And when the king and Elaine his daughter wist that Sir Bors was nephew
unto Sir Launcelot, they made him great cheer. Then said Dame Elaine:
We marvel where Sir Launcelot is, for he came never here but once.
Marvel not, said Sir Bors, for this half year he hath been in prison
with Queen Morgan le Fay, King Arthur’s sister. Alas, said Dame Elaine,
that me repenteth. And ever Sir Bors beheld that child in her arms, and
ever him seemed it was passing like Sir Launcelot. Truly, said Elaine,
wit ye well this child he gat upon me. Then Sir Bors wept for joy, and
he prayed to God it might prove as good a knight as his father was. And
so came in a white dove, and she bare a little censer of gold in her
mouth, and there was all manner of meats and drinks; and a maiden bare
that Sangreal, and she said openly: Wit you well, Sir Bors, that this
child is Galahad, that shall sit in the Siege Perilous, and achieve the
Sangreal, and he shall be much better than ever was Sir Launcelot du
Lake, that is his own father. And then they kneeled down and made their
devotions, and there was such a savour as all the spicery in the world
had been there. And when the dove took her flight, the maiden vanished
with the Sangreal as she came.
Sir, said Sir Bors unto King Pelles, this castle may be named the
Castle Adventurous, for here be many strange adventures. That is sooth,
said the king, for well may this place be called the adventures place,
for there come but few knights here that go away with any worship; be
he never so strong, here he may be proved; and but late Sir Gawaine,
the good knight, gat but little worship here. For I let you wit, said
King Pelles, here shall no knight win no worship but if he be of
worship himself and of good living, and that loveth God and dreadeth
God, and else he getteth no worship here, be he never so hardy. That is
wonderful thing, said Sir Bors. What ye mean in this country I wot not,
for ye have many strange adventures, and therefore I will lie in this
castle this night. Ye shall not do so, said King Pelles, by my counsel,
for it is hard an ye escape without a shame. I shall take the adventure
that will befall me, said Sir Bors. Then I counsel you, said the king,
to be confessed clean. As for that, said Sir Bors, I will be shriven
with a good will. So Sir Bors was confessed, and for all women Sir Bors
was a virgin, save for one, that was the daughter of King Brangoris,
and on her he gat a child that hight Elaine, and save for her Sir Bors
was a clean maiden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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