As soon as day dawned, the noble warriors, mindful of the fight before
them, duly prepared themselves, the Knight as beseemed a knight, and the
Amazon in the way she liked best to dress.
She wore a light loose robe of purple silk, woven with silver, quilted
upon white satin, and plentifully trimmed with ribbons; not to hinder
her movements it was tucked up to her knee, but could when she liked be
lowered to her heel. Over that she wore for defence a small coat of
mail. On her legs were painted buskins, laced with bands of gold; her
scimitar was lashed at her thigh in an embroidered belt; and on her
shoulder hung her shield, decked with glittering stones, so that it
shone like the full moon.
Thus she came forth, stately and magnificent, from the city gate,
guarded with many damsels who waited on her to defend her, playing on
shalms and trumpets, the sound of which reached high into heaven; and so
she marched into the field, where there was a rich pavilion ready
prepared to receive her, until it was time to begin the fight.
Then forth from his tent came Artegall, armed from head to foot, and
first entered the lists. Radigund soon followed, cruel of mind, and with
a fierce countenance, fully bent on daring the utmost trial of battle.
The lists were shut fast, to prevent the mob from rudely pressing to the
centre, and they circled round in huge crowds to see how fortune would
decide the dangerous problem.
The trumpets sounded, and the fight began—bitterly it began and ended.
The Amazon flew at Sir Artegall frantic with fury, but the more she
raged the more resolute he stood. She hewed, she thrust, she lashed, she
laid on every side. At first the Knight bore her blows, and forbore to
return them; but presently in his turn he began to attack, and so
mightily did his strokes fall on her steel armour, that flakes of flame
were seen flashing all round her as if she had been on fire. But
Radigund with her shield so well warded off the danger of his keen
weapon that she safely guarded her life, until at last, with one stroke
of his blade, Sir Artegall cut away half her shield.
This so enraged Radigund that she flew at Artegall with her sharp
scimitar, like a bear on her prey, and wounded him badly in the thigh.
Thereupon she began to boast of her triumph, and taunt the Knight with
spiteful speeches, as if she had already got the prize.
Indignant at her idle vaunting, Sir Artegall struck at her again with
such power that he shattered the other half of her shield, and then he
smote on her helmet so that she sank senseless on the grassy field.
[Illustration: An armored knight standing over another fallen knight on
the ground, with a tent and other figures in the background.]
When he saw her lying on the ground, he sprang towards her, and unlaced
her helmet, thinking to cut off her head; but when he had uncovered her
face such a miracle of loveliness shone forth that he was dazzled with
astonishment. His heart was so pierced with pity that he threw away his
sharp sword, reviling his hand that had done injury to such a vision of
beauty.
Radigund meanwhile awakened from her swoon, and stared about her in
confusion. As soon as she saw the Knight standing there beside her with
no weapon in his empty hands, she flew at him with fresh cruelty, and
though he kept retiring she laid on him huge redoubled strokes. The more
he meekly entreated her to stay her hand from greedy vengeance, the more
she increased her merciless attack.
Sir Artegall could do nothing but shun her angry onslaught, and ward off
with his shield alone, as well as he could, the fierceness of her rage.
He begged her to stay her strokes, and said that he would yield himself;
yet she would not hearken, nor give him time to breathe, till he had
delivered to her his shield, and submitted himself to her mercy in the
open field.
Thus was Sir Artegall overcome—though indeed he was not overcome, but
yielded of his own accord. Yet was he justly doomed by his own judgment
when he had said unwarily that he would be her thrall and do her
service. For though he first gained the victory, yet afterwards, by
abandoning his sword, he wilfully lost that which before he had
attained.
Then Radigund struck him with the flat of her sword, in token of true
subjection to her power, and as a vassal took him to thraldom. But the
more hapless Terpin she caused to be pinioned and led away to the cruel
fate from which he had but lately been rescued.
But when the Amazons thought to lay hands on Talus, he thundered amongst
them with his iron flail, so that they were glad to let him escape, for
the heaps of those he slew and wounded, besides the rest which he
dismayed, were too many to number. But all this while he did not once
attempt to rescue his own lord, for he thought it just to obey.
Then Radigund took this noble Knight, left at her disposal by his own
wilful blame, and caused him to be disarmed of all the knightly
ornaments with which he had formerly won great fame. In place of these
she had him shamefully dressed in woman’s clothes, and put on him a
white apron instead of a cuirass.
Thus clad, she brought him from the battlefield into a long, large
chamber, decked with memorials of the ruin of many knights whom she had
subdued; amongst these she caused his armour to be hung on high, to
betray his shame, and she broke his sword for fear of further harm.
Entering, he saw round about him many brave knights whose names he knew
well, who were there bound to obey the Amazon’s arrogant law, all
spinning and carding in an orderly row, so that Sir Artegall’s brave
heart loathed the unseemly sight. But the captive knights were forced
through hunger and want of food to do the work appointed them, for
nothing was given them to eat or drink, but what their hands could earn
by twisting linen twine.
Radigund placed Sir Artegall the lowest among them all, and gave a
distaff into his hand, that he should spin thereon flax and tow—a sordid
office for so brave a mind; thus hard is it to be the slave of a woman!
Yet Sir Artegall took it even in his own despite, and obeyed her without
murmuring, since he had plighted his faith to become her vassal if she
won him in fight.