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19 The Battle Continues

Now we turn to the Emperor of Rome, who found out by means of a spy where the prisoners were going. He called to him Sir Edolf and Sir Edward, two mighty kings, along with Sir Sextor of Libya, the King of Syria, and many senators of Rome. All of these turned toward Troyes with many proven knights to ambush the king’s messengers who were charged with the care of the prisoners. Thus, as our knights passed on toward Paris, an ambush of sixty thousand men of arms lay ahead of them.

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“Now lords,” said Sir Lancelot, “I pray you, hearken to me awhile. I fear that in the woods ahead our enemies are hiding. Therefore, it is my advice that we send three good knights ahead.”

“I agree,” said Sir Cador, and all the others said the same. They agreed that Sir Cliges, Sir Claryon, and Sir Clement the Noble should investigate the woods, both the dales and the downs. So these three knights rode forth, and saw in the woods men of arms riding on horses.

Then Sir Cliges called loudly: “Is there any knight, king, or kaiser who dares for love of the lord that he serves to challenge a knight of the Round Table? Be he king or knight, here is his challenger ready!”

An earl answered him angrily and said, “Your lord thinks that with all his knights, he will conquer the world! I believe your courage will be quenched in a short time!”

“Fie on you, coward!” said Sir Cliges. “You speak as a knight recreant! By Jesus, my arms are known throughout all England and Britain; I am descended from old barons of noble ancestry, and Sir Cliges is my name, a knight of the Table Round. Brutus brought my ancestors from Troy.”

“You seem certainly,” said the king, “to be one of good lineage by your bright brows, but no matter how you conjure or what you say, there is no one here who will meddle with you at this time.” Then Sir Cliges turned from the rich king and rode straight to Sir Lancelot and Sir Cador and told them what he had seen in the woods—the fairest sight of men of arms, to the number of sixty thousand.

“Therefore, lordings, fight as you think best, or avoid the conflict for shame; make your choice.”

“Nay, by my faith,” said Sir Lancelot, “this is no time to turn, for gathered here are all the knights of great worship who have never been shamed. As for me and the cousins of my blood, we have only recently been made knights, but we would be loath to lose the worship that our elders have earned.”

“You say well,” said Sir Cador, and the other knights agreed. “Your knightly words comfort us all. I suppose that there is no one here who will be glad to turn back; and as for me,” said Sir Cador, “I would rather die this day than even once to turn my back.”

“You say well,” said Sir Bors. “Let us set on them fiercely, and the worship shall be ours and cause our king to honor us forever, giving us lordships and lands for our noble deeds. He who is reluctant to fight—let the devil have his bones! And he who spares any knight out of greed for goods, waiting until the fight is over to see who will have the better—he does not knightly, so help me Jesus!”

Then Sir Lancelot and Sir Cador, the two mighty dukes, dubbed new knights to win worship. Joneke was the first, a full noble jouster; then Sir Hectimer and Sir Alyduke, both of England born; and Sir Hamerel and Sir Hardolf, full hardy men of arms; also Sir Harry and Sir Harygall, who were both good men.

“Now fellows,” said Sir Lancelot and Sir Cador the Keen, “come hither Sir Bedevere and Sir Berell. Take with you Sir Raynold and Sir Edward, who are Roland’s children, and see that you take care of these noble prisoners. Whatever may betide us, save them and yourselves. We give you this commandment speaking for our sovereign lord, and no matter the plight that you see us in, stay in your position and move no farther. And if it happens that you see our charge is overcome, get yourselves to a strong castle, and then ride fast to our king and ask him for succor, as he is our kind lord.”

Then they hurried forth all at once, the most excellent knights who ever broke bread, with more than five hundred in the front, and they fixed their spears in their rests all at once. Save for the trumpets, there was no other noise.

Then the Roman host moved back a little, and the lord who was the king of Libya, who was leading in the foremost part of the host, fixed his spear in its rest and brought himself alongside Sir Berell. He struck him in the neck, and Sir Berell and his horse fell to the ground; thus he was brought out of this life.

“Alas,” said Sir Cador, “how full of care is my heart now that my cousin that I loved best is dead!” He alit from his horse and took Sir Berell in his arms, commanding his knights to stay the course.

Then the king spoke haughty words aloud, and said, “One of yon proud knights is laid full low!”

“Yonder king,” said Sir Cador, “speaks great words. But if I live beyond this day, I will counter with yonder king, so help me Christ!”

“Sir,” said Sir Lancelot, “do not be so moved; take your spear in your hand, and we shall not fail you.” Then Sir Cador, Sir Lancelot, and Sir Bors, those good men of arms, positioned their spears and thrust into the middle of the conflict, running throughout the great host two or three times. When their spears were broken, then they swung out their swords and slew more than a hundred noble men of arms, after which they rode back to their companions.

Then the king of Libya cried to Sir Cador, “Well have you avenged the death of your knight, for I have lost for that one knight well over a hundred!” At that, the battle began in earnest, and there was great slaughter done by a party of Saracens; but through the noble prowess of King Arthur’s knights, ten were taken and led from the battle as prisoners. The fighting of the Saracens sorely grieved Sir Lancelot, Sir Cador, and Sir Bors the Bold. Beholding their deeds, the King of Libya started out on his stern horse and surrounded our knights, driving many a good man down to the ground. There Sir Alyduke was slain, Sir Ascamore was seriously wounded, and Sir Herald and Sir Heryngale were hewn to pieces. Sir Lovell was captured, and Sir Lionel also; Sir Cliges was nearly taken, and would have been if Sir Cleremond had not been there to save him with the help of Sir Lancelot. Those who were new-made knights were slain, to the last man.

Then Sir Cador rode to the King of Libya with his well-made sword of steel and smote him high on his head, so that the brain was exposed. “Now take that remedy!” said Sir Cador. “And the devil have your bones!”

Then the Sultan of Syria was furious, for the death of that king grieved him greatly in his heart. He comforted his people, and then set fiercely upon our knights. Then Sir Lancelot and Sir Bors quickly clashed with him, and within a while, as it tells in the story, they had slain more than five thousand Saracens. Sir Kay the Keen had captured a captain, and Sir Edward had taken two earls. The Sultan of Syria yielded to Sir Lancelot, and the Senator of Sartre yielded to Sir Cador. When the Romans and Saracens saw how things were going, they fled as fast as they could to hide their heads. Our knights followed eagerly behind, and slew the Saracens.

Sir Lancelot did such great deeds of arms that day that Sir Cador and all the Romans had great marvel at his might, for there was neither king, nor kaiser, nor knight who might that day withstand any of his buffets. For this reason he was honored all the days of his life, for never before that day had he proven himself so well; it was only recently that he and Sir Bors and Sir Lionel had been made knights at the high feast.

The Romans and Saracens were cut down cleanly, save for a few who made it into a small castle nearby. The noble men of the Round Table who were in the field took up the bodies of those good, noble knights who had fallen and sent them to King Arthur for burial.

They all rode to Paris and left the prisoners there in the care of the chief magistrate, who took them into his safekeeping. Then every knight took a spear, drank some cold wine, and then quickly and proudly returned to Arthur. When the king saw his knights he rejoiced greatly, embracing them one by one. He said, “In you is to be found all the worship in the world. By my faith, there was never a king—except me—who had the service of such knights!”

“Sir,” said Sir Cador, “none of us failed the others, but of the knighthood of Sir Lancelot in particular—well, it is a great marvel to tell. His bold cousins have proved themselves to be full noble knights, but of cleverness and great strength Lancelot has no fellow or peer.”

When the king heard Sir Cador say such words, he said, “He seems a likely man to do such deeds.”

