Arthurian romances; Romances -- Translations into English
Do we well this
deed, God us well speed!" The knights then answered, stilly under
heaven: "All we shall well do, and all we shall undertake; nuthing be
the knight, that sheweth not his might here right!" Then sent they on
both sides, all the men on foot; then caused he the Dragon to be set
up, the matchless standard, delivered it to a king who well could it
hold. Angel, King of Scotland, held in hand (commanded) the foremost
troop; Cador, the Earl of Cornwall, held the troop behind; Beof had
one, the Earl of Oxford; the Earl of Chester, Gerin, the fourth troop
held with him. The force upon the down held AEscil, King of Denmark.
Lot held the one, who was dear to the king, Howel of Britanny held
another. Walwain the keen was by the king. Kay commanded one, who was
steward of the king; Beduer another, who was the king's cup-bearer.
The Earl of Flanders, Howeldin, had a troop with him. A mickle troop
had Gwitard, the King of Gascony land. Wigein, Earl of Leicester, and
Jonathas, Earl of Dorchester, they commanded the two troops that there
were on foot. The Earl of Chester, Cursaleyn, and the Earl of Bath,
who hight Urgein, they commanded both the troops that were there
beside; these should on two sides advance to the fight, with these two
earls, that brave knights were,--Arthur had troth the earls were true.
When all the troops were set as Arthur thought good, then called to
him the King of Britain all his councillors, that were skilfullest in
judgment; and thus said Arthur anon to his noble men: "Hearken now
towards me, my dear friends; ye have twice attacked the Romanish men,
and twice they are overcome, and slain, and captured, because they all
with wrong covet our land. And my heart saith to me, through our high
Lord, that yet they shall be overcome, both slain and captured. Ye
have overcome Norwegians; ye have overcome Danes, Scotland and Ireland
ye have all won to your hand; Normandy and France ye have conquered
with fight. Three and thirty kingdoms I hold in mine own hand, that ye
have won for me under the sun! And these are the worst men of all men
alive; heathen people! To God they are loathsome; our Lord they
desert, and to Mahoun they draw. And Luces, the emperor, of God's self
hath no care, who hath for companions heathen hounds, God's enemies;
we shall them destroy, and lay them to ground, and ourselves be safe,
with the Lord's will, that ruleth all deeds!" Then answered the earls
there: "All we are ready, to live and to lie with our dear king!"
When this army was all prepared, then was it daylight; and Luces at
Langres moved, and all his Rome-folk; he commanded his men to blow his
golden trumpets, get ready his host, for forth he would march from
Lengres to Aust, as his way right lay. And forth gan ride the Romanish
people, until they came a mile near to Arthur.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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