Then the King of Arragon smote him Uther Pendragon old, From his charger adown on the meadow fell the king of the Bretons bold, 250 And the flowers stood fair around him--Ah! I courteous am I, I trow, Since the Breton before Kanvoleis I lay on such couch alow, Where never the foot of a peasant hath trodden unto this day, Nay, perchance they may never tread there--'tis the truth and no lie I say-- No more might he keep his saddle as he sat on his steed of yore, 255 But his peril his friends forgat not, they fought fiercely the hero o'er. And many a course was ridden; and the king of Punturtois Fell prone in his horse's hoof-tracks on the field before Kanvoleis, And low did he lie behind it--'Twas Gamuret dealt the blow-- 'Ride on, on thy course, thou hero, and tread thy foemen low!' 260 Strife giveth whereon to trample! Then Kailet, his kinsman true, Made the Punturtois his captive, tho' he scarce pierced the mêlée thro'. Brandelidelein was prisoner, and his folk they had lost their king, In his stead another monarch to their host did they captive bring. And hither and thither sped they, the heroes, in armour good, 265 And by blows and by trampling kneaded, of alum I ween their food; And dark on their skin the swellings, and many a gallant knight Might speak, as he knew, of bruises he had won him in hard-fought fight. Now as simple truth I say it, little rest was their portion here, By love were they forced to conflict, many shields with their blazon clear, 270 And many a goodly helmet whose covering the dust should be. And the meadow with flowers was sprinkled, and green turf ye there might see, And there fell on it many a hero, who of honour had won such meed-- More modest were my desiring! 'Twould content me to sit my steed. Then the king of Zassamank rode forth a space from the knightly fray 275 Where a rested steed did wait him, and the diamond he loosed alway, With no thought of pride in the doing, but the breezes blew fresh and cool, And the squires unbound his vizor, and his lips shone so red and full.