Yetmoreofthesamebattle。
BYthencamentothefeldKngBanasferceasalon,wthbandsofgreenandthereupongold。Ha!a!sadKngLot,wemustbedscomfted,foryonderseethemostvalantknghtoftheworld,andthemanofthemostrenown,forsuchtwobrethrenassKngBanandKngBorsarenotlvng,whereforewemustneedsvodorde;andbutfweavodmanlyandwselytheresbutdeath。WhenKngBancamentothebattle,hecamensofercelythatthestrokesredoundedaganfromthewoodandthewater;whereforeKngLotweptforptyanddolethathesawsomanygoodknghtstaketherend。ButthroughthegreatforceofKngBantheymadeboththenorthernbattlesthatweredepartedhurtledtogetherforgreatdread;andthethreekngsandtherknghtsslewonever,thattwasptyontobeholdthatmulttudeofthepeoplethatfled。ButKngLot,andKngoftheHundredKnghts,andKngMorganoregatheredthepeopletogetherpassngknghtly,andddgreatprowessofarms,andheldthebattleallthatday,lkehard。
WhentheKngoftheHundredKnghtsbeheldthegreatdamagethatKngBandd,hethrustuntohmwthhshorse,andsmotehmonhghuponthehelm,agreatstroke,andastonedhmsore。ThenKngBanwaswrothwthhm,andfollowedonhmfercely;theothersawthat,andcastuphssheld,andspurredhshorseforward,butthestrokeofKngBanfelldownandcarvedacanteloffthesheld,andtheswordslddownbythehauberkbehndhsback,andcutthroughthetrappngofsteelandthehorseevenntwopeces,thattheswordfelttheearth。ThentheKngoftheHundredKnghtsvodedthehorselghtly,andwthhsswordhebroachedthehorseofKngBanthroughandthrough。WththatKngBanvodedlghtlyfromthedeadhorse,andthenKngBansmoteattheothersoeagerly,andsmotehmonthehelmthathefelltotheearth。AlsonthatrehefelledKngMorganore,andtherewasgreatslaughterofgoodknghtsandmuchpeople。
BythencamentothepressKngArthur,andfoundKngBanstandngamongdeadmenanddeadhorses,fghtngonfootasawoodlon,thattherecamenonenghhm,asfarashemghtreachwthhssword,buthecaughtagrevousbuffet;whereofKngArthurhadgreatpty。AndArthurwassobloody,thatbyhssheldtheremghtnomanknowhm,forallwasbloodandbransonhssword。AndasArthurlookedbyhmhesawaknghtthatwaspassnglywellhorsed,andtherewthSrArthurrantohm,andsmotehmonthehelm,thathsswordwentuntohsteeth,andtheknghtsankdowntotheearthdead,andanonArthurtookthehorsebytheren,andledhmuntoKngBan,andsad,Farbrother,havethshorse,forhehavegreatmysterthereof,andmerepentethsoreofyourgreatdamage。tshallbesoonrevenged,sadKngBan,fortrustnGodmneuresnotsuchbutsomeofthemmaysorerepentths。wllwell,sadArthur,forseeyourdeedsfullactual;nevertheless,
mghtnotcomeatyouatthattme。
ButwhenKngBanwasmountedonhorseback,thentherebegannewbattle,thewhchwassoreandhard,andpassnggreatslaughter。
AndsothroughgreatforceKngArthur,KngBan,andKngBorsmadetherknghtsalttletowthdrawthem。Butalwaytheelevenkngswththerchvalryneverturnedback;andsowthdrewthemtoalttlewood,andsooveralttlerver,andtheretheyrestedthem,foronthenghttheymghthavenorestonthefeld。Andthentheelevenkngsandknghtsputthemonaheapalltogether,asmenadreadandoutofallcomfort。Buttherewasnomanmghtpassthem,theyheldthemsohardtogetherbothbehndandbefore,thatKngArthurhadmarveloftherdeedsofarms,andwaspassngwroth。Ah,SrArthur,sadKngBanandKngBors,blamethemnot,fortheydoasgoodmenoughttodo。Forbymyfath,sadKngBan,theyarethebestfghtngmen,andknghtsofmostprowess,thateversaworheardspeakof,andthoseelevenkngsaremenofgreatworshp;