Then Sir Cador told Arthur which of his good knights were slain. “The King of Libya slew the first knight on our side, Sir Berell. Sir Alyduke was another, a noble man of arms; also the brethren Sir Maurel and Sir Mores, along with Sir Manaduke and Sir Mandyff, good knights both.”

Then the king wiped his eyes with his kerchief and said, “Your courage and your hardiness almost destroyed you; if you had turned back you would have lost no worship, for I call it folly to stay and fight when knights are overmatched.”

“Not so,” said Sir Lancelot. “That shame would have been ours forever.”

“That is the truth,” said Sir Cliges and Sir Bors, “for once a knight is shamed, he may never recover.”

Now we leave Arthur and his noble knights to speak of a senator who escaped from the battle. When he came to Lucius, the Emperor of Rome, he said, “Sir, withdraw yourself! What are you doing in these lands, overrunning poor people? You shall win nothing more, and if you deal with King Arthur and his doughty knights you will win nothing else but great strokes out of measure. For on this day, one of Arthur’s knights in battle is worth a hundred of ours.”

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“Fie on you!” said Lucius. “You speak like a coward! If my harms upset me, your words upset me more.” Then he called a council of men of noble blood. By their advice, he sent forth a knight who was named Sir Lyomye. He arranged his men and ordered them to take many valiant hundreds of the best men of arms, “and go before; we will follow after.”

But the king was secretly warned of their coming, and then he arranged his people in Soissons, and blocked the Romans from accessing the strong castles and the walled towns. There Sir Villars the Valiant made his vow before the king to take prisoner or else slay the viscount of Rome, or else to die in the trying.

Then the king commanded Sir Cador to take command of the rearguard, “And take ranks from the Round Table that you like the best—except Sir Lancelot and Sir Bors—with many others. Sir Kay and Sir Cliges will also be there; Sir Marrock and Marhalt will be with me at the fore, and all these—along with many others—will await upon my person.” Thus King Arthur dispersed his host into diverse parties that the Romans could not escape, but would have to fight.

When the emperor had entered the vale of Soissons, he could see where King Arthur waited for battle, with his banners displayed. He was beset on all sides; he could not escape, but rather had either to fight or yield himself. There were no other options. “Now I see well,” said Sir Lucius, “that yonder traitor has betrayed me.”

Then he rearranged his knights into various parties, and set up a banner—a dragon with eagles on a field of sable. Then he commanded the trumpets to blow and the tabors to sound, so that all the vale echoed. Then he cried aloud so that all men could hear, “Sirs, you well know that honor and worship have ever followed the Romans. Let this day not be lost due to a lack of courage, for I see well by yonder army that many people will die this day. Therefore, do valiantly this day, and the field will be ours.”

The Welsh king was so close that he heard Sir Lucius. Then he dressed himself to the viscount in order to keep his vow. His arms were clearly displayed—a doleful dragon—and into the vanguard he thrust himself with a stiff spear in hand. There he met with the valiant Villiers who was viscount of Rome, and there he struck him through his ribs with a spear, so that blood burst out on every side. He fell to the earth, and spoke no words after.

Then the noble Sir Uwain boldly approached and thrust throughout the emperor’s ranks where the press was thickest, slaying a great lord right by the emperor’s standard. Then he flew to the banner and struck it through with his bright sword, taking it from them and riding away with it to his fellowship.

Then Sir Lancelot leapt forth on his horse straight toward Sir Lucius, and as he went he smote clean through a king who stood next to him whose name was Jacounde, a full noble Saracen. Then he rushed forth at Sir Lucius and smote him on the helm with his sword so that he fell to the earth. Then he rode back and forth over him, three times in a row, and took the banner of Rome and rode away with it to Arthur himself. All who saw it said that there was never a knight who did more worship during his lifetime than Sir Lancelot.

