When Sir Bors saw that he must fight with his brother or else to die,he nist what to do;then his heart counselled him not thereto,inasmuch as Lionel was born or he,wherefore he ought to bear him reverence;yet kneeled he down afore Lionel's horse's feet,and said:Fair sweet brother,have mercy upon me and slay me not,and have in remembrance the great love which ought to be between us twain.What Sir Bors said to Lionel he rought not,for the fiend had brought him in such a will that he should slay him.Then when Lionel saw he would none other,and that he would not have risen to give him battle,he rashed over him so that he smote Bors with his horse,feet upward,to the earth,and hurt him so sore that he swooned of distress,the which he felt in himself to have died without confession.So when Lionel saw this,he alighted off his horse to have smitten off his head.And so he took him by the helm,and would have rent it from his head.Then came the hermit running unto him,which was a good man and of great age,and well had heard all the words that were between them,and so fell down upon Sir Bors.
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,Iam 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.