andftheywerelongnguntoyoutherewerenokngundertheheavenhadsuchelevenknghts,andofsuchworshp。maynotlovethem,sadArthur,theywoulddestroyme。Thatwotwewell,sadKngBanandKngBors,fortheyareyourmortalenemes,andthathathbeenprovedaforehand;andthsdaytheyhavedonetherpart,andthatsgreatptyoftherwlfulness。
Thenalltheelevenkngsdrewthemtogether,andthensadKngLot,Lords,yemustotherwaysthanyedo,orelsethegreatlosssbehnd;yemayseewhatpeoplewehavelost,andwhatgoodmenwelose,becausewewatalwaysonthesefoot-men,andevernsavngofoneofthefoot-menwelosetenhorsemenforhm;
thereforethssmneadvce,letusputourfoot-menfromus,fortsnearnght,forthenobleArthurwllnottarryonthefootmen,fortheymaysavethemselves,thewoodsnearhand。
Andwhenwehorsemenbetogether,lookeveryeachofyoukngsletmakesuchordnancethatnonebreakuponpanofdeath。
Andwhothatseethanymandresshmtoflee,lghtlythathebeslan,fortsbetterthatweslayacoward,thanthroughacowardallwetobeslan。Howsayye?sadKngLot,answermeallyekngs。tswellsad,quothKngNentres;sosadtheKngoftheHundredKnghts;thesamesadtheKngCarados,andKngUrens;soddKngdresandKngBrandegors;andsoddKngCradelment,andtheDukeofCambenet;thesamesadKngClaranceandKngAgwsance,andswaretheywouldneverfalother,netherforlfenorfordeath。Andwhosothatfled,butddastheydd,shouldbeslan。Thentheyamendedtherharness,andrghtedthershelds,andtooknewspearsandsetthemontherthghs,andstoodstllasthadbeenaplumpofwood。
Yetmoreofthesamebattle,andhowtwasendedbyMerln。
WHENSrArthurandKngBanandBorsbeheldthemandalltherknghts,theyprasedthemmuchforthernoblecheerofchvalry,forthehardestfghtersthatevertheyheardorsaw。
Wththat,theredressedthemafortynobleknghts,andsaduntothethreekngs,theywouldbreaktherbattle;thesewerethernames:Lonses,Pharance,Ulfus,Brastas,Ector,Kay,Lucasthebutler,GrfletleFsedeDeu,MaretdelaRoche,GunasdeBlo,BrantdelaForestSavage,Bellaus,MoransoftheCastle[of]Madens,FlannedrusoftheCastleofLades,AnnecansthatwasKngBors’godson,anobleknght,LadnasdelaRouse,Emerause,Caulas,GracensleCastlen,oneBlosdelaCase,andSrColgrevauncedeGorre;alltheseknghtsrodeonaforewthspearsontherthghs,andspurredtherhorsesmghtlyasthehorsesmghtrun。Andtheelevenkngswthpartoftherknghtsrushedwththerhorsesasfastastheymghtwththerspears,andtheretheyddonbothpartesmarvellousdeedsofarms。Socamentothethckofthepress,Arthur,Ban,andBors,andslewdownrghtonbothhands,thattherhorseswentnblooduptothefetlocks。ButevertheelevenkngsandtherhostwasevernthevsageofArthur。WhereforeBanandBorshadgreatmarvel,consderngthegreatslaughterthattherewas,butatthelasttheyweredrvenabackoveralttlerver。WththatcameMerlnonagreatblackhorse,andsaduntoArthur,Thouhastneverdone!Hastthounotdoneenough?ofthreescorethousandthsdayhastthouleftalvebutffteenthousand,andtstmetosayHo!ForGodswrothwththee,thatthouwltneverhavedone;foryonderelevenkngsatthstmewllnotbeoverthrown,butanthoutarryonthemanylonger,thyfortunewllturnandtheyshallncrease。
Andthereforewthdrawyouuntoyourlodgng,andrestyouassoonasyemay,andrewardyourgoodknghtswthgoldandwthslver,fortheyhavewelldeservedt;theremaynorchesbetoodearforthem,forofsofewmenasyehave,therewerenevermenddmoreofprowessthantheyhavedonetoday,foryehavematchedthsdaywththebestfghtersoftheworld。Thatstruth,sadKngBanandBors。AlsosadMerln,wthdrawyouwhereyelst,forthsthreeyeardareundertaketheyshallnotdereyou;andbythenyeshallhearnewtdngs。AndthenMerlnsaduntoArthur,Theseelevenkngshavemoreonhandthantheyarewareof,fortheSaracensarelandednthercountres,morethanfortythousand,thatburnandslay,andhaveladsegeatthecastleWandesborow,andmakegreatdestructon;