Then Sir Bors dressed himself to a stern knight, smiting him on the back of the helmet so that his neck broke. Then he joined in combat on horseback with a fearsome giant, and struck him through both sides, and as he turned away he slew two other knights. By then the archers of England and Britain began to shoot, and the others—Romans and Saracens—shot back with darts and cross-bows.

Then began a fierce battle on both sides, with much slaughter on the Romans’ party. The Dutchmen did much harm and their short heavy arrows did great damage, for they were on the Romans’ side with their bows of horn. The great giants of Genoa killed many knights, crushing out their brains with clubs of steel. They also struck out the brains of a great many horses.

When Arthur saw the giants’ deeds, he cried out to the knights who could hear, saying, “Fair lords, look that you do not lose your honor! Do not let your worship be taken by yonder bare-legged knaves; you shall see what I do as my true part!” He then took out Excalibur and moved toward Galapas, who grieved him the most. He cut him off cleanly at the knees. “Now you are a size like unto our companions.” Then he struck off his head quickly.

Then came in Sir Cador and Sir Kay, Sir Gawain and good Sir Lancelot, Sir Bors, Sir Lionel, and Sir Ector de Maris, and Sir Ascamore, the good knight who never failed his lord, and Sir Pelleas and Sir Marhalt, both proven men of arms. All these fierce knights set upon the giants, and by the strokes that were dealt and the judgments given, they felled fifty of them to the earth, stark dead.

So those knights of the Round Table went forth with the king; there was never better king nor knights since God first made the world. They laid on with long swords and smashed out brains. No shields nor shiny armor could withstand them, until at last they had brought ten thousand men to the earth. Then the Romans reeled back a little, for they were somewhat rebuked, but King Arthur and his brave knights pressed after them. Then Sir Kay, Sir Cliges, and Sir Bedevere the Rich encountered with the Romans by the side of a cliff, and through their valiance, these three slew more than five hundred.

Sir Kay rode up to the King of Ethiopia and struck him clean through, and as he turned back to his companions, an enemy struck him between the breast and bowels. Even though he was hurt, he turned back and smote the other man on the head, striking clean down to the breast, and said, “Though I die of your blow, you shall have little praise.” When Sir Cliges and Sir Bedevere saw that Sir Kay was hurt, they fought against the Romans as greyhounds do with hares. Then they returned to King Arthur and told him how things had gone.

“Sir King,” said Sir Kay, “I have served you long. Now bring me to some burial place, for my father’s sake, and remember me to Dame Guenevere, your good queen; greet well my worshipful wife, who never angered me, and bid her, for love of me, to pray for my soul.”

Then King Arthur wept at the pain in his heart, and said, “My heart thinks you shall live forever.” With that, the king himself pulled out the spear and had physicians examine and treat him thoroughly; they found neither lung nor liver nor bowels were injured. The king then put him in his own tent with trusty knights and said, “I shall avenge your wound if I act aright.” In his melancholy state, the king met with another king, and with Excalibur he smote his back asunder. In his haste he met with another, and speared him all the way through at the waist. So he rushed here and there, in the thickest of the press, more than thirty times.

Then Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain, and his son Sir Lovell headed out to one side, where the Emperor Lucius was standing. As soon as Sir Lucius saw Sir Gawain, he cried aloud, “You are indeed welcome, for you seek after sorrow! Here you shall soon be overcome!” Sir Lancelot was angry at his grim words, and came at him with his sword raised above his bright helm, so that gushing blood flowed about his feet. Sir Gawain with his long sword laid on quickly, so that three emirs died at his hands. Neither did Sir Lovell fail in the battle, but he slew a king and a duke, both of them noble knights.

Then the Romans rallied. When they saw their lord so harried they chased and chopped down many of our good knights, and in that rebuking, the bold Bedevere was borne down to the earth, seriously wounded by a foul sword. Sir Lancelot and Sir Lovell quickly rescued him. And with that, King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table came in and rescued the rich men who were unlikely to escape at that time; for oftentimes through envy, great cruelty is shown that becomes the death of many great knights. Although they may speak fair words to one another, when it comes to battle such praise matters little.

