¶Capitulum xxi
THan syr Gauwayn and syr Launcelot departed a grete waye in sonder / & than they cam to gyder with al their hors myght as they myght renne & eyther smote other in myddes of their sheldes / but the knyghtes were soo stronge & theyr sperys so bygge that their horses myʒt not endure her buffettes / & so their horses fyl to therthe / & than they auoyded their horses & dressyd her sheldes afore them / Than they stode to gyders & gaf many sad strokes on dyuers places of theyr bodyes that the blood braste oute on many sydes and places / Thenne had Syr Gauwayn suche a grace and gyfte that an holy man had gyuen to hym That euery day in the yere from vnderne tyl hye none hys myght encreaced the thre houres as moche as thryse hys strengthe / and that caused syr Gauwayn to wynne grete honour / ¶And for hys sake kyng Arthur maad an ordenaunce that al maner of bataylles for ony qua¦rellys that shold be done afore kyng Arthur shold begynne at vndern / & al was done for Syr Gawayns loue / that by lyklyhode yf Syr Gauwayn were on the one parte he shold haue the better in batayl whyle his strengthe endured thre hou¦res / but there were but fewe knyghtes that tyme lyuyng that knewe this aduauntage that syr Gauwayn had / but kyng Arthur allonelye / Thus syr Launcelot faught with syr Gau∣wayn / & whan syr Launcelot felte hys myght euer more en∣creace syr Launcelot wondred & dredde hym sore to be shamed For as the frensshe book sayth Syr Launcelot wende whan he felte syr Gauwayn double his strengthe that he had ben a fende and none erthely man / wherfore Syr Launcelotte traced and trauersyd and couerd hym self wyth his shelde and kepte his myght and his brayde duryng thre houres / And that whyle Syr Gauwayn gaf hym many sadde br••••tes ¶ And many sadde strokes that al the knyghtes that behelde syr Laun¦celot meruaylled how that he myʒt endure hym / but ful lytell vnderstood they that trauaylle that Syr Launcelot had for to endure hym ¶And thenne whan hit was paste none Syr Gauwayn had noo more but hys owne myght / Thenne syr