Король Артур и рыцари Круглого стола
Chapter IX
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Sothedamselwentbefore,andbroughthimtoaford,andatreewhereonagreatbrassbasinhung;andSirLancelotbeatwithhisspear-enduponthebasin,longandhard,untilhebeatthebottomofitout,buthesawnothing.Thenherodetoandfrobeforethecastlegatesforwell-nighhalfanhour,andanonsawagreatknightridingfromthedistance,drivingahorsebeforehim,acrosswhichhunganarmedmanbound.Andwhentheycamenear,SirLancelotknewtheprisonerforaknightoftheRoundTable.Bythattime,thegreatknightwhodrovetheprisonersawSirLancelot,andeachofthembegantosettlehisspear,andtomakeready.
“Fairsir,”thensaidSirLancelot,“putoffthatwoundedknight,Ipraythee,fromhishorse,andlethimrestwhilethouandIshallproveourstrengthuponeachother;for,asIamtold,thoudoest,andhastdone,greatshameandinjurytoknightsoftheRoundTable.Wherefore,Iwarntheenow,defendthyself.”
“IfthoumayestbeoftheRoundTable,”answeredTurquine,“Idefythee,andallthyfellows.”
“Thatissayingovermuch,”saidSirLancelot.
Then,settingtheirlancesinrest,theyspurredtheirhorsestowardseachother,asfastastheycouldgo,andsmotesofearfullyuponeachother’sshields,thatboththeirhorses’backsbrakeunderthem.Assoonastheycouldcleartheirsaddles,theytooktheirshieldsbeforethem,anddrewtheirswords,andcametogethereagerly,andfoughtwithgreatandgrievousstrokes;andsoontheybothhadmanygrimandfearfulwounds,andbledinstreams.
