For then come the brother thridde; [folio 86a]
Line 5775
Menescen hadde than mys-be-tydde,
Line 5776
Ne hadde Tentan come to his socouryng,
He hadde be brouȝt to his endyng.
¶ Menescen was feld, but op he ros,
He faught faste aȝeyn his fos,
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He fauȝt aȝeyn hem alle thre,
But myght it not so longe be,
For on his scheld was many an hole,
He myȝt not longe that trauayle thole.
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¶ Tentan saw his grete myscheue,
He was In poynt of euel preue,
Menescen myght was almost wast,
Tentan rod to him In hast
Line 5788
And halp Manascen, that fauȝt sore,
Aȝeyn Duglas and Diamore.
ECtor saw, that Tentan was
Comen to helpe a-ȝeyn Duglas,
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He thought hem bothe to encombre;
Him hadde ben better In-myddes Humbre,
Then he hadde it at his wille,
Thei myȝt haue rongen here soule-knylle.
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¶ Ector was with him ful wroth;
Thei hadde dyed for-sothe both,
Ne hadde y-come Ayax;
And In his hond he brouȝt an ax,
Line 5800
The schafft was bounden, long was the bit,
Many a strok smot he ther-myt.
¶ A Thousand knyghtes alle at ones
Fel on Ector as bryddes in grones [MS. groues (?).] ,
Line 5804
To saue Menescen and kyng Tentan;
For that sauyng died many a man.
¶ Ector him hew as fflesch to pot,
The Gregeis died as schep In rot.
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