Knight of the Red Launds, and talk
no longer with me.

Then Sir Beaumains bade the damosel go from him; and then they put their
spears in their rests, and came together with all their might that they
had both, and either smote other in midst of their shields that the
paitrelles, surcingles, and cruppers brast, and fell to the earth both,
and the reins of their bridles in their hands; and so they lay a great
while sore astonied, that all that were in the castle and in the siege
weened their necks had been broken; and then many a stranger and other
said the strange knight was a big man, and a noble jouster, for or now
we saw never no knight match the Red Knight of the Red Launds: thus
they said, both within the castle and without. Then lightly they avoided
their horses and put their shields afore them, and drew their swords and
ran together like two fierce lions, and either gave other such buffets
upon their helms that they reeled backward both two strides; and then
they recovered both, and hewed great pieces off their harness and their
shields that a great part fell into the fields.

CHAPTER XVII. How after long fighting Beaumains overcame the knight and
would have slain him, but at the request of the lords he saved his life,
and made him to yield him to the lady.

AND then thus they fought till it was past noon, and never would stint,
till at the last they lacked wind both; and then they stood wagging and
scattering, panting, blowing and bleeding, that all that beheld them for
the most part wept for pity. So when they had rested them a while they
yede to battle again, tracing, racing, foining as two boars. And at some
time they took their run as it had been two rams, and hurtled together
that sometime they fell grovelling to the earth: and at some time they
were so amazed that either took other's sword instead of his own.

Thus they endured till evensong time, that there was none that beheld
them might know whether was like to win the battle; and their armour
was so forhewn that men might see their naked sides; and in other places
they were naked, but ever the naked places they did defend. And the
Red Knight was a wily knight of war, and his wily fighting taught Sir
Beaumains to be wise; but he abought it full sore or he did espy his
fighting.

And thus by assent of them both they granted either other to rest; and
so they set them down upon two mole-hills there beside the fighting
place, and either of them unla