By then came into the field King Ban as fierce as a lion, with bands of
green and thereupon gold. Ha! a! said King Lot, we must be discomfited,
for yonder I see the most valiant knight of the world, and the man of
the most renown, for such two brethren as is King Ban and King Bors are
not living, wherefore we must needs void or die; and but if we avoid
manly and wisely there is but death. When King Ban came into the
battle, he came in so fiercely that the strokes redounded again from
the wood and the water; wherefore King Lot wept for pity and dole that
he saw so many good knights take their end. But through the great force
of King Ban they made both the northern battles that were departed
hurtled together for great dread; and the three kings and their knights
slew on ever, that it was pity on to behold that multitude of the
people that fled. But King Lot, and King of the Hundred Knights, and
King Morganore gathered the people together passing knightly, and did
great prowess of arms, and held the battle all that day, like hard.
When the King of the Hundred Knights beheld the great damage that King
Ban did, he thrust unto him with his horse, and smote him on high upon
the helm, a great stroke, and astonied him sore. Then King Ban was
wroth with him, and followed on him fiercely; the other saw that, and
cast up his shield, and spurred his horse forward, but the stroke of
King Ban fell down and carved a cantel off the shield, and the sword
slid down by the hauberk behind his back, and cut through the trapping
of steel and the horse even in two pieces, that the sword felt the
earth. Then the King of the Hundred Knights voided the horse lightly,
and with his sword he broached the horse of King Ban through and
through. With that King Ban voided lightly from the dead horse, and
then King Ban smote at the other so eagerly, and smote him on the helm
that he fell to the earth. Also in that ire he felled King Morganore,
and there was great slaughter of good knights and much people. By then
came into the press King Arthur, and found King Ban standing among dead
men and dead horses, fighting on foot as a wood lion, that there came
none nigh him, as far as he might reach with his sword, but he caught a
grievous buffet; whereof King Arthur had great pity. And Arthur was so
bloody, that by his shield there might no man know him, for all was
blood and brains on his sword. And as Arthur looked by him he saw a
knight that was passingly well horsed, and therewith Sir Arthur ran to
him, and smote him on the helm, that his sword went unto his teeth, and
the knight sank down to the earth dead, and anon Arthur took the horse
by the rein, and led him unto King Ban, and said, Fair brother, have
this horse, for he have great myster thereof, and me repenteth sore of
your great damage. It shall be soon revenged, said King Ban, for I
trust in God mine ure is not such but some of them may sore repent
this. I will well, said Arthur, for I see your deeds full actual;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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