CHAPTER XVIII
 
 How Sir Bors returned and told tidings of Sir Launcelot;
 and of the tourney, and to whom the prize was given.
 
 
 THEN Sir Bors made him ready to depart from Sir Launcelot;
 and then Sir Launcelot said:  Fair cousin, Sir Bors,
 recommend me unto all them unto whom me ought to
 recommend me unto.  And I pray you, enforce yourself
 at that jousts that ye may be best, for my love; and here
 shall I abide you at the mercy of God till ye come again.
 And so Sir Bors departed and came to the court of King
 Arthur, and told them in what place he had left Sir
 Launcelot.  That me repenteth, said the king, but since he shall
 have his life we all may thank God.  And there Sir Bors
 told the queen in what jeopardy Sir Launcelot was when
 he would assay his horse.  And all that he did, madam,
 was for the love of you, because he would have been at this
 tournament.  Fie on him, recreant knight, said the queen,
 for wit ye well I am right sorry an he shall have his life.
 His life shall he have, said Sir Bors, and who that would
 otherwise, except you, madam, we that be of his blood
 should help to short their lives.  But madam, said Sir Bors,
 ye have been oft-times displeased with my lord, Sir
 Launcelot, but at all times at the end ye find him a true knight:
 and so he departed.
 
 And then every knight of the Round Table that were
 there at that time present made them ready to be at that
 jousts at All Hallowmass, and thither drew many knights
 of divers countries.  And as All Hallowmass drew near,
 thither came the King of Northgalis, and the King with
 the Hundred Knights, and Sir Galahad, the haut prince, of
 Surluse, and thither came King Anguish of Ireland, and the
 King of Scots.  So these three kings came on King Arthur's
 party.  And so that day Sir Gawaine did great deeds of
 arms, and began first.  And the heralds numbered that Sir
 Gawaine smote down twenty knights.  Then Sir Bors de
 Ganis came in the same time, and he was numbered that
 he smote down twenty knights; and therefore the prize
 was given betwixt them both, for they began first and
 longest endured.  Also Sir Gareth, as the book saith, did
 that day great deeds of arms, for he smote down and pulled
 down thirty knights.  But when he had done these deeds
 he tarried not but so departed, and therefore he lost his
 prize.  And Sir Palomides did great deeds of arms that
 day, for he smote down twenty knights, but he departed
 suddenly, and men deemed Sir Gareth and he rode together
 to some manner adventures.
 
 So when this tournament was done Sir Bors departed
 and rode till he came to Sir Launcelot, his cousin; and
 then he found him walking on his feet, and there either
 made great joy of other; and so Sir Bors told Sir Launcelot
 of all the Jousts like as ye have heard.  I marvel, said Sir
 Launcelot, that Sir Gareth, when he had done such deeds
 of arms, that he would not tarry.  Thereof we marvelled
 all, said Sir Bors, for but if it were you, or Sir Tristram, or
 Sir Lamorak de Galis, I saw never knight bear down so
 many in so little a while as did Sir Gareth: and anon he
 was gone we wist not where.  By my head, said Sir Launcelot,
 he is a noble knight, and a mighty man and well
 breathed; and if he were well assayed, said Sir Launcelot
 I would deem he were good enough for any knight that
 beareth the life; and he is a gentle knight, courteous, true,
 and bounteous, meek, and mild, and in him is no manner
 of mal engin, but plain, faithful, and true.
 
 So then they made them ready to depart from the
 hermit.  And so upon a morn they took their horses and
 Elaine le Blank with them; and when they came to Astolat
 there were they well lodged, and had great cheer of Sir
 Bernard, the old baron, and of Sir Tirre, his son.  And so
 upon the morn when Sir Launcelot should depart, fair
 Elaine brought her father with her, and Sir Lavaine, and
 Sir Tirre, and thus she said: