herever they might come, ever they them slew. It is not in any book
indited, that ever any fight were in this Britain, that mischief was
so rife; for folk it was most miserable, that ever came to the land!
There was mickle blood-shed, mischief was among the folk; death there
was rife; the earth there became dun!

Childric the kaiser had a castle here, in Lincoln's field, where he
lay within, that was newly wrought, and exceeding well guarded; and
there were with him Baldulf and Colgrim, and saw that their folk
suffered death. And they anon forth-right, on with their burnies, and
fled out of the castle, of courage bereft; and fled forth-right anon
to the wood of Calidon. They had for companions seven hundred riders;
and they left forty thousand slain, and deprived of life-day, felled
to the ground; Alemainish men, with mischief destroyed, and the Saxish
men, brought to the ground! Then saw Arthur, noblest of kings, that
Childric was flown, and into Calidon gone, and Colgrim and Baldulf
with him were gone into the high wood, into the high holm. And Arthur
pursued after with sixty thousand knights of British people; the wood
he all surrounded; and on one side they it felled, full seven miles,
one tree upon another, truly fast; on the other side he surrounded it
with his army, three days and three nights;--that was to them mickle
harm.

Then saw Colgrim, as he lay therein, that there was without meat sharp
hunger, and strife; nor they nor their horses help had any. And thus
called Colgrim to the kaiser: "Say me, Lord Childric, sooth words; for
what kind of thing lie we thus herein? Why should we not go out, and
assemble our host, and begin fight with Arthur and with his knights?
For better it is for us on land with honour to lie, than that we thus
here perish for hunger; it grieveth us sore, to the destruction of the
folk. Either send we again and again, and yearn Arthur's peace, and
pray thus his mercy, and hostages deliver him, and make friendship
with the free king." Childric heard this, where he lay within the
dyke, and he answered with sorrowful voice: "If Baldulf it will, who
is thine own brother, and more of our comrades, who with us are here,
that we pray Arthur's peace, and make amity with him, after your will
I will do it. For Arthur is esteemed very noble man in land; dear to
all his men, and of royal kindred, all come of kings; he was Uther's
son. And oft it befalleth, in many kind of land, where the good
knig