thereforedreadyounotthsthreeyear。Also,sr,allthegoodsthatbegottenatthsbattle,lettbesearched,andwhenyehavetnyourhands,lettbegvenfreelyuntothesetwokngs,BanandBors,thattheymayrewardtherknghtswthal;
andthatshallcausestrangerstobeofbetterwlltodoyouservceatneed。Alsoyoubeabletorewardyourownknghtsofyourowngoodswhensomevertlkethyou。tswellsad,quothArthur,andasthouhastdevsed,soshalltbedone。WhentwasdelveredtoBanandBors,theygavethegoodsasfreelytotherknghtsasfreelyastwasgventothem。ThenMerlntookhsleaveofArthurandofthetwokngs,fortogoandseehsmasterBlese,thatdweltnNorthumberland;andsohedepartedandcametohsmaster,thatwaspassnggladofhscomng;andtherehetoldhowArthurandthetwokngshadspedatthegreatbattle,andhowtwasended,andtoldthenamesofeverykngandknghtofworshpthatwasthere。AndsoBlesewrotethebattlewordbyword,asMerlntoldhm,howtbegan,andbywhom,andnlkewsehowtwasended,andwhohadtheworse。AllthebattlesthatweredonenArthur’sdaysMerlnddhsmasterBlesedowrte;alsohedddowrteallthebattlesthateveryworthyknghtddofArthur’scourt。
AfterthsMerlndepartedfromhsmasterandcametoKngArthur,thatwasnthecastleofBedegrane,thatwasoneofthecastlesthatstandntheforestofSherwood。AndMerlnwassodsgusedthatKngArthurknewhmnot,forhewasallbefurrednblacksheep-skns,andagreatparofboots,andabowandarrows,narussetgown,andbroughtwldgeesenhshand,andtwasonthemornafterCandlemasday;butKngArthurknewhmnot。Sr,sadMerlnuntothekng,wllyegvemeagft?
Wherefore,sadKngArthur,shouldgvetheeagft,churl?
Sr,sadMerln,yewerebettertogvemeagftthatsnotnyourhandthantolosegreatrches,forherenthesameplacewherethegreatbattlewas,sgreattreasurehdntheearth。
Whotoldtheeso,churl?sadArthur。Merlntoldmeso,sadhe。ThenUlfusandBrastasknewhmwellenough,andsmled。
Sr,sadthesetwoknghts,tsMerlnthatsospeakethuntoyou。ThenKngArthurwasgreatlyabashed,andhadmarvelofMerln,andsohadKngBanandKngBors,andsotheyhadgreatdsportathm。Sonthemeanwhletherecameadamoselthatwasanearl’sdaughter:hsnamewasSanam,andhernamewasLonors,apassngfardamosel;andsoshecameththerfortodohomage,asotherlordsddafterthegreatbattle。AndKngArthursethslovegreatlyuponher,andsoddsheuponhm,andtheknghadadowthher,andgatonherachld:hsnamewasBorre,thatwasafteragoodknght,andoftheTableRound。ThentherecamewordthattheKngRenceofNorthWalesmadegreatwaronKngLeodegranceofCamelard,forthewhchthngArthurwaswroth,forhelovedhmwell,andhatedKngRence,forhewasalwayagansthm。SobyordnanceofthethreekngsthatweresenthomeuntoBenwck,alltheywoulddepartfordreadofKngClaudas;andPharance,andAntemes,andGratan,andLonses[of]Payarne,wththeleadersofthosethatshouldkeepthekngs’lands。
HowKngArthur,KngBan,andKngBorsrescuedKngLeodegrance,andotherncdents。
ANDthenKngArthur,andKngBan,andKngBorsdepartedwththerfellowshp,atwentythousand,andcamewthnsdaysntothecountryofCamelard,andthererescuedKngLeodegrance,andslewtheremuchpeopleofKngRence,untothenumberoftenthousandmen,andputhmtoflght。AndthenhadthesethreekngsgreatcheerofKngLeodegrance,thatthankedthemofthergreatgoodness,thattheywouldrevengehmofhsenemes;andtherehadArthurthefrstsghtofGuenever,thekng’sdaughterofCamelard,andeverafterhelovedher。Aftertheywerewedded,asttellethnthebook。So,breflytomakeanend,theytooktherleavetogontotherowncountres,forKngClaudasddgreatdestructonontherlands。