"They swore that they would. After the oath, the knight said to Tirant: "'Take the weapons you like and I will go into battle with the ones you leave behind.' "'No,' said Tirant. 'You have been holding them, and they were brought here in your name. You are the challenger, so you choose first, and then I will take mine.' "And the knights stood there, arguing about ceremony; the judge picked up the weapons to put an end to the dispute. He put some of them on the right side and the others on the left. Then he picked up two straws, one of them long, and the other short. The judge said: "'Whoever gets the longest one, take the weapons on the right; and whoever gets the short one, the weapons on the left.' "When they had each picked up the weapons, they quickly took off all their clothes and put on the painful shirts that could well be called hair-cloths of sorrow. The judge made two lines on the field and he placed one of the men on one line and the other man on the other, and he ordered them not to move until he said to. They cut a tree's branches so that the judge could be on a sort of cenotaph. When everything was ready the judge went to Lord Vilesermes and said: "'I am judge by the authority you have given to me, and it is my duty to warn you and beseech you not to come to such a narrow strait as this. Remember God and don't die so desperately. As you know, the justice of our Lord does not pardon a man who brings on his own death, and he is condemned for all eternity.' "'Let's stop all the talk now,' said the knight. 'Each of us knows his worth and what he can do, both in the temporal life and in the spiritual one. Have Tirant come here to me, and it might be possible for us to come to an understanding.' "'I don't think that what you're asking is reasonable,' said the judge. 'You are equals: why should he come to you? But in any case, Jerusalem, go and ask Tirant if he wants to come and talk to this knight.' "Jerusalem went to Tirant, and asked him if he wanted to go there. Tirant answered: '"'If the judge is commanding me to go, I will, but for that knight over there I wouldn't take a step backward or forward for everything he's worth.' "Jerusalem told him how the judge was obligated to do everything possible to make peace between the knights. Then Tirant said: "'Jerusalem, tell the knight that I see no reason why I should have to go to him. If he wants something from me, let him come here.' "He took the answer to him, and then the judge said: "'All right. It seems to me that Tirant is doing what he should do. But, knight, you can go to the middle of the field, and Tirant will come there.' "So it was done that way. When they were facing each other, Lord Vilesermes said: