ways two knights that led Lionel, his brother,
all naked, bounden upon a strong hackney, and his hands bounden tofore
his breast. And every each of them held in his hands thorns wherewith
they went beating him so sore that the blood trailed down more than in
an hundred places of his body, so that he was all blood tofore and
behind, but he said never a word; as he which was great of heart he
suffered all that ever they did to him as though he had felt none
anguish. Anon Sir Bors dressed him to rescue him that was his brother;
and so he looked upon the other side of him, and saw a knight which
brought a fair gentlewoman, and would have set her in the thickest
place of the forest for to have been the more surer out of the way
from them that sought him. And she which was nothing assured cried
with an high voice: Saint Mary succour your maid. And anon she espied
where Sir Bors came riding. And when she came nigh him she deemed him
a knight of the Round Table, whereof she hoped to have some comfort;
and then she conjured him: By the faith that he ought unto him in
whose service thou art en