a warrior who was able to harm him. Therefore, you shall die, and none of your men will escape!”
“Fie on you,” said Floridas, “you heretical wretch!” And with that he swung at him with his sword so that all the flesh on his flank was flayed off and the man’s bowels and entrails fell to the earth. Then a man rode up quickly to rescue that baron who was born in Rhodes and rebel to Christ. He pressed in proudly, chasing after his prey. But Richard of the Round Table rode up against him on his strong steed and thrust through his shield all the way to his heart. He roared loudly, but never rose again. Then all his fellows—more than five hundred—fell upon Sir Florence and his five score knights. Sir Florence and Sir Floridas took up their spears and felled five men at the front of the first charge. Sorely they assailed our folk, breaking bows and breasts, bringing down many.
When Sir Priamus, the hostage knight, perceived their actions, he went to Sir Gawain and said these words: “These noble men are hard beset, for they are overwhelmed with more than five hundred Saracens. Now, for the love of God, would you allow me, along with a small group of my men, to help them somewhat?”
“Sir, do not begrudge it,” said Sir Gawain. “The victory is theirs, for they have great gifts which have been granted by my lord. Therefore, let them fight as long as they wish, these fresh knights—some of them have not fought their fill all these past five winters. Therefore I will not move from my position half a horse-length unless I see that they are attacked by a greater force than that which they can counter.” At that moment, Sir Gawain became aware that men were coming along the edge of the wood with all manner of weapons; there rode the Earl of Ethelwold with many thousands behind him. The duke of the Dutchmen followed after him, passing with Priamus’ knights.
Then Gawain, that good knight, encouraged his knights, saying: “Grieve not, good men, at yonder great sight; do not be abashed by yonder boys in their bright trappings. If we fight with faith, the field will be ours!”
Then they took up their reins and began to gallop, and as they got close they knocked down many noble knights. There has never been a jollier jousting on earth. Then the rich men of the Round Table ran through the thickest of the press with their strong spears, so that many a man was injured as a result of their prowess. The knaves fled the field, and only knights who were keen of heart were willing to fight. “By God,” said Sir Gawain, “this gladdens my heart, that yonder fellows are gone, for they were great in number. Now they are fewer in the field than at first, when they numbered twenty thousand.”
Then Jubeaunce of Genoa, a mighty giant, cast his spear at Sir Gerard, a good Welsh knight. He struck the Welsh knight straight to the heart. Then our knights mightily attacked their mid-guard, and in one skirmish many Saracens were destroyed, and the sovereigns of Soissons were saved forever.
By that time Sir Priamus, the good prince, rode to his pennant accompanied by royal lords. He quickly took it up, and rode with the royal company of the Round Table out of the wood, followed by his retinue. They followed behind him like sheep from the fold, going straight to the field to stand by their kind lord. Then they sent these words to the duke: “Sir, we have been your hired soldiers these past seven winters, and now we forsake you for the love of our liege lord, King Arthur. With our honor, we may go where we like, for neither reward nor gold have we received.”
“Fie on you! The devil take your bones! I care little for such soldiers!” Then the duke turned his Dutchmen on Sir Gawain and Sir Priamus. The two of them gripped their spears and went at them by the most direct route. There Sir Priamus met with the Marquess of Moses’ land and smote him clean through. Then Chastelain, a child of King Arthur’s chamber—he was a ward of Sir Gawain—he came at Sir Cheldrake, who was a noble chieftain; with his spear he smote him clean through. So that child achieved the advantage in the contest of arms. But then he was chased down, with nowhere to escape, and one of the enemy smote him through the neck. When Sir Gawain saw that, he wept with all his heart and felt as if inwardly he would burst for sorrow. When Gotlake, a good man of arms, saw the death of Chastelain the child, his mood changed and wet water ran down his cheeks.
Then Sir Gawain prepared himself and rode at a duke; Sir Dauphin the duke drove hard against him. But Sir Gawain came at him with a great spear and drove the head into his heart. He pulled it out and ran to another man, Sir Hardolf, a hardy man of arms, and slyly he slipped in the spear and Hardolf fell to the earth. That day he slew in the valley more than sixty men at arms with his own hands.
Then Sir Gawain saw the man that had slain Chastelain, his child, and swiftly with his sword ran him through. “If you had escaped without wounds, the shame would have been ours!” After that Sir Gawain turned back to the battle, rushing at the enemy, and rode straight through to the rearguard, clearing a path all the way. Sir Priamus came riding next, making his way. There they hewed and hurled and brought down many heathen knights; on the other side of the battle, Sir Florence did what he could. The lords of Lorraine and Lombardy were captured and led away by our noble knights. Such an advantage our lords achieved through chance in that war, and their reputations were raised forever after.
When Sir Florence and Sir Gawain had won the field, they sent ahead of them five score knights with their enemies and prisoners following after. Sir Gawain waited until the prisoners were through a narrow pass, of which he had great dread. So they rode until they saw the city, and that same day they captured it by assault. Sir Florence and Sir Gawain harbored their people there, and after went to the king’s tent to tell this tale truly, how they had fared that day, and how his fierce men had done. “And many of your enemies lost their lives, and many noble prisoners have yielded themselves into our hands. But Chastelain, my ward, had his head chopped off this day; yet before he died, he slew an important knight with his own hands.”
“Now thanks be to God!” said the noble king. “But I marvel at that excellent knight who stands beside you; he seems a stranger, but seems not to be a prisoner.”
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“Sir,” said Sir Gawain, “this is a good man of arms. He contested against me in the morning, and if it had not been for his help, I would have died. Now he has yielded himself to God and to me, sir king, to become a Christian in good faith. Once he is baptized into the true faith, there will not be a better nor nobler knight alive.”
So the king quickly had him christened and confirmed him as Priamus, the name he bore before, and with his own hands dubbed him a duke and made him a knight of the Round Table.
21 Arthur’s Coronation and Return Home
Then the king called for an assault on the town, and there was much raising of ladders and breaking of walls. It was a pity to see how the people suffered. Then the duchess, surrounded with noble ladies, and the Countess of Clarisin, with her maidens also, kneeled in their kirtles before the king and asked him for mercy in the name of God. “Give us good news and withdraw your people, or the city shall be lost in an assault in which many a soul shall die who never gave you grief.”
The king lifted up his visor, displaying his knightly countenance, and kneeled beside her gently, saying kind words. “No one of my party shall do wrong to you, madame; I grant pardon to you and your ladies, to your children, and to your men. But your duke must do as I say. I will make sure that you will be provided with a living.”
Then Arthur sent word throughout the town to the lords that they should cease their fighting, for the city had yielded. Therewith, the duke’s eldest son came out with keys and kneeled before the king, asking for his grace. There with the assent of his lords he ceased the fighting; the duke was sent to Dover in the company of some of the king’s finest knights, there to live out the days of his life in dole as a prisoner.
Then, with a crown on his head the king recovered the city and castle, the captains
