people together passing knightly, and did great prowess of
arms, and held the battle all that day, like hard.

When the King of the Hundred Knights beheld the great damage that King
Ban did, he thrust unto him with his horse, and smote him on high upon
the helm, a great stroke, and astonied him sore. Then King Ban was wroth
with him, and followed on him fiercely; the other saw that, and cast up
his shield, and spurred his horse forward, but the stroke of King Ban
fell down and carved a cantel off the shield, and the sword slid down by
the hauberk behind his back, and cut through the trapping of steel and
the horse even in two pieces, that the sword felt the earth. Then the
King of the Hundred Knights voided the horse lightly, and with his sword
he broached the horse of King Ban through and through. With that King
Ban voided lightly from the dead horse, and then King Ban smote at the
other so eagerly, and smote him on the helm that he fell to the earth.
Also in that ire he felled King Morganore, and there was great slaughter
of good knights and much people. By then came into the press King
Arthur, and found King Ban standing among dead men and dead horses,
fighting on foot as a wood lion, that there came none nigh him, as
far as he might reach with his sword, but he caught a grievous buffet;
whereof King Arthur had great pity. And Arthur was so bloody, that by
his shield there might no man know him, for all was blood and brains
on his sword. And as Arthur looked by him he saw a knight that was
passingly well horsed, and therewith Sir Arthur ran to him, and smote
him on the helm, that his sword went unto his teeth, and the knight sank
down to the earth dead, and anon Arthur took the horse by the rein, and
led him unto King Ban, and said, Fair brother, have this horse, for he
have great myster thereof, and me repenteth sore of your great damage.
It shall be soon revenged, said King Ban, for I trust in God mine ure
is not such but some of them may sore repent this. I will well, said
Arthur, for I see your deeds full actual; nevertheless, I might not come
at you at that time.

But when King Ban was mounted on horseback, then there began new battle,
the which was sore and hard, and passing great slaughter. And so through
great force King Arthur, King Ban, and King Bors made their knights a
little to withdraw them. But alway the eleven kings with their chivalry
never turned back; and so withdrew them to a little wood, and so o