s ever, that shall never
come to pass, that we shall raise a foreign man for king. For if
Sichelm is departed (dead), here are others choice, whom we may by our
will raise to be king. And this is the sooth; there is no other,
either move thee awayward, and turn thee right homeward, either to-day
a se'nnight, thou shalt have great fight."

The Norwegian earls betook them to counsel, that a king they would
have of their own race, for all Sichelm's words they held to be
folly.--"And so long as is ever, it shall not ever stand! But we shall
take Riculf, who is an earl exceeding powerful, and raise him to be
king--this is to us pleasing--and assemble our forces over all this
country, and march towards Arthur, and defeat him with fight, and Loth
we shall chase, and drive from land, or else we shall fell him with
fight." They took Riculf, the Earl of Norway, and raised him to be
king, though it were not to him by right, and they assembled their
host over Norway's land. And Arthur on his part, over the land gan
march; the land he through passed, and the burghs he consumed, goods
he took enow, and much folk he there slew. And Riculf gan him ride
against Arthur anon; together they came, and fight they began. The
Britons advanced to them--woe there was rife! Swords exceeding long
they plucked out of sheath; heads flew on the field, faces paled; man
against man set shaft to breast; burnies there brake; the Britons were
busy, shivered shields, warriors there fell! And so all the daylight
lasted this great fight; moved they east, moved they west, there was
it the worse to the Norwegians; moved they south, moved they north the
Norwegians there fell. The Britons were bold, the Norwegians they
killed; the Norwegian men there fell, five-and-twenty thousand, and
Riculf the king was there slain, and deprived of life day; little
there remained of the folk; whoso had the wretched life, they yearned
Arthur's peace. Arthur looked on Loth, who was to him well dear, and
thus gan to him to call, Arthur the rich man: "Loth, wend hither to
me, thou art my dear relative. Here I give to thee all this kingdom;
of me thou shalt it hold, and have me for protector."

Then was Walwain thither come, Loth's eldest son; from the pope of
Rome, who was named Supplice, who long had him brought up, and made
him knight. Full well was it bestowed, that Walwain was born to be
man, for Walwain was full noble-minded, in each virtue he was good; he
was liberal, and