is needed; and away they went he led the way; so thick was the press that he could scarcely get at his enemies; but he wheeled round, and attacked them in flank with such an encounter, that more than two hundred knights were thrown down to the ground, and I assure you, that they whom he reached with a full stroke had never need of a surgeon.

At that hour, Arquisil, and Floyan, and Flamineo, and many other of their comrades, did so well that no knights could do better, striving all they could to slay Agrayes and those knights who were dismounted; but Florestan and the other knights, who had forced their way to them, never gave back, how hardly soever they were prest; and now were the Romans so sharply set on by Don Quadragante, and by Amadis on another side, who saw the feats of Quadragante, and so bestirred himself, that he left not a man in the saddle whom he could reach; and also by Don Gandales, who had come up with eight hundred knights, that they began to give ground. The emperor, who from the time he had received that blow from Quadragante had employed himself more in directing his troops than in fighting, called out to rally them, but with little effect. For now Agrayes, and Angriote, and Don Bruneo, after so much peril and so hard contest, got to horse at last, and pricked forward into the press, and drove back the Romans, till they had retired to the division of King Arban of North Wales, about the hour of sunset. He made way for their retreat to protect them, but he did not advance to battle, because of the lateness of the evening, and because King Lisuarte had forbidden him, for many of the other army had not as yet taken part in the battle.

They on their part ceased from pursuit, and thus that day ended with great loss to both parties, although the Romans suffered most. The field was in possession of Amadis, who had all his wounded men removed, and his people spoiled their enemies. But many of the wounded Romans perished for want of help.

When the armies had thus withdrawn, the religious men of the two hosts went out to help the souls of those who were in need; and when they beheld the great destruction that had been made, and heard the cries of the wounded, crying for pity and help, they all agreed that it would be for God's service to make a truce, that the wounded might have help and the slain be buried; so they spoke to King Lisuarte and to the emperor, and also with King Perion, and a truce was made for the following day. When morning came many went to the field to seek their kinsmen and friends, and masters, and then might you have beheld such lamentations, on all sides, as were pitiful to hear, and how much more to see! The wounded were all carried into the emperor's camp, and the dead were buried, so that the field remained clear. That whole day the knights passed in refitting their arms, and looking to their horses; the wound in Don Quadragante's arm was dressed; and though it was such that if a knight not so good as he had received it, he would not have borne arms nor encountered danger till it was healed, yet he would not be hindered from helping his comrades in the following battle. On the following day they rose at dawn at the trumpet's sound, and heard mass, and put themselves in array, and it was determined on both sides that they who had not fought in the former battle should take the lead in this.

CHAP. XXX. What befell to either party in the second battle, and for what cause the battle was put a stop to.

K

|ING LISUARTE placed in the van King Arban of North Wales, and Norandel, and Don Guilan the Pensive, and those other knights of whom you have heard. He and King Cildadan came behind with their division to support them, and in the rear was the emperor with all his force. King Perion gave the front to his nephew Don Brian of Monjaste; he himself and Gastiles supported him with the banner of the Emperor of Constantinople; and then came the other divisions, so arranged, that they would have borne least part of yesterday's battle, should now bear the brunt of this. When the ten armies drew nigh, the trumpet sounded, and the hosts of Don Brian and King Arban encountered with such a shock, that more than five hundred knights were thrown, and their horses ran loose over the field. Don Brian and King Arban met; they brake their lances, and then fell to with their swords, as men who well knew their business. Norandel and Don Guilan kept together, and made great havock among their foes, and worse they would have made it, had it not been for Fileno, a kinsman of Don Brian, who, collecting a body of Spanish knights, charged so hotly in that part where they fought, that, maugre all their efforts, they made them give back, and then the tumult became so great, that King Arban and Don Brian were separated by the throng.

Each of those knights then did his best; but the Spaniards being more in number, and better horsed, had soon so greatly the advantage, that their enemies would all have been cut off, if King Lisuarte and King Cildadan had not advanced to help them: their coming retrieved the loss. King Perion, who saw the wrath with which Lisuarte advanced, then said to Gastiles, Now, my good sir, let us go on, and let us alway look to the standard, and then they made their onset. King Lisuarte received them like a man whose heart never failed; you may believe, that without doubt, there was no knight in his time who more bravely adventured his person whenever his honour was concerned, as you have seen throughout this great history.

Who can tell the feats of chivalry that were now wrought, when so many were engaged together. Certes it would be impossible for any one who would speak the truth. For so many good knights were now slain and wounded, that the horses could not set foot to ground without trampling on them. King Lisuarte, like a man who esteemed his life as nothing, thrust so bravely among his enemies, that there was scarcely any man who would dare abide him. King Perion in another part, as he was doing wonders, encountered King Cildadan; but they, because they knew each other, would not engage, but past on, each felling down his opponents. So great was the uproar, that the emperor thought his friends were in danger, and gave orders to his troops to make their attack. Upon that all the remainder of the army came up, at the same time the rest of King Perion's army advanced, and then the whole of both hosts were engaged, and