arose, and set hands to their swords, and smote each one other upon the heads, that they made great wounds and deep, that the blood went out of their bodies.  For there found Sir Bors greater defence in that knight more than he weened.  For that Pridam was a passing good knight, and he wounded Sir Bors full evil, and he him again; but ever this Pridam held the stour in like hard.  That perceived Sir Bors, and suffered him till he was nigh attaint.  And then he ran upon him more and more, and the other went back for dread of death.  So in his withdrawing he fell upright, and Sir Bors drew his helm so strongly that he rent it from his head, and gave him great strokes with the flat of his sword upon the visage, and bad him yield him or he should slay him.  Then he cried him mercy and said:  Fair knight, for God’s love slay me not, and I shall ensure thee never to war against thy lady, but be alway toward her.  Then Bors let him be; then the old lady fled with all her knights.

CHAPTER IX

How the lady was returned to her lands by the battle of sir Bors, and of his departing, and how he met sir Lionel taken and beaten with thorns, and also of A maid which should have been dishonoured

So then came Bors to all those that held lands of his lady, and said he should destroy them but if they did such service unto her as longed to their lands.  So they did their homage, and they that would not were chased out of their lands.  Then befel that young lady to come to her estate again, by the mighty prowess of Sir Bors de Ganis.  So when all the country was well set in peace, then Sir Bors took his leave and departed; and she thanked him greatly, and would have given him great riches, but he refused it.  Then he rode all that day till night, and came to an harbour to a lady which knew him well enough, and made of him great joy.  Upon the morn, as soon as the day appeared, Bors departed from thence, and so rode into a forest unto the hour of midday, and there befel him a marvellous adventure.  So he met at the departing of the two ways two knights that led Lionel, his brother, all naked, bounden upon a strong hackney, and his hands bounden tofore his breast.  And every each of them held in his hands thorns wherewith they went beating him so sore that the blood trailed down more than in an hundred places of his body, so that he was all blood tofore and behind, but he said never a word; as he which was great of heart he suffered all that ever they did to him as though he had felt none anguish.  Anon Sir Bors dressed him to rescue him that was his brother; and so he looked upon the other side of him, and saw a knight which brought