CHAPTER XIV
 
 How Sir Bors met with his brother Sir Lionel, and how
 Sir Lionel would have slain Sir Bors.
 
 
 THEN went Sir Bors from thence and commended the
 Abbot unto God.  And then he rode all that day, and
 harboured with an old lady.  And on the morn he rode
 to a castle in a valley, and there he met with a yeoman
 going a great pace toward a forest.  Say me, said Sir Bors,
 canst thou tell me of any adventure?  Sir, said he, here
 shall be under this castle a great and a marvellous
 tournament.  Of what folks shall it be? said Sir Bors.  The
 Earl of Plains shall be in the one party, and the lady's
 nephew of Hervin on the other party.  Then Bors
 thought to be there if he might meet with his brother
 Sir Lionel, or any other of his fellowship, which were in
 the quest of the Sangreal.  And then he turned to an
 hermitage that was in the entry of the forest.
 
 And when he was come thither he found there Sir
 Lionel, his brother, which sat all armed at the entry of
 the chapel door for to abide there harbour till on the
 morn that the tournament shall be.  And when Sir Bors
 saw him he had great joy of him, that it were marvel to
 tell of his joy.  And then he alighted off his horse, and
 said:  Fair sweet brother, when came ye hither?  Anon
 as Lionel saw him he said:  Ah Bors, ye may not make
 none avaunt, but as for you I might have been slain;
 when ye saw two knights leading me away beating me,
 ye left me for to succour a gentlewoman, and suffered me
 in peril of death; for never erst ne did no brother to
 another so great an untruth.  And for that misdeed now
 I ensure you but death, for well have ye deserved it;
 therefore keep thee from henceforward, and that shall ye
 find as soon as I am armed.  When Sir Bors understood
 his brother's wrath he kneeled down to the earth and cried
 him mercy, holding up both his hands, and prayed him to
 forgive him his evil will.  Nay, said Lionel, that shall
 never be an I may have the higher hand, that I make
 mine avow to God, thou shalt have death for it, for it
 were pity ye lived any longer.
 
 Right so he went in and took his harness, and mounted
 upon his horse, and came to-fore him and said:  Bors,
 keep thee from me, for I shall do to thee as I would to a
 felon or a traitor, for ye be the untruest knight that ever
 came out of so worthy an house as was King Bors de
 Ganis which was our father, therefore start upon thy
 horse, and so shall ye be most at your advantage.  And
 but if ye will I will run upon you thereas ye stand upon
 foot, and so the shame shall be mine and the harm yours,
 but of that shame ne reck I nought.
 
 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.