_How Lucius sent certain spies in a bushment for to have taken his
knights being prisoners, and how they were letted._
Now turn we to the emperor of Rome which espied that these prisoners
should be sent to Paris, and anon he sent to lie in a bushment certain
knights and princes with sixty thousand men for to rescue his knights
and lords that were prisoners. And so on the morn as Sir Launcelot and
Sir Cador, chieftains and governors of all them that conveyed the
prisoners, as they should pass through a wood, Sir Launcelot sent
certain knights to espy if any were in the woods to let them. And when
the said knights came into the wood, anon they espied and saw the great
enbushment, and returned and told Sir Launcelot that there lay in await
for them threescore thousand Romans. And then Sir Launcelot with such
knights as he had, and men of war to the number of ten thousand, put
them in array, and met with them, and fought with them manly, and slew
and cut to pieces many of the Romans, and slew many knights and
admirals of the party of the Romans and Saracens: there was slain the
king of Lyly and three great lords, Alakuke, Herawd, and Heringdale.
But Sir Launcelot fought so nobly that no man might endure a stroke of
his hand, but where he came he shewed his prowess and might, for he
slew down right on every side. And the Romans and Saracens fled from
him as the sheep from the wolf or from the lion, and put them all that
abode alive to flight. And so long they fought that tidings came to
king Arthur, and anon he made him ready and came to the battle, and saw
his knights how they had vanquished the battle: he embraced them knight
by knight in his arms, and said: Ye be worthy to bear all your honour
and worship, there was never king save myself that had so noble
knights. Sir, said Cador, there was none of us failed other, but of the
prowess and manhood of Sir Launcelot were more than wonder to tell, and
also of his cousins which did this day many noble feats of war. And
also Sir Cador told who of his knights were slain, as Sir Berel and
other Sir Moris and Sir Maurel, two good knights. Then the king wept,
and dried his eyes with a kerchief, and said, Your courage had near
hand destroyed you, for though ye had returned again ye had lost no
worship; for I call it folly, knights to abide when they be
over-matched. Nay, said Sir Launcelot and the other, for once shamed
may never be recovered.