hur'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.

And so Sir Bors was led unto bed in a fair large chamber, and many doors
were shut about the chamber. When Sir Bors espied all those doors, he
avoided all the people, for he might have nobody with him; but in no
wise Sir Bors would unarm him, but so he laid