erry and, when the lady begged
Percivale to rest him there awhile, promising him all that ever he
could desire if he would vow himself to her service, almost he
forgot the quest to which he was vowed, and would have consented,
but that his eye fell upon his sword where it lay. Now in the
sword-hilt there was set a red cross and, seeing it, Percivale
called to mind his vow, and, thinking on it, he signed him with the
cross on his forehead. Instantly, the tent was overthrown and
vanished in thick smoke; and she who had appeared a lovely woman
disappeared from his sight in semblance of a fiend.

Then was Sir Percivale sore ashamed that almost he had yielded to
the temptings of the Evil One, and earnestly, he prayed that his
sin might be forgiven him. Thus he remained in prayer far into the
night, bewailing his weakness; and when the dawn appeared, a ship
drew nigh the land. Sir Percivale entered into it, but could find
no one there; so commending himself to God, he determined to remain
thereon, and was borne over the seas for many days, he knew not
whither.

CHAPTER XXVI

THE ADVENTURES OF SIR BORS

Among the knights vowed to the Quest of the Holy Grail was Sir
Bors, one of the kin of Sir Launcelot, a brave knight and pious. He
rode through the forest many a day, making his lodging most often
under a leafy tree, though once on his journey he stayed at a
castle, that he might do battle for its lady against a felon knight
who would have robbed and oppressed her.

So, on a day, as he rode through the forest, Sir Bors came to the
parting of two ways. While he was considering which he should
follow, he espied two knights driving before them a horse on which
was stretched, bound and naked, none other than Sir Bors' own
brother, Sir Lionel; and, from time to time, the two false knights
beat him with thorns so that his body was all smeared with blood,
but, so great was his heart, Sir Lionel uttered never a word. Then,
in great wrath, Sir Bors laid his lance in rest and would have
fought the felon knights to rescue his brother, but that, even as
he spurred his horse, there came a bitter cry from the other path
and, looking round, he saw a lady being dragged by a knight into
the darkest part of the forest where none might find and rescue
her. When she saw Sir Bors, she cried to him: "Help me! Sir Knight,
help me! I beseech you by your knighthood." Then Sir Bors was much
troubled, for he would not desert his brother;