Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VII CHAPTER XVI

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 CHAPTER XVI
 
 How the two knights met together, and of their talking, and
 how they began their battle.
 
 SIR, said the damosel Linet unto Sir Beaumains, look ye be glad
 and light, for yonder is your deadly enemy, and at yonder window
 is my lady, my sister, Dame Lionesse.  Where? said Beaumains. 
 Yonder, said the damosel, and pointed with her finger.  That is
 truth, said Beaumains.  She beseemeth afar the fairest lady that
 ever I looked upon; and truly, he said, I ask no better quarrel
 than now for to do battle, for truly she shall be my lady, and
 for her I will fight.  And ever he looked up to the window with
 glad countenance, and the Lady Lionesse made curtsey to him down
 to the earth, with holding up both their hands.
 
 With that the Red Knight of the Red Launds called to Sir
 Beaumains, Leave, sir knight, thy looking, and behold me, I
 counsel thee; for I warn thee well she is my lady, and for her I
 have done many strong battles.  If thou have so done, said
 Beaumains, meseemeth it was but waste labour, for she loveth none
 of thy fellowship, and thou to love that loveth not thee is but
 great folly.  For an I understood that she were not glad of my
 coming, I would be advised or I did battle for her.  But I
 understand by the besieging of this castle she may forbear thy
 fellowship.  And therefore wit thou well, thou Red Knight of the
 Red Launds, I love her, and will rescue her, or else to die. 
 Sayst thou that? said the Red Knight, meseemeth thou ought of
 reason to be ware by yonder knights that thou sawest hang upon
 yonder trees.  Fie for shame, said Beaumains, that ever thou
 shouldest say or do so evil, for in that thou shamest thyself and
 knighthood, and thou mayst be sure there will no lady love thee
 that knoweth thy wicked customs.  And now thou weenest that the
 sight of these hanged knights should fear me.  Nay truly,
 <238>not so; that shameful sight causeth me to have courage and
 hardiness against thee, more than I would have had against thee
 an thou wert a well-ruled knight.  Make thee ready, said the Red
 Knight of the Red Launds, and talk no longer with me.
 
 Then Sir Beaumains bade the damosel go from him; and then they
 put their spears in their rests, and came together with all their
 might that they had both, and either smote other in midst of
 their shields that the paitrelles, surcingles, and cruppers
 brast, and fell to the earth both, and the reins of their bridles
 in their hands; and so they lay a great while sore astonied, that
 all that were in the castle and in the siege weened their necks
 had been broken; and then many a stranger and other said the
 strange knight was a big man, and a noble jouster, for or now we
 saw never no knight match the Red Knight of the Red Launds: thus
 they said, both within the castle and without.  Then lightly they
 avoided their horses and put their shields afore them, and drew
 their swords and ran together like two fierce lions, and either
 gave other such buffets upon their helms that they reeled
 backward both two strides; and then they recovered both, and
 hewed great pieces off their harness and their shields that a
 great part fell into the fields.