As soon as Arthur had a sight of the Emperor Lucius, he would tarry no longer for king or captain. Each of them struck at the other with his sword. Sir Lucius hit Arthur on the nose with his sword, and wounded him almost to his tongue. Sir Arthur was angry, and gave him back a blow with all the might that he had in his arm, so that from the crest of his helm to his chest it clove down, and so ended the emperor.

Then the king met with Sir Cador, his eager cousin, and told him, “Kill down cleanly for love of Sir Kay, my foster-brother, and for the love of Sir Bedevere who has served me long. Spare no one for gold or silver. The man who would save a man who is accompanied by Saracens has little for which he may be praised. Slay down cleanly, sparing neither heathen nor Christian.”

Then Sir Cador and Sir Cliges took up their swords, as did Sir Lancelot, Sir Bors, Sir Lionel and Sir Ector de Maris. They whirled through many men of arms. Sir Gawain, Sir Gaheris, Sir Lovell and Sir Florence, his brother who was conceived on Sir Brandiles’ sister on a mountainside, all these knights rushed forward, along with many other knights of the Round Table who are not listed here. They hurled over hills, valleys, and steep vales, and on every side they slew a wondrous amount of men, so that many thousands lay heaped up in a pile together.

No matter what the Romans and Saracens did and said, they were all put to the sword, even those who tried to yield themselves. King Arthur continuously rode in the thickest of the press, ramping up and down like a lion on many noble senators. He would not wait for any man for any reason; ever he slew slyly until all were slain, to the number of a hundred thousand, although many thousands escaped through the secret help of friends.

Then the king and his noble knights searched the field for his bold barons. Those who were dead were buried as befitted their rank, and for those who might be saved, no treatment or remedy was spared that might be gotten for gold or silver. Thus Arthur caused many knights to be saved who seemed unlikely to recover. And at the recovery of Sir Kay and of Sir Bedevere, there was never a man under God so glad as was King Arthur.

Then the king rode directly to where the emperor was lying, and had him lifted up by fully noble barons. The Sultan of Syria, the King of Ethiopia, and two noble knights of Egypt and India, along with seventeen kings, as well as sixty honorable senators, were all taken up as well. The king had all these men embalmed with good ointments, and had them wrapped in sixty lengths of fine silk. They were then encased in lead, so that no matter how they might move or chafe, there would be no smell. Then he had them enclosed in their chests, cleanly arrayed, with their banners laid above their bodies and their shields turned upward, so that every man would know from what country they were.

In the morning they found waiting in the field three senators from Rome. When they were brought before the king, he said these words: “To save your lives is no great concern of mine, but I will, if you will go to Rome with my message and present these corpses to the proud potentate. Show him my letters and make known all my intent. Tell him they shall soon see me, and I believe that they will be cautious as to how they deal with me and my knights.”

Then the emperor himself was placed in a chariot, and his knights in a line following, placed two to a chariot. The senators came behind, tied together in pairs. “Now say to the potentate and all other lords that I send the tribute that I owe to Rome; this is the true tribute, which my ancestors and I have lost these ten score winters. Say that it seems I have sent the whole sum; if they think it is not enough, I shall amend it when I arrive.”

So in the morning these senators headed to Rome, and within eighteen days they came to the potentate and told him how they had brought the tax and the trewage of ten score winters, both of England, Ireland, and lands to the east. “For King Arthur commands you never to ask again for tribute or tax, upon pain of your head, unless your title is somehow truer than that which any of your ancestors held. For these reasons we have fought in France, and it has gone ill for us, for all our men have been chopped to death, both the noble and the low-born. Therefore, I counsel you to provision yourself, for war is at hand. This mischief befell in the month of May, in the country of Constantine by the clear streams; there he harried us with his knights, and healed those who were hurt that day and buried those that were slain.”