drawing his fine sword smote the lance very bravely in two, and casting his shield afore him, received the last stroke on the truncheon of it, which the gentle Emperor with fell fury threw at him, that he made him decline almost to the fall. The Turk sitting on the Elephant’s back could not with his Scimitar reach the Christian, nor he the Turk with his Curtilax,[91] so that now they sat and looked one upon the other, and the people at them, and all at this strange coping.[92] The good Horse Grauntier by chance being gored a little under the mane betwixt the bendings of the barbs with the sharp tusk of the Elephant, neighed with great stomach, and leasing[93] from the beast which he had well-nigh forced to the lists’ end, being thereto forwarded with the sharp spurs with so exceeding fury, that it was not only a marvel how the good Prince could sit him so assuredly, and also that he spoiled not himself, and with more eager fury began to gallop upon the Elephant again, his mouth wide open, and horrible with the salt fume[94] which in abundance issued from his great heart: for by how much the more a thing is gentle and quiet, by so much the more being moved he is iracund[95] and implacable. But the Emperor turning his reins carried him clean contrary to the lists’ end, where stood lances for the same purpose as the manner is, of which he chose the two stiffest, longest, and rudest for their stature and came softly pacing to the Turk: who stood even there still where he was, the Elephant bleeding in such abundance, that by the loss of so much blood his meekness turned into rage, and began to rise and bray, and stamp, and with an uncertain sway to move, so that with much ado the Slave stayed and appeased him, then the brave Emperor, lifting up his vizor not only to take breath but the more freely that his speech might have passage, he told the Turk that he had in a base cowardly manner by false fraud and unequal fight dishonoured himself and endangered him, for which he told him _Malgrado suo_[96] he would be gloriously revenged: and now that they had spent a good time in uncertain Fortune, he had brought two lances, choose which he would, and either begin the fight anew or make an end of the old, promising upon his Honour that if he refused so to do, he would fasten one in his beast and another in his heart. And if he dared to do that, he bade him come down on foot and there break a staff with him. The Turk, as he was an Honourable soldier, then presently slipped off his Elephant, bravely answering that he came to conquer him in sport, and not meaning to make a purposed battle, but sith he was so presumptuous as to dare him to his face, he should soon perceive how lightly he weighed his proud words, and then skipping to him straight a Lance out of his hand, and went one hundred paces backwards, so did the Emperor very joyfully, when they were come so far as they thought, they might trust to their breath, holding their Lances in both their