how they had sped, whereof King Arthur was passing glad. At what time
suppose ye the two kings will be here? Sir, said they, afore All
Hallowmass. Then the king let purvey for a great feast, and let cry a
great jousts. And by All Hallowmass the two kings were come over the
sea with three hundred knights well arrayed both for the peace and for
the war. And King Arthur met with them ten mile out of London, and
there was great joy as could be thought or made. And on All Hallowmass
at the great feast, sat in the hall the three kings, and Sir Kay
seneschal served in the hall, and Sir Lucas the butler, that was Duke
Corneus’ son, and Sir Griflet, that was the son of Cardol, these three
knights had the rule of all the service that served the kings. And
anon, as they had washen and risen, all knights that would joust made
them ready; by then they were ready on horseback there were seven
hundred knights. And Arthur, Ban, and Bors, with the Archbishop of
Canterbury, and Sir Ector, Kay’s father, they were in a place covered
with cloth of gold like an hall, with ladies and gentlewomen, for to
behold who did best, and thereon to give judgment.
CHAPTER XI. Of a great tourney made by King Arthur and the two kings
Ban and Bors, and how they went over the sea.
And King Arthur and the two kings let depart the seven hundred knights
in two parties. And there were three hundred knights of the realm of
Benwick and of Gaul turned on the other side. Then they dressed their
shields, and began to couch their spears many good knights. So Griflet
was the first that met with a knight, one Ladinas, and they met so
eagerly that all men had wonder; and they so fought that their shields
fell to pieces, and horse and man fell to the earth; and both the
French knight and the English knight lay so long that all men weened
they had been dead. When Lucas the butler saw Griflet so lie, he horsed
him again anon, and they two did marvellous deeds of arms with many
bachelors. Also Sir Kay came out of an ambushment with five knights
with him, and they six smote other six down. But Sir Kay did that day
marvellous deeds of arms, that there was none did so well as he that
day. Then there came Ladinas and Gracian, two knights of France, and
did passing well, that all men praised them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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