HowelevenkngsgatheredagreathostaganstKngArthur。
ANDSOwthnalttlespacethethreekngscameuntothecastleofBedegrane,andfoundthereapassngfarfellowshp,andwellbeseen,whereoftheyhadgreatjoy,andvctualtheywantednone。Thswasthecauseofthenorthernhost:thattheywererearedforthedespteandrebuketheskngshadatCarlon。
Andthoseskngsbythermeans,gatuntothemfveotherkngs;andthustheybegantogathertherpeople。
Andnowtheyswarethatforwealnorwoe,theyshouldnotleaveother,tlltheyhaddestroyedArthur。Andthentheymadeanoath。ThefrstthatbegantheoathwastheDukeofCambenet,thathewouldbrngwthhmfvethousandmenofarms,thewhchwerereadyonhorseback。ThenswareKngBrandegorsofStranggorethathewouldbrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。ThenswareKngClaranceofNorthumberlandhewouldbrngthreethousandmenofarms。ThenswaretheKngoftheHundredKnghts,thatwasapassnggoodmanandayoung,thathewouldbrngfourthousandmenofarmsonhorseback。ThentheresworeKngLot,apassnggoodknght,andSrGawan’sfather,thathewouldbrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngUrence,thatwasSrUwan’sfather,ofthelandofGore,andhewouldbrngsthousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngdresofCornwall,thathewouldbrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngCradelmastobrngfvethousandmenonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngAgwsanceofrelandtobrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngNentrestobrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。AlsotheresworeKngCaradostobrngfvethousandmenofarmsonhorseback。Sotherwholehostwasofcleanmenofarmsonhorsebackfftythousand,anda-foottenthousandofgoodmen’sbodes。Thenweretheysoonready,andmounteduponhorseandsentforththerfore-rders,fortheseelevenkngsntherwaysladasegeuntothecastleofBedegrane;andsotheydepartedanddrewtowardArthur,andleftfewtoabdeatthesege,forthecastleofBedegranewasholdenofKngArthur,andthementhatweretherenwereArthur’s。
OfadreamoftheKngwththeHundredKnghts。
SobyMerln’sadvcethereweresentfore-rderstoskmthecountry,andtheymetwththefore-rdersofthenorth,andmadethemtotellwhchwaythehostcame,andthentheytoldttoArthur,andbyKngBanandBors’councltheyletburnanddestroyallthecountryaforethem,theretheyshouldrde。
TheKngwththeHundredKnghtsmetawonderdreamtwonghtsaforethebattle,thatthereblewagreatwnd,andblewdownthercastlesandthertowns,andafterthatcameawaterandbaretallaway。Allthatheardoftheswevensadtwasatokenofgreatbattle。ThenbycounselofMerln,whentheywstwhchwaytheelevenkngswouldrdeandlodgethatnght,atmdnghttheysetuponthem,astheywerentherpavlons。
Butthescout-watchbytherhostcred,Lords!atarms!forherebeyourenemesatyourhand!
HowtheelevenkngswththerhostfoughtaganstArthurandhshost,andmanygreatfeatsofthewar。
THENKngArthurandKngBanandKngBors,wththergoodandtrustyknghts,setonthemsofercelythattheymadethemoverthrowtherpavlonsontherheads,buttheelevenkngs,bymanlyprowessofarms,tookafarchampagn,buttherewasslanthatmorrowtdetenthousandgoodmen’sbodes。Andsotheyhadaforethemastrongpassage,yetweretheyfftythousandofhardymen。Thentdrewtowardday。Nowshallyedobymneadvce,sadMerlnuntothethreekngs:wouldthatKngBanandKngBors,wththerfellowshpoftenthousandmen,wereputnawoodherebesde,nanambushment,andkeepthemprvy,andthattheybeladorthelghtofthedaycome,andthattheystrnottllyeandyourknghtshavefoughtwththemlong。Andwhentsdaylght,dressyourbattleevenaforethemandthepassage,thattheymayseeallyourhost,forthenwlltheybethemorehardy,whentheyseeyoubutabouttwentythousandmen,andcausethemtobethegladdertosufferyouandyourhosttocomeoverthepassage。AllthethreekngsandthewholebaronssadthatMerlnsadpassnglywell,andtwasdoneanonasMerlnhaddevsed。Soonthemorn,whenetherhostsawother,thehostofthenorthwaswellcomforted。ThentoUlfusandBrastasweredelveredthreethousandmenofarms,andtheysetonthemfercelynthepassage,andslewontherghthandandonthelefthandthattwaswondertotell。
