_How after long fighting Beaumains overcame the knight and would have
slain him, but at the request of the lords he saved his life, and
made him to yield him to the lady._
And then thus they fought till it was past noon and never would stint
till at last they lacked wind both, and then they stood wagging and
scattering, panting, blowing and bleeding, that all that beheld them
for the most part wept for pity. So when they had rested them a while
they went to battle again, tracing, racing, foining, as two boars. And
at sometime they took their run as it had been two rams, and hurtled
together that sometime they fell groveling to the earth: and at
sometime they were so amazed that either took other’s sword in stead of
his own.
Thus they endured till even-song time, that there was none that beheld
them might know whether was like to win the battle; and their armour
was so far hewn that men might see their naked sides, and in other
places they were naked, but ever the naked places they did defend. And
the red knight was a wily knight of war, and his wily fighting taught
Sir Beaumains to be wise; but he abought it full sore ere he did espy
his fighting. And thus by assent of them both, they granted either
other to rest; and so they set them down upon two mole-hills there
beside the fighting place, and either of them unlaced his helm and took
the cold wind, for either of their pages was fast by them, to come when
they called to unlace their harness and to set them on again at their
commandment. And then when Sir Beaumains’ helm was off he looked by to
the window, and there he saw the fair lady dame Liones; and she made
him such countenance that his heart waxed light and jolly; and
therewith he bade the red knight of the red lawns make him ready, and
let us do the battle to the utterance. I will well, said the knight.
And then they laced up their helms, and their pages avoided, and they
stept together and fought freshly. But the red knight of the red lawns
awaited him, and at an overthwart smote him within the hand, that his
sword fell out of his hand: and yet he gave him another buffet on the
helm that he fell groveling to the earth, and the red knight fell over
him for to hold him down. Then cried the maiden Linet on high, O Sir
Beaumains, where is thy courage become! Alas, my lady my sister
beholdeth thee, and she sobbeth and weepeth, that maketh mine heart
heavy. When Sir Beaumains heard her say so, he started up with a great
might and gat him upon his feet, and lightly he lept to his sword and
griped it in his hand, and doubled his pace unto the red knight, and
there they fought a new battle together. But Sir Beaumains then doubled
his strokes, and smote so thick that he smote the sword out of his
hand, and then he smote him upon the helm that he fell to the earth,
and Sir Beaumains fell upon him, and unlaced his helm to have slain
him; and then he yielded him and asked mercy, and said with a loud
voice, O noble knight I yield me to thy mercy. Then Sir Beaumains
bethought him upon the knights that he had made to be hanged
shamefully, and then he said, I may not with my worship save thy life,
for the shameful deaths thou hast caused many full good knights to die.
Sir, said the red knight of the red lawns, hold your hand and ye shall
know the causes why I put them to so shameful a death. Say on, said Sir
Beaumains. Sir, I loved once a lady, a fair damsel, and she had her
brother slain, and she said it was Sir Launcelot du Lake, or else Sir
Gawaine, and she prayed me as that I loved her heartily that I would
make her a promise by the faith of my knighthood, for to labour daily
in arms until I met with one of them, and all that I might overcome I
should put them unto a villainous death; and this is the cause that I
have put all these knights to death, and so I ensured her to do all the
villainy unto king Arthur’s knights, and that I should take vengeance
upon all these knights. And, Sir, now I will thee tell that every day
my strength encreaseth till noon, and all this time have I seven men’s
strength.