But Sir Tristram was possessed with a great joy of
battle, so that in a very short time he had struck down or overthrown all
those knights, beginning with Sir Gaheris, and ending with Sir Kay the
seneschal.
This Sir Gawaine beheld, and said to Sir Sagramore: "Yonder is certes a
knight of terrible strength; now let us go and see of what mettle he be."
Therewith Sir Gawaine pushed against Sir Tristram from the one side, and
Sir Sagramore came against him on the other side, and so they met him both
at once. Then first Sir Gawaine struck Sir Tristram such a buffet that the
horse of Sir Tristram turned twice about with the force of that stroke; and
therewith Sir Sagramore smote him a buffet upon the other side so that Sir
Tristram wist not upon which side to defend himself.
Then, at those blows Sir Tristram waxed so exceedingly fierce that it was
as though a fire of rage flamed up into his brains and set them into a
blaze of rage. So with that he rose up in his stirrups and launched so
dreadful a blow upon Sir Gawaine that I believe nothing could have
withstood the force of that blow.
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