Whenthattheelevenkngssawthattherewassofewafellowshpddsuchdeedsofarms,theywereashamedandsetonthemaganfercely;andtherewasSrUlfus’shorseslanunderhm,butheddmarvellouslywellonfoot。ButtheDukeEustaceofCambenetandKngClaranceofNorthumberland,werealwaygrevousonUlfus。ThenBrastassawhsfellowfaredsowthalhesmotethedukewthaspear,thathorseandmanfelldown。
ThatsawKngClaranceandreturneduntoBrastas,andethersmoteothersothathorseandmanwenttotheearth,andsotheylaylongastoned,andtherhorses’kneesbrasttothehardbone。ThencameSrKaytheseneschalwthsfellowswthhm,andddpassngwell。Wththatcametheelevenkngs,andtherewasGrfletputtotheearth,horseandman,andLucasthebutler,horseandman,byKngBrandegors,andKngdres,andKngAgwsance。Thenwaxedthemedleypassnghardonbothpartes。WhenSrKaysawGrfletonfoot,herodeonKngNentresandsmotehmdown,andledhshorseuntoSrGrflet,andhorsedhmagan。AlsoSrKaywththesamespearsmotedownKngLot,andhurthmpassngsore。ThatsawtheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andranuntoSrKayandsmotehmdown,andtookhshorse,andgavehmKngLot,whereofhesadgramercy。
WhenSrGrfletsawSrKayandLucasthebutleronfoot,hetookasharpspear,greatandsquare,androdetoPnel,agoodmanofarms,andsmotehorseandmandown,andthenhetookhshorse,andgavehmuntoSrKay。ThenKngLotsawKngNentresonfoot,heranuntoMelotdelaRoche,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,andgaveKngNentresthehorse,andhorsedhmagan。
AlsotheKngoftheHundredKnghtssawKngdresonfoot;thenheranuntoGwnartdeBlo,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,andgaveKngdresthehorse,andhorsedhmagan;andKngLotsmotedownClarancedelaForestSavage,andgavethehorseuntoDukeEustace。Andsowhentheyhadhorsedthekngsagantheydrewthem,allelevenkngs,together,andsadtheywouldberevengedofthedamagethattheyhadtakenthatday。ThemeanwhlecamenSrEctorwthaneagercountenance,andfoundUlfusandBrastasonfoot,ngreatperlofdeath,thatwerefouldefoledunderhorse-feet。
ThenArthurasalon,ranuntoKngCradelmentofNorthWales,andsmotehmthroughtheleftsde,thatthehorseandthekngfelldown;andthenhetookthehorsebytheren,andledhmuntoUlfus,andsad,Havethshorse,mneoldfrend,forgreatneedhastthouofhorse。Gramercy,sadUlfus。ThenSrArthurddsomarvellouslynarms,thatallmenhadwonder。
WhentheKngwththeHundredKnghtssawKngCradelmentonfoot,heranuntoSrEctor,thatwaswellhorsed,SrKay’sfather,andsmotehorseandmandown,andgavethehorseuntothekng,andhorsedhmagan。AndwhenKngArthursawthekngrdeonSrEctor’shorse,hewaswrothandwthhsswordhesmotethekngonthehelm,thataquarterofthehelmandsheldfelldown,andsotheswordcarveddownuntothehorse’sneck,andsothekngandthehorsefelldowntotheground。ThenSrKaycameuntoSrMorganore,seneschalwththeKngoftheHundredKnghts,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,andledthehorseuntohsfather,SrEctor;thenSrEctorranuntoaknght,hghtLardans,andsmotehorseandmandown,andledthehorseuntoSrBrastas,thatgreatneedhadofanhorse,andwasgreatlydefoled。WhenBrastasbeheldLucasthebutler,thatlaylkeadeadmanunderthehorses’feet,andeverSrGrfletddmarvellouslyfortorescuehm,andtherewerealwaysfourteenknghtsonSrLucas;thenBrastassmoteoneofthemonthehelm,thattwenttotheteeth,andherodetoanotherandsmotehm,thatthearmflewntothefeld。Thenhewenttothethrdandsmotehmontheshoulder,thatshoulderandarmflewnthefeld。AndwhenGrfletsawrescues,hesmoteaknghtonthetemples,thatheadandhelmwenttotheearth,andGrflettookthehorseofthatknght,andledhmuntoSrLucas,andbadehmmountuponthehorseandrevengehshurts。ForBrastashadslanaknghtto-
foreandhorsedGrflet。
Yetofthesamebattle。