ThensadArthur,wllgowthyou。Nay,sadthekngs,yeshallnotatthstme,foryehavemuchtodoyetntheselands,thereforewewlldepart,andwththegreatgoodsthatwehavegottenntheselandsbyyourgfts,weshallwagegoodknghtsandwthstandtheKngClaudas’malce,forbythegraceofGod,anwehaveneedwewllsendtoyouforyoursuccour;andfyehaveneed,sendforus,andwewllnottarry,bythefathofourbodes。tshallnot,sadMerln,needthatthesetwokngscomeagannthewayofwar,butknowwellKngArthurmaynotbelongfromyou,forwthnayearortwoyeshallhavegreatneed,andthenshallherevengeyouonyourenemes,asyehavedoneonhs。Fortheseelevenkngsshalldeallnaday,bythegreatmghtandprowessofarmsoftwovalantknghtsasttellethafter;thernamesbeBalnleSavage,andBalan,hsbrother,thatbemarvellousgoodknghtsasbeanylvng。
NowturnwetotheelevenkngsthatreturneduntoactythathghtSorhaute,thewhchctywaswthnKngUrens’,andtheretheyrefreshedthemaswellastheymght,andmadeleechessearchtherwounds,andsorrowedgreatlyforthedeathoftherpeople。WththattherecameamessengerandtoldhowtherewascomentotherlandspeoplethatwerelawlessaswellasSaracens,afortythousand,andhaveburntandslanallthepeoplethattheymaycomeby,wthoutmercy,andhaveladsegeonthecastleofWandesborow。Alas,sadtheelevenkngs,heressorrowuponsorrow,andfwehadnotwarredaganstArthuraswehavedone,hewouldsoonrevengeus。AsforKngLeodegrance,helovethArthurbetterthanus,andasforKngRence,hehathenoughtodowthLeodegrance,forhehathladsegeuntohm。
SotheyconsentedtogethertokeepallthemarchesofCornwall,ofWales,andoftheNorth。Sofrst,theyputKngdresntheCtyofNauntesnBrtan,wthfourthousandmenofarms,towatchboththewaterandtheland。AlsotheyputnthectyofWndesan,KngNentresofGarlot,wthfourthousandknghtstowatchbothonwaterandonland。Alsotheyhadofothermenofwarmorethaneghtthousand,fortofortfyallthefortressesnthemarchesofCornwall。AlsotheyputmoreknghtsnallthemarchesofWalesandScotland,wthmanygoodmenofarms,andsotheykeptthemtogetherthespaceofthreeyear,andeveralledthemwthmghtykngsanddukesandlords。AndtothemfellKngRenceofNorthWales,thewhchandNerothatwasamghtymanofmen。Andallthswhletheyfurnshedthemandgarnshedthemofgoodmenofarms,andvctual,andofallmannerofhablmentthatpretendethtothewar,toavengethemforthebattleofBedegrane,asttellethnthebookofadventuresfollowng。
HowKngArthurrodetoCarlon,andofhsdream,andhowhesawthequestngbeast。
THENafterthedepartngofKngBanandofKngBors,KngArthurrodentoCarlon。Andththercametohm,KngLot’swfe,ofOrkney,nmannerofamessage,butshewassentththertoespythecourtofKngArthur;andshecamerchlybeseen,wthherfoursons,Gawane,Gahers,Agravne,andGareth,wthmanyotherknghtsandlades。Forshewasapassngfarlady,thereforethekngcastgreatloveuntoher,anddesredtolebyher;sotheywereagreed,andhebegatuponherMordred,andshewashssster,onhsmother’ssde,grane。Sotheresherestedheramonth,andatthelastdeparted。Thenthekngdreamedamarvellousdreamwhereofhewassoreadread。ButallthstmeKngArthurknewnotthatKngLot’swfewashssster。ThuswasthedreamofArthur:Hmthoughttherewascomentothslandgrffnsandserpents,andhmthoughttheyburntandslewallthepeoplentheland,andthenhmthoughthefoughtwththem,andtheyddhmpassnggreatharm,andwoundedhmfullsore,butatthelastheslewthem。Whenthekngawaked,hewaspassngheavyofhsdream,andsotoputtoutofthoughts,hemadehmreadywthmanyknghtstordea-
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