الفصل الفصل 17 · Yet more of the same battle.

. Yet more of the same battle.

By then came into the field King Ban as fierce as a lion, with bands of

green and thereupon gold. Ha! a! said King Lot, we must be discomfited,

for yonder I see the most valiant knight of the world, and the man of

the most renown, for such two brethren as is King Ban and King Bors are

not living, wherefore we must needs void or die; and but if we avoid

manly and wisely there is but death. When King Ban came into the

battle, he came in so fiercely that the strokes redounded again from

the wood and the water; wherefore King Lot wept for pity and dole that

he saw so many good knights take their end. But through the great force

of King Ban they made both the northern battles that were departed

hurtled together for great dread; and the three kings and their knights

slew on ever, that it was pity on to behold that multitude of the

people that fled. But King Lot, and King of the Hundred Knights, and

King Morganore gathered the people together passing knightly, and did

great prowess of arms, and held the battle all that day, like hard.

When the King of the Hundred Knights beheld the great damage that King

Ban did, he thrust unto him with his horse, and smote him on high upon

the helm, a great stroke, and astonied him sore. Then King Ban was

wroth with him, and followed on him fiercely; the other saw that, and

cast up his shield, and spurred his horse forward, but the stroke of

King Ban fell down and carved a cantel off the shield, and the sword

slid down by the hauberk behind his back, and cut through the trapping

of steel and the horse even in two pieces, that the sword felt the

earth. Then the King of the Hundred Knights voided the horse lightly,

and with his sword he broached the horse of King Ban through and

through. With that King Ban voided lightly from the dead horse, and

then King Ban smote at the other so eagerly, and smote him on the helm

that he fell to the earth. Also in that ire he felled King Morganore,

and there was great slaughter of good knights and much people. By then

came into the press King Arthur, and found King Ban standing among dead

men and dead horses, fighting on foot as a wood lion, that there came

none nigh him, as far as he might reach with his sword, but he caught a

grievous buffet; whereof King Arthur had great pity. And Arthur was so

bloody, that by his shield there might no man know him, for all was

blood and brains on his sword. And as Arthur looked by him he saw a

knight that was passingly well horsed, and therewith Sir Arthur ran to

him, and smote him on the helm, that his sword went unto his teeth, and

the knight sank down to the earth dead, and anon Arthur took the horse

by the rein, and led him unto King Ban, and said, Fair brother, have

this horse, for he have great myster thereof, and me repenteth sore of

your great damage. It shall be soon revenged, said King Ban, for I

trust in God mine ure is not such but some of them may sore repent

this. I will well, said Arthur, for I see your deeds full actual;

nevertheless, I might not come at you at that time.

But when King Ban was mounted on horseback, then there began new

battle, the which was sore and hard, and passing great slaughter. And

so through great force King Arthur, King Ban, and King Bors made their

knights a little to withdraw them. But alway the eleven kings with

their chivalry never turned back; and so withdrew them to a little

wood, and so over a little river, and there they rested them, for on

the night they might have no rest on the field. And then the eleven

kings and knights put them on a heap all together, as men adread and

out of all comfort. But there was no man might pass them, they held

them so hard together both behind and before, that King Arthur had

marvel of their deeds of arms, and was passing wroth. Ah, Sir Arthur,

said King Ban and King Bors, blame them not, for they do as good men

ought to do. For by my faith, said King Ban, they are the best fighting

men, and knights of most prowess, that ever I saw or heard speak of,

and those eleven kings are men of great worship; and if they were

longing unto you there were no king under the heaven had such eleven

knights, and of such worship. I may not love them, said Arthur, they

would destroy me. That wot we well, said King Ban and King Bors, for

they are your mortal enemies, and that hath been proved aforehand; and

this day they have done their part, and that is great pity of their

wilfulness.

Then all the eleven kings drew them together, and then said King Lot,

Lords, ye must other ways than ye do, or else the great loss is behind;

ye may see what people we have lost, and what good men we lose, because

we wait always on these foot-men, and ever in saving of one of the

foot-men we lose ten horsemen for him; therefore this is mine advice,

let us put our foot-men from us, for it is near night, for the noble

Arthur will not tarry on the footmen, for they may save themselves, the

wood is near hand. And when we horsemen be together, look every each of

you kings let make such ordinance that none break upon pain of death.

And who that seeth any man dress him to flee, lightly that he be slain,

for it is better that we slay a coward, than through a coward all we to

be slain. How say ye? said King Lot, answer me all ye kings. It is well

said, quoth King Nentres; so said the King of the Hundred Knights; the

same said the King Carados, and King Uriens; so did King Idres and King

Brandegoris; and so did King Cradelment, and the Duke of Cambenet; the

same said King Clariance and King Agwisance, and sware they would never

fail other, neither for life nor for death. And whoso that fled, but

did as they did, should be slain. Then they amended their harness, and

righted their shields, and took new spears and set them on their

thighs, and stood still as it had been a plump of wood.