THENLucassawKngAgwsance,thatlatehadslanMorsdelaRoche,andLucasrantohmwthashortspearthatwasgreat,thathegavehmsuchafall,thatthehorsefelldowntotheearth。AlsoLucasfoundthereonfoot,BloasdeLaFlandres,andSrGwnas,twohardyknghts,andnthatwoodnessthatLucaswasn,heslewtwobachelorsandhorsedthemagan。Thenwaxedthebattlepassnghardonbothpartes,butArthurwasgladthathsknghtswerehorsedagan,andthentheyfoughttogether,thatthenoseandsoundrangbythewaterandthewood。WhereforeKngBanandKngBorsmadethemready,anddressedthersheldsandharness,andtheyweresocourageousthatmanyknghtsshookandbeveredforeagerness。AllthswhleLucas,andGwnas,andBrant,andBellasofFlanders,heldstrongmedleyaganstskngs,thatwasKngLot,KngNentres,KngBrandegors,Kngdres,KngUrens,andKngAgwsance。SowththehelpofSrKayandofSrGrflettheyheldtheseskngshard,thatunnethetheyhadanypowertodefendthem。ButwhenSrArthursawthebattlewouldnotbeendedbynomanner,hefaredwoodasalon,andsteeredhshorsehereandthere,ontherghthand,andonthelefthand,thathestntednottllhehadslantwentyknghts。AlsohewoundedKngLotsoreontheshoulder,andmadehmtoleavethatground,forSrKayandGrfletddwthKngArthurtheregreatdeedsofarms。ThenUlfus,andBrastas,andSrEctorencounteredagansttheDukeEustace,andKngCradelment,andKngClaranceofNorthumberland,andKngCarados,andagansttheKngwththeHundredKnghts。Sotheseknghtsencounteredwththesekngs,thattheymadethemtoavodtheground。ThenKngLotmadegreatdoleforhsdamagesandhsfellows,andsaduntothetenkngs,Butfyewlldoas
devseweshallbeslananddestroyed;letmehavetheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andKngAgwsance,andKngdres,andtheDukeofCambenet,andwefvekngswllhaveffteenthousandmenofarmswthus,andwewllgoapartwhleyeskngsholdmedleywthtwelvethousand;anweseethatyehavefoughtenwththemlong,thenwllwecomeonfercely,andelseshallwenevermatchthem,sadKngLot,butbythsmean。Sotheydepartedastheyheredevsed,andskngsmadetherpartystrongaganstArthur,andmadegreatwarlong。
nthemeanwhlebraketheambushmentofKngBanandKngBors,andLonsesandPharancehadthevanguard,andtheytwoknghtsmetwthKngdresandhsfellowshp,andtherebeganagreatmedleyofbreakngofspears,andsmtngofswords,wthslayngofmenandhorses,andKngdreswasnearatdscomforture。
ThatsawAgwsancethekng,andputLonsesandPharancenpontofdeath;fortheDukeofCambenetcameonwthalwthagreatfellowshp。Sothesetwoknghtswerengreatdangeroftherlvesthattheywerefantoreturn,butalwaystheyrescuedthemselvesandtherfellowshpmarvellouslyWhenKngBorssawthoseknghtsputaback,tgrevedhmsore;thenhecameonsofastthathsfellowshpseemedasblackasnde。
WhenKngLothadespedKngBors,heknewhmwell,thenhesad,OJesu,defendusfromdeathandhorrblemams!forseewellwebengreatperlofdeath;forseeyonderakng,oneofthemostworshpfullestmenandoneofthebestknghtsoftheworld,snclneduntohsfellowshp。Whatshe?sadtheKngwththeHundredKnghts。ts,sadKngLot,KngBorsofGaul;marvelhowtheycamentothscountrywthoutwttngofusall。twasbyMerln’sadvce,sadtheknght。Asforhm,sadKngCarados,wllencounterwthKngBors,anyewllrescuemewhenmysters。Goon,sadtheyall,wewlldoallthatwemay。ThenKngCaradosandhshostrodeonasoftpace,tllthattheycameasnghKngBorsasbow-draught;thenetherbattlelettherhorserunasfastastheymght。AndBleobers,thatwasgodsonuntoKngBors,hebarehschefstandard,thatwasapassnggoodknght。Nowshallwesee,sadKngBors,howthesenorthernBrtonscanbearthearms:andKngBorsencounteredwthaknght,andsmotehmthroughoutwthaspearthathefelldeaduntotheearth;andafterdrewhsswordandddmarvellousdeedsofarms,thatallparteshadgreatwonderthereof;andhsknghtsfalednot,butddtherpart,andKngCaradoswassmttentotheearth。WththatcametheKngwththeHundredKnghtsandrescuedKngCaradosmghtlybyforceofarms,forhewasapassnggoodknghtofakng,andbutayoungman。
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