Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XI CHAPTER V

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 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.