Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur. Sir Thomas Malory
of his shield as it came down, and the sword slid down the back of his hauberk, cutting through the steel trapper and slicing the horse in two pieces before it fell to the earth.
Then the King with the Hundred Knights quickly jumped off his horse and with his sword stabbed King Ban’s horse clean through. At that, King Ban jumped quickly off the dead horse and struck the other man so quickly on the helmet that he fell to the earth. In that rage, in which he felled King Morganoure, a number of good knights and other people were slaughtered.
At this time King Arthur came into the battle and found King Ban standing among dead men and dead horses, fighting on foot as if he were an enraged lion so that anyone who came within a sword’s reach of him received a grievous buffet. At this King Arthur felt great pity.
Both King Arthur and his shield were so covered with blood that no one could recognize him, for blood and brains were stuck on his sword and on his shield. As he looked about him, King Arthur saw a knight who was on a passing good horse, and therewith King Arthur ran up to him and smote him on the helm so that his sword went down to his teeth and the knight sank down dead to the earth. Then King Arthur took his horse by the reins and led him to King Ban and said, “Fair brother, take this horse, for you have great need of a horse and I am sorry for the wounds you have suffered.”
“They shall soon be avenged,” said King Ban, “for I trust in God that some of the enemy will sorely repent of the wounds they have given me.”
“I well believe it,” said King Arthur, “for I have seen your deeds in battle, although I was not able to come to you at that time.”
And when Ban was mounted on horseback, then there began a new battle which was sore and hard, with passing great slaughter. Through great force King Arthur, King Ban, and King Bors made it possible for their knights to alight and withdraw into a little wood on the other side of a small river. They rested there, for the night before they had had no rest from the battle.
Then the eleven kings gathered themselves into a clump all together, like men who were afraid and looked for no comfort; yet, no man was able to pass them. They held themselves together so strongly in both the front and the rear that King Arthur marveled at their deeds of arms and was exceedingly angry.
“Ah, Sir Arthur,” said King Ban and King Bors, “do not blame them, for they do as any good man would do. For by my faith,” said King Ban, “they are the best fighting men and knights of most prowess that I have ever seen or heard of. Those eleven kings are men of great worship, and if they were on your side, there would be no king under heaven who could claim on his side another eleven kings of such worship.”
“I cannot love them,” said King Arthur, “for they wish to destroy me.”
“We well know that,” said King Ban and King Bors, “for they are your mortal enemies, which has been demonstrated earlier. This day they have fought for their cause; their willfulness is a great pity.”
Then the eleven kings all drew together, and King Lot said, “Lords, you must act differently than you do at present, or else great losses are still to come. You can see what people we have lost and what good men we are losing because we are always protecting the footmen. In saving one of the footmen, we lose ten horsemen. Therefore, this is my advice: let us send the footmen away, for it is nearly night. This noble King Arthur will not bother with the footmen, so they may save themselves in the woods which are near at hand. When we horsemen are together, look that every one of you kings make a command that none of your men may break upon pain of death. Whoever sees a man making himself ready to flee should slay that man; for it is better that we slay a coward, rather than that through a coward, we should all be slain. How say you?” said King Lot. “Answer me, all you kings!”
“You say well,” said King Nentres. The King with the Hundred Knights agreed, as did King Carados and King Uriens. So too agreed King Idres and King Brandegoris, as did King Cradilmans and the Duke of Canbenet. The same said King Clarivaunce and King Anguishaunce. They swore they would never fail in life or death, and that whoever fled the battle would be slain. Then they adjusted their war gear and righted their shields, took up new spears and set them across their thighs, and stood still as if they had been a clump of trees.
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When King Arthur and King Ban and King Bors beheld them and all their knights, they praised them much for their noble and chivalric bearing, for they were the hardiest fighters that they had either seen or heard of.
Right away several knights approached and said to the three kings that they wished to engage the enemy in battle. These were their names: Lionses, Phariaunce, Ulphius, Brastias, Ector, Kay, Lucan the Butler, Grifflet la Fitz de Dieu, Maris de la Roche, Gwynas de Bloy, Bryaunte de la Forest Savage, Bellaus, Morians of the Castle of Maidens, Flaundreus of the Castle of Ladies, Annecians that was King Bors’ godson, a noble knight, and Ladynas de la Rouse, Emerause, Caulus, Graciens le Castilion, Bloyse de la Case, and Sir Colgrevance de Gorre.
All these knights rode out in front with spears resting on their thighs and they spurred their horses on mightily. The eleven kings with some of their knights rushed forth as fast as they could with their spears, and there both sides performed marvelous feats of arms. Then Arthur, Ban, and Bors came into the thick of the battle and slew on both sides so that their horses were up to their fetlocks in blood; and ever Arthur kept the eleven kings and their host in his eyesight, which amazed King Ban and King Bors, considering what great slaughter there was.
At last they were driven back across a small river, at which time Merlin, riding on a great black horse, came up to Arthur and said: “You are never done. Have you not done enough? Out of sixty thousand today you have left only fifteen thousand alive! Therefore it is time to say ‘whoa!’ for God is angry with you because you will never be done. Yonder eleven kings will not be overthrown at this time, and if you tarry with them any longer your luck will turn and theirs will increase. Therefore, withdraw to your lodging and rest as soon as you may; reward your good knights with gold and silver, for they have well deserved it. There are no riches too precious for them, for never were there men who displayed their prowess more worshipfully than the few men that you had with you today, for today you have matched yourselves against the best fighters in the world.”
“That is truth,” said King Ban and King Bors.
Then Merlin commanded them, “Withdraw wherever you would like, for I suppose that for the next three years they will not dare to challenge you. By that time, you shall hear new tidings.”
Then Merlin said to Arthur, “These eleven kings have more to deal with than they realize, for more than forty thousand Saracens have landed in their countries; they are burning and killing and have laid siege to Wandesborow Castle, causing great destruction. Therefore, do not worry this year. Also, sir, gather up all the goods and treasure that you have won in this battle, and when you have it in your hands give it with friendship to these two kings, Ban and Bors, so that they may reward their own knights with it. This shall cause other people to be inclined to help you when you have need. Also, you should be able to reward your own knights at whatever time you wish.”
“You say well,” said Arthur, “and as you have suggested, so it will be done.” When the treasure was delivered to these kings, Ban and Bors, they gave the goods as freely to their knights as it had been given to them.
Then Merlin took his leave of King Arthur and the other two kings so that he could go to see his master Blaise who dwelled in Northumberland. So he departed and came to his master, who was very glad of his coming. There he told how Arthur and the two kings had done at the great battle, and how it was ended, and told the names of every king and knight of worship that was there.
So Blaise recorded the events of the battle word for word as Merlin told him: how it began, and by whom, and likewise how it was ended and who had the worse result. Merlin had his master Blaise record all the battles that occurred in Arthur’s days, as well as all the battles of any worthy knight of Arthur’s court.
After this Merlin departed from his master and came to King Arthur who was in Bedgrayne Castle, which was one of the castles in Sherwood Forest. Merlin was disguised so that Arthur did not recognize