es with sixty thousand men, for to rescue his knights
and lords that were prisoners. And so on the morn as Launcelot and Sir
Cador, chieftains and governors of all them that conveyed the prisoners,
as they should pass through a wood, Sir Launcelot sent certain knights
to espy if any were in the woods to let them. And when the said knights
came into the wood, anon they espied and saw the great embushment, and
returned and told Sir Launcelot that there lay in await for them three
score thousand Romans. And then Sir Launcelot with such knights as he
had, and men of war to the number of ten thousand, put them in array,
and met with them and fought with them manly, and slew and detrenched
many of the Romans, and slew many knights and admirals of the party
of the Romans and Saracens; there was slain the king of Lyly and three
great lords, Aladuke, Herawd, and Heringdale. But Sir Launcelot fought
so nobly that no man might endure a stroke of his hand, but where he
came he showed his prowess and might, for he slew down right on every
side; and the Romans and Saracens fled from him as the sheep from the
wolf or from the lion, and put them, all that abode alive, to flight.

And so long they fought that tidings came to King Arthur, and anon he
graithed him and came to the battle, and saw his knights how they had
vanquished the battle, he embraced them knight by knight in his arms,
and said, Ye be worthy to wield all your honour and worship; there was
never king save myself that had so noble knights. Sir, said Cador,
there was none of us failed other, but of the prowess and manhood of Sir
Launcelot were more than wonder to tell, and also of his cousins which
did that day many noble feats of war. And also Sir Cador told who of his
knights were slain, as Sir Berel, and other Sir Moris and Sir Maurel,
two good knights. Then the king wept, and dried his eyes with a
kerchief, and said, Your courage had near-hand destroyed you, for though
ye had returned again, ye had lost no worship; for I call it folly,
knights to abide when they be overmatched. Nay, said Launcelot and the
other, for once shamed may never be recovered.

CHAPTER VIII. How a senator told to Lucius of their discomfiture, and
also of the great battle between Arthur and Lucius.

NOW leave we King Arthur and his noble knights which had won the field,
and had brought their prisoners to Paris, and speak we of a senator
which escaped from the battle, and came to Lucius the