many they slew. The Britons fled to the wood;
the others pursued after them; and the Britons on foot firmly against
them stood, and the Romanish men fought riding; and the Britons
advanced to them, and slew their horses, and many there took, and into
the wood drew. Then was Petreius wrath, that his force was there the
worse; and he with his host retreated from the wood; and the Britons
followed them, and slew them behind. When the Britons were out of the
wood, come out in the field, then withstood the Rome-folk with fierce
strength. Then began the mickle fight!--there fell earls and many a
good knight; there fell in that day fifteen thousand of noble men, ere
it were even. There might he find, whoso would prove his strength,
hand against hand, the strong against the strong, shield against
shield, knights there fell! The paths ran with bloody streams;
goldcoloured shields lay over the fields; all the day long they held
the strong fight. Petreius on this side his folk held together; then
it soon happened that the Britons had the worse. The noble Earl of
Oxford, who was named Beof, a noble British man, saw that, that in no
wise might it be, that the Britons should not fall, unless they had
counsel. The earl then called to him noble knights, of the best of
all, the Britons, and of the keenest of all, that there were alive,
and drew him in the field, near the host; and thus him said--in heart
to him was uneasiness: "Knights, hearken now to me; the Lord us help!
We are hither come, and have undertaken this fight, without Arthur's
counsel who is our chief. If to us good befalleth, we shall please him
the better, and if to us befalleth evil, he will hate us. But if ye
will do my counsel, then shall we ride all merry. We are three hundred
knights, helmed thanes, brave men and keen, nobly born; shew ye your
courage--we are of one kith--ride ye when I ride, and follow my
counsel. Advance ye all to him, to the knight that I do; take ye no
steed, nor any knight's weed, but every good knight slay ever
downright!"

Even with the words that the knight of Oxford said to his companions
beside, then gan he to ride, even all they rode then as swift as hound
driveth the hart, and his comrades after, with all their might,
throughout the mickle fight, all the troop; they flew on their steeds;
the folk they there killed. Woe was to them born, that were in the way
before them, for all they it trod down, with horses and with steeds;
and so the