his heart, wherefore he
said: "Nay, I will not go down to yonder knight. For wit ye he is the
greatest knight alive, and if I go to do battle with him, it will be of
a surety that I go to my death. Wherefore, I will not go."

Then Sir Mellegrans called a messenger to him and he said: "Go down to
yonder knight in the courtyard and tell him that I will not do battle
with him."

So the messenger went to Sir Launcelot and delivered that message to
him. But when Sir Launcelot heard what it was that the messenger said to
him from Sir Mellegrans, he laughed with great scorn. Then he said to
the messenger, "Doth the knight of this castle fear to meet me?" The
messenger said, "Yea, Messire." Sir Launcelot said: "Then take thou this
message to him: that I will lay aside my shield and my helm and that I
will unarm all the left side of my body, and thus, half naked, will I
fight him if only he will come down and do battle with me."

So saying, the messenger departed as Sir Launcelot bade, and came to Sir
Mellegrans and delivered that message to him as Sir Launcelot had said.

[Sidenote: _Sir Launcelot offers to fight Sir Mellegrans in
half-armor._]

Then Sir Mellegrans said to those who were with him: "Now I will go down
and do battle with this knight, for never will I have a better chance of
overcoming him than this." Therewith he turned to that messenger, and he
said: "Go! Hasten back to yonder knight, and tell him that I will do
battle with him upon those conditions he offers, to wit: that he shall
unarm his left side, and that he shall lay aside his shield and his
helm. And tell him that by the time he hath made him ready in that
wise, I will be down to give him what satisfaction I am able."

So the messenger departed upon that command, and Sir Mellegrans departed
to arm himself for battle.

Then, after the messenger had delivered the message that Sir Mellegrans
had given him, Sir Launcelot laid aside his shield and his helm as he
had agreed to do, and he removed his armor from his left side so that he
was altogether unarmed upon that side.

After a while Sir Mellegrans appeared, clad all in armor from top to
toe, and baring himself with great confidence, for he felt well assured
of victory in that encounter. Thus he came very proudly nigh to where
Sir Launcelot was, and he said: "Here am I, Sir Knight, come to do you
service since you will have it so."

Sir Launcelot said: "I am ready to meet thee thus or in any othe