Arthurian romances; Romances -- Translations into English
the burny soon burst, before and behind, and his breast was opened;
the blood came forth lukewarm. There fell Beduer anon, dead upon the
ground; there was misery and sorrow enow! There Kay found Beduer lie
him dead there, and Kay would carry away the body with himself; with
twenty hundred knights he approached thereabout, and strongly fought,
and felled the Rome-folk, and slew there many thousand men of Media;
the fight was exceeding strong, and they were thereat long. Then
arrived there a king most hateful, with sixty thousand good men of his
land; Setor the keen, who came him from Lybia. There the strong king
gan him fight with Kay, and wounded Kay sorely in the strong fight, to
the bare death—-grievous was the deed!
His knights there right carried him from the fight, with mickle
strength through the fight they pierced. Woe was to Arthur the king
for the tiding! That saw the rich thane, who was named Ridwathlan,
Beduer's sister's son, of noble Britons he was descended, that Boccus
with his strong spear had slain Beduer. Woe was to him alive, when his
uncle was dead; for he of all men most him loved. He called knights
most good of his kindred, and of the dearest of all that he knew
alive; five hundred by tale advanced together. Then said Ridwathlan,
noble man of Britain: "Knights, ye are of my kindred, come ye here to
me, and avenge we Beduer, mine uncle, who was best of our race, whom
Boccus hath slain with his strong spear. Go we all together, and fell
our foes!"
Even with the words he forth pushed, and all his noble companions with
him anon; and Boccus the king they knew, where he was in the combat;
with his spear and with his shield many a knight he killed. Ridwathlan
drew out his sword soon, and struck at him, and smote the king on the
helm, so that it severed in two, and eke the burny-hood, so that it
(the sword) stopt at the teeth; and the heathen king fell to the
ground, and his foul soul sank into hell! Ridwathlan then said--cruel
he was in mood--"Boccus, now thou hast bought dear that Beduer thou
slew; and thy soul shall now be companion of the Worse!" Even with the
words, as if it were the wind, he pressed to the fight; as a whirlwind
doth in the field, when it heaveth the dust high from the earth, all
so Ridwathlan rushed on his enemies. All they it slew that they came
nigh, the while that they might wield their noble weapons; in all the
fight were no knights better, the while that the life lasted them in
their breasts. Boccus the king they slew, and a thousand of his
knights; then was Beduer avenged well with the best!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account