Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK I CHAPTER XIV

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 CHAPTER XIV
 
 How the eleven kings with their host fought against Arthur
 and his host, and many great feats of the war.
 
 THEN King Arthur and King Ban and King Bors, with their good and
 trusty knights, set on them so fiercely that they made them
 overthrow their pavilions on their heads, but the eleven kings,
 by manly prowess of arms, took a fair champaign, but there was
 slain that morrowtide ten thousand good men's bodies.  And so
 they had afore them a strong passage, yet were they fifty
 thousand of hardy men.  Then it drew toward day.  Now shall ye do
 by mine advice, said Merlin unto the three kings:  I would that
 King Ban and King Bors, with their fellowship of ten thousand
 men, were put in a wood here beside, in an ambushment, and keep
 them privy, and that they be laid or the light of the day come,
 and that they stir not till ye and your knights have fought with
 them long.  And when it is daylight, dress your battle even afore
 them and the passage, that they may see all your host, for then
 will they be the more hardy, when they see you but about twenty
 thousand men, and cause them to be the gladder to suffer you and
 your host to come over the passage.  All the three kings and the
 whole barons said that Merlin said passingly well, and it was
 done anon as Merlin had devised.  So on the morn, when either
 host saw other, the host of the north was well comforted.  Then
 to Ulfius <23 CH. XIV  ELEVEN KINGS WAR WITH ARTHUR>and Brastias
 were delivered three thousand men of arms, and they set on them
 fiercely in the passage, and slew on the right hand and on the
 left hand that it was wonder to tell.
 
 When that the eleven kings saw that there was so few a fellowship
 did such deeds of arms, they were ashamed and set on them again
 fiercely; and there was Sir Ulfius's horse slain under him, but
 he did marvellously well on foot.  But the Duke Eustace of
 Cambenet and King Clariance of Northumberland, were alway
 grievous on Ulfius.  Then Brastias saw his fellow fared so withal
 he smote the duke with a spear, that horse and man fell down. 
 That saw King Clariance and returned unto Brastias, and either
 smote other so that horse and man went to the earth, and so they
 lay long astonied, and their horses' knees brast to the hard
 bone.  Then came Sir Kay the seneschal with six fellows with him,
 and did passing well.  With that came the eleven kings, and there
 was Griflet put to the earth, horse and man, and Lucas the
 butler, horse and man, by King Brandegoris, and King Idres, and
 King Agwisance.  Then waxed the medley passing hard on both
 parties.  When Sir Kay saw Griflet on foot, he rode on King
 Nentres and smote him down, and led his horse unto Sir Griflet,
 and horsed him again.  Also Sir Kay with the same spear smote
 down King Lot, and hurt him passing sore.  That saw the King with
 the Hundred Knights, and ran unto Sir Kay and smote him down, and
 took his horse, and gave him King Lot, whereof he said gramercy. 
 When Sir Griflet saw Sir Kay and Lucas the butler on foot, he
 took a sharp spear, great and square, and rode to Pinel, a good
 man of arms, and smote horse and man down, and then he took his
 horse, and gave him unto Sir Kay.  Then King Lot saw King Nentres
 on foot, he ran unto Melot de la Roche, and smote him down, horse
 and man, and gave King Nentres the horse, and horsed him again. 
 Also the King of the Hundred Knights saw King Idres on foot; then
 he ran unto Gwiniart de Bloi, and smote him down, horse and man,
 and gave King Idres the horse, and <24>horsed him again; and King
 Lot smote down Clariance de la Forest Savage, and gave the horse
 unto Duke Eustace.  And so when they had horsed the kings again
 they drew them, all eleven kings, together, and said they would
 be revenged of the damage that they had taken that day.  The
 meanwhile came in Sir Ector with an eager countenance, and found
 Ulfius and Brastias on foot, in great peril of death, that were
 foul defoiled under horse-feet.
 
 Then Arthur as a lion, ran unto King Cradelment of North Wales,
 and smote him through the left side, that the horse and the king
 fell down; and then he took the horse by the rein, and led him
 unto Ulfius, and said, Have this horse, mine old friend, for
 great need hast thou of horse.  Gramercy, said Ulfius.  Then Sir
 Arthur did so marvellously in arms, that all men had wonder. 
 When the King with the Hundred Knights saw King Cradelment on
 foot, he ran unto Sir Ector, that was well horsed, Sir Kay's
 father, and smote horse and man down, and gave the horse unto the
 king, and horsed him again.  And when King Arthur saw the king
 ride on Sir Ector's horse, he was wroth and with his sword he
 smote the king on the helm, that a quarter of the helm and shield
 fell down, and so the sword carved down unto the horse's neck,
 and so the king and the horse fell down to the ground.  Then Sir
 Kay came unto Sir Morganore, seneschal with the King of the
 Hundred Knights, and smote him down, horse and man, and led the
 horse unto his father, Sir Ector; then Sir Ector ran unto a
 knight, hight Lardans, and smote horse and man down, and led the
 horse unto Sir Brastias, that great need had of an horse, and was
 greatly defoiled.  When Brastias beheld Lucas the butler, that
 lay like a dead man under the horses' feet, and ever Sir Griflet
 did marvellously for to rescue him, and there were always
 fourteen knights on Sir Lucas; then Brastias smote one of them on
 the helm, that it went to the teeth, and he rode to another and
 smote him, that the arm flew into the field.  Then he went to the
 third and smote him on the shoulder, that shoulder and arm flew
 in the field.  <25 CHAP. XV  YET OF THE SAME BATTLE>And when
 Griflet saw rescues, he smote a knight on the temples, that head
 and helm went to the earth, and Griflet took the horse of that
 knight, and led him unto Sir Lucas, and bade him mount upon the
 horse and revenge his hurts.  For Brastias had slain a knight to-
 fore and horsed Griflet.