"
Unto this, that strange knight lent a very willing assent, saying: "Very
well, Messire, it shall be as you ask."
[Sidenote: Sir Percival doeth battle with the strange knight] So with that
each knight turned his horse and rode a little piece away; and each took
such stand as pleased him; and each dressed his spear and shield and made
him in all wise ready for the encounter. And when they had so prepared
themselves, each knight shouted to his horse, and drave spur into its flank
and rushed, the one against the other, with such terrible noise and
violence that the sound thereof was echoed back from the woods like to a
storm of thunder.
So they met in the midst of the course with such a vehement impact that it
was terrible to behold. And in that encounter the spear of each knight was
burst all into fragments; and the horse of each fell back upon his haunches
and would have been overthrown had not each knight voided his saddle with a
very wonderful skill and agility.
Then each knight drew sword and came the one against the other, as
furiously as two rams at battle.
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