_How the two knights met together, and of their talking, and how they
began their battle._
Sir, said the damsel 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 Liones. Where? said Beaumains. Yonder, said the damsel,
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 Liones made courtesy to
him down to the earth, with holding up both their hands. With that the
red knight of the red lawns 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, me seemeth 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 and 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 lawns, I love her,
and will rescue her, or else to die. Sayest thou that, said the red
knight, me seemeth thou ought of reason to beware 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 mayest 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, not so, that
shameful sight causeth me to have courage and hardiness against thee,
more than I would have had against thee and thou were a well-ruled
knight. Make thee ready, said the red knight of the red lawns, and talk
no longer with me. Then Sir Beaumains bad the damsel 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 the midst of
their shields, that the breastplates, horsegirths, 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; and all they that
were in the castle and in the siege wend their necks had been broken,
and then many a stranger and other said the strange knight was a big
man and a noble juster, for or now we saw never no knight match the red
knight of the red lawns: 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 of their harness and their shields, that a great
part fell into the fields.