[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xiiij

THenne kynge Arthur and kynge Ban and Kynge Bors with her good and trusty knyghtes set on hem so fyersly that he made them ouer throwe her pauelions on her hedys / but the xj kynges by manly prowesse of armes tooke a fayre champayne / but there was slayne that morowe tyde x M good mennys bodyes / And so they had afore hem a strong passage yet were they fyfty M of hardy men / Thenne it drewe toward day / now shalle ye doo by myne aduys said Merlyn vnto the thre kynges I wold that kynge Ban and kynge Bors with her felauship of x M men were put in a wood he∣re besyde in an enbusshement and kepe them preuy / and that they be leid or the lyght of the daye come / and that they stere not tyll ye and your knyghtes haue foughte with hem longe And whanne hit is daye lyght dresse your bataille euen afore them and the passage that they maye see alle your hooste / For thenne wyl they be the more hardy when they see yow but a∣boute xx M / and cause hem to be the gladder to suffre yow and youre hoost to come ouer the passage / All the thre kynges and the hoole barons sayde that Merlyn said passyngly wel / and it was done anone as Merlyn had deuysed / Soo on the mo••n whan eyther hoost sawe other / the hoost of the north was well comforted / Thenne to Vlfyus and Brastias were delyuerd thre thowsand men of armes / and they sette on them fyersly in the passage / and slewe on the ryght hand and on the lyft hand that it was wonder to telle /

¶Whanne that the enleuen kynges sawe that there was so fe∣we a felauship dyd suche dedes of armes they were ashamed and sette on hem agayne fyersly / and ther was syr Vlfyus hors slayne vnder hym / but he dyd merueyllously well on foote / ¶But the Duke Eustace of Cambenet

and Kynge Claryaunce of Northumberland / were alweye greuous on Vlfyus / thenne Brastias sawe his felawe ferd so with al / he smote the duke with a spere that hors & man fell doune / that sawe kyng Claryaunce and retorned vnto Bras∣tias / and eyther smote other soo that hors & man wente to the erthe / and so they lay long astonyed / & their hors knees brast to the hard bone / Thenne cam Syr kay the sencyal with syxe felawes with hym / and dyd passyng wel / with that cam the xj kynges / and ther was Gryflot put to the erthe hors & man and lucas the bottelere hors and man by kynge Brandego∣rys and kyng Idres & kyng Agwysaunce / thēne waxed the medle passynge hard on bothe partyes / whan syre kay sawe Gryflet on foote / he rode on kyng Nentres & smote hym doun and lad his hors vnto syr gryflet & horsed hym ageyne / Al¦so syr kay with the same spere smote doun kyng Lott / & hurt hym passyng sore / that sawe the kyng with the C knyʒtes and ran vnto syr kay and smote hym doune and toke his hors / & gaf hym kyng Lott wherof he said gramercy / whan syr Gryf∣let sawe syr kay & lucas the bottelere on foote / he took a sharp spere grete and square / and rode to pynel a good man of ar∣mes / and smote hors and man doune / And thenne he tooke his hors / and gaf hym vnto syr kay / Thenne kynge Lot saw kyng Nentres on foote / he ranne vnto Melot de la roche / & smo∣te hym doune hors and man & gaf kyng Nentres the hors & horsed hym ageyne / Also the kyng of the C knyʒtes sawe ky∣nge Idres on foot thenne he ran vnto Gwymyart de bloy and smote hym doune hors and man & gaf kynge Idres the hors & horsed hym ageyne / & kyng Lot smote doun Claryaunce de la foreist saueage & gaf the hors vnto duke Eustace / And so whanne they had horsed the kynges ageyne they drewe hem al xj kynges to gyder and said they wold be reuenged of the dommage that they had taken that day / The meane whyle cam in syr Ector with an egyr countenaunce / and found Vlfyus and Brastias on foote in grete perylle of deth that were fow∣le defoyled vnder horsfeet / Thenne Arthur as a lyon ranne vn¦to kynge Cradelment of North walys / and smote hym tho∣rowe the lyfte syde that the hors and the kynge fylle doune / And thenne he tooke the hors by the rayne / and ladde hym

vnto Vlfyus & said haue this hors myn old frend / for gre∣te nede hast thow of hors / gramercy said Vlfyus / thenne syre Arthur dyd so merueillously in armes that all men had won¦dyr / whan the kynge with the C knyghtes sawe kyng Cradel∣ment on foote / he ranne vnto syre Ector that was wel horsed syr kayes fader / and smote hors and man doune / and gaf the hors vnto the kynge / and horsed hym ageyne / and when kyng Arthur sawe the kyng ryde on syr Ectors hors he was wroth and with his swerd he smote the kynge on the helme / that a quarter of the helme and shelde fyll doune / and so the swerd carf doune vnto the hors neck / and so the kyng & the hors fyll doune to the gronnd / Thenne syr kay cam vnto syr Morgano∣re sencial with the kyng of the C knyghtes & smote hym doun hors and man / and lad the hors vnto his fader syre Ector / thenne syr Ector ranne vnto a knyght hyghte lardans / & smo¦te hors & man doune / & lad the hors vnto syr Brastias that grete nede had of an hors and was gretely defoyled / whan Brastias beheld lucas the botteler that lay lyke a dede man vnder the horse feet / and euer syr Gry flet dyd merueillously for to rescowe hym / and there were alweyes xiiij knyghtes on syr lucas / & thenne Brastias smote one of hem on the helme / that it wente to the treth / & he rode to another and smote hym that the arme flewe in to the feld / Thēne he wente to the third and smote hym on the sholder that sholder and arme flewe in the feld / And whan Gryflet sawe rescowes / he smote a kny∣ght on the tempils that hede & helme wente to the erthel / and gryflet took the hors of that knyght & lad hym vnto syr lu∣cas / & bad hym mounte vpon the hors & reuenge his hurtes / For Brastias had slayne a knyghte to fore & horsed gryf∣let /