CHAPTER IV
 
 How La Cote Male Taile fought against an hundred
 knights, and how he escaped by the mean of a lady.
 
 AND anon there came an hundred knights about him and assailed
 him; and when he saw his horse should be slain he alighted and
 voided his horse, and put the bridle under his feet, and so put
 him out of the gate.  And when he had so done he hurled in among
 them, and dressed his back unto a lady's chamber-wall, thinking
 himself that he had liefer die there with worship than to abide
 the rebukes of the damosel Maledisant.  And in the meantime as he
 stood and fought, that lady whose was the chamber went out slily
 at her postern, and without the gates she found La Cote Male
 Taile's horse, and lightly she gat him by the bridle, and tied
 him to the postern.  And then she went unto her chamber slily
 again for to behold how that one knight fought against an hundred
 knights.  And when she had beheld him long she went to a window
 behind his back, and said:  Thou knight, thou fightest wonderly
 well, but for all that at the last thou must needs die, but, an
 thou canst through thy mighty prowess, win unto yonder postern,
 for there have I fastened thy horse to abide thee: but wit thou
 well thou must think on thy worship, and think not to die, for
 thou mayst not win unto that postern without <357>thou do nobly
 and mightily.  When La Cote Male Taile heard her say so he
 gripped his sword in his hands, and put his shield fair afore
 him, and through the thickest press he thrulled through them. 
 And when he came to the postern he found there ready four
 knights, and at two the first strokes he slew two of the knights,
 and the other fled; and so he won his horse and rode from them. 
 And all as it was it was rehearsed in King Arthur's court, how he
 slew twelve knights within the Castle Orgulous; and so he rode on
 his way.
 
 And in the meanwhile the damosel said to Sir Mordred:  I ween my
 foolish knight be either slain or taken prisoner: then were they
 ware where he came riding.  And when he was come unto them he
 told all how he had sped and escaped in despite of them all:  And
 some of the best of them will tell no tales.  Thou liest falsely,
 said the damosel, that dare I make good, but as a fool and a
 dastard to all knighthood they have let thee pass.  That may ye
 prove, said La Cote Male Taile.  With that she sent a courier of
 hers, that rode alway with her, for to know the truth of this
 deed; and so he rode thither lightly, and asked how and in what
 manner that La Cote Male Taile was escaped out of the castle. 
 Then all the knights cursed him, and said that he was a fiend and
 no man:  For he hath slain here twelve of our best knights, and
 we weened unto this day that it had been too much for Sir
 Launcelot du Lake or for Sir Tristram de Liones.  And in despite
 of us all he is departed from us and maugre our heads.
 
 With this answer the courier departed and came to Maledisant his
 lady, and told her all how Sir La Cote Male Taile had sped at the
 Castle Orgulous.  Then she smote down her head, and said little. 
 By my head, said Sir Mordred to the damosel, ye are greatly to
 blame so to rebuke him, for I warn you plainly he is a good
 knight, and I doubt not but he shall prove a noble knight; but as
 yet he may not yet sit sure on horseback, for he that shall be a
 good horseman it must come of usage and exercise.  But when he
 cometh to the strokes of his sword <358>he is then noble and
 mighty, and that saw Sir Bleoberis and Sir Palomides, for wit ye
 well they are wily men of arms, and anon they know when they see
 a young knight by his riding, how they are sure to give him a
 fall from his horse or a great buffet.  But for the most part
 they will not light on foot with young knights, for they are
 wight and strongly armed.  For in likewise Sir Launcelot du Lake,
 when he was first made knight, he was often put to the worse upon
 horseback, but ever upon foot he recovered his renown, and slew
 and defoiled many knights of the Round Table.  And therefore the
 rebukes that Sir Launcelot did unto many knights causeth them
 that be men of prowess to beware; for often I have seen the old
 proved knights rebuked and slain by them that were but young
 beginners.  Thus they rode sure talking by the way together.