It is not in any book
indited, that ever any fight were in this Britain, that mischief was
so rife; for folk it was most miserable, that ever came to the land!
There was mickle blood-shed, mischief was among the folk; death there
was rife; the earth there became dun!
Childric the kaiser had a castle here, in Lincoln's field, where he
lay within, that was newly wrought, and exceeding well guarded; and
there were with him Baldulf and Colgrim, and saw that their folk
suffered death. And they anon forth-right, on with their burnies, and
fled out of the castle, of courage bereft; and fled forth-right anon
to the wood of Calidon. They had for companions seven hundred riders;
and they left forty thousand slain, and deprived of life-day, felled
to the ground; Alemainish men, with mischief destroyed, and the Saxish
men, brought to the ground! Then saw Arthur, noblest of kings, that
Childric was flown, and into Calidon gone, and Colgrim and Baldulf
with him were gone into the high wood, into the high holm. And Arthur
pursued after with sixty thousand knights of British people; the wood
he all surrounded; and on one side they it felled, full seven miles,
one tree upon another, truly fast; on the other side he surrounded it
with his army, three days and three nights;--that was to them mickle
harm.
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