longs away. Now in the
beginning of that battle Sir Tristram was at first sore bestead and wist
that he had met the biggest knight that ever he had encountered in all of
his life, unless it was Sir Launcelot of the Lake, whom he had encountered
as aforetold of in this history. So at first he bore back somewhat from the
might of the blows of Sir Nabon. For Sir Nabon was so huge of frame and the
blows he struck were so heavy that they drove Sir Tristram back as it were
in spite of himself.

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram slays Sir Nabon] Then Sir Tristram began to say to
himself: "Tristram, if you indeed lose this battle, then there will be no
one to defend your honor before Sir Launcelot who hath impeached it."
Therewith it was as though new strength and life came back to him, and of a
sudden he rushed that battle, and struck with threefold fury, and gave
stroke upon stroke with such fierceness of strength that Sir Nabon was
astonished and fell back before his assault. Then Sir Tristram perceived
how Sir Nabon held his shield passing low, and therewith he rushed in upon
him and smote him again and again and yet again. And so he smote Sir Nabon
down upon his knees. Then he rushed in upon him and catched his helmet and
plucked it off from his head. And he catched Sir Nabon by the hair of his
head and drew his head forward. And Sir Tristram lifted his sword on high
and he smote Sir Nabon's head from off his body so that it rolled down into
the dust upon the ground.

Now when the son of Sir Nabon perceived how that his father was slain, he
shrieked like a woman. And he fell down upon his knees and crawled upon his
knees to Sir Tristram and catched him about the thighs, crying out to him,
"Spare me, and slay me not!"

But Sir Tristram thrust him away and said, "Who art thou?"

"Messire," said the youth, "I am the son of him whom thou hast just slain."

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram slays the son of Sir Nabon] Then Sir Tristram
looked closely into his face, and he perceived that it was wicked and
treacherous and malevolent like to the face of Sir Nabon. Thereupon Sir
Tristram said: "If a man shall slay the wolf and spare the whelp of the
wolf, what shall the world be the better therefor?" Therewith he catched
the son of Sir Nabon by the hair and dragged him down and smote off his
head likewise as he had smitten off the head of his father, so that it fell
upon the ground beside the head of Sir Nabon.

And now it shall be told how Sir T