in their hands, their shields
locked close in front of them, for they bore no arms but these.
To their foes without they made it appear that they feared them
not at all inasmuch as they had come unarmed. Alexander, on the
other side, perceived the knights who go before them, playing a
knightly game on horseback. Hot is his desire to meet with them;
and he calls his comrades one after the other by their names:
first Cornix, whom he greatly loved, then the stout Licorides,
then Nabunal of Mycenae, and Acoriondes of Athens, and Ferolin of
Salonica, and Calcedor from towards Africa, Parmenides and
Francagel, Torin the Strong, and Pinabel, Nerius, and Neriolis.
"Lords," quoth he, "a longing has seized me to go and make with
lance and with shield acquaintance with those who come to tourney
before us. I see full well that they take us for laggards and
esteem us lightly--so it seems to me--since they have come here
all unarmed to tourney before our faces. We have been newly
dubbed knights; we have not yet shown our mettle to knights or at
quintain. Too long have we kept our new lances virgin. Why were
our shields made? Not yet have they been pierced or broken. Such
a gift avails us nought save for tour or for assault. Let us pass
the ford, and let us attack them." All say: "We will not fail
you." Each one says: "So may God save me, as I am not the man to
fail you here." Now they gird on their swords, saddle and girth
their steeds, mount and take their shields. When they had hung
the shields from their necks, and taken the lances blazoned in
quarterings; they all at once rush on to the ford; and the enemy
lower their lances and ride quickly to strike them. But Alexander
and his comrades knew well how to pay them back; and they neither
spare them nor shirk nor yield a foot before them; rather each
strikes his own foe so doughtily that there is no knight so good
but he must void his saddle-bow. The Greeks did not take them for
boys for cowards or for men bewildered. They have not wasted
their first blows; for they have unhorsed thirteen. The noise of
their blows and strokes has reached as far as to the army. In a
short time the melee would have been desperate, if the enemy had
dared to stand before them. The king's men run through the host
to take their weapons, and dash into the water noisily, and the
enemy turn to flight; for they see that it is not good to stay
there. And the Greeks follow them, striking with lances and
sword