And Walwain forth
right, there he found Luces the emperor live under shield, and Walwain
struck at him with the steel sword, and the emperor struck at him, who
was man exceeding stern; shield against shield, the pieces there flew;
sword against sword clashed well often, fire flew from the steel; the
adversaries were enraged! There was fight most strong--all the host
was stirred! The emperor weened to destroy Walwain, that he might in
after days boast for the deed. But the Britons thronged towards them,
most angrily, and the Romanish men liberated their emperor; and they
charged together as if heaven would fall! All the daylight they held
afterwards the fight, a little while ere the sun went to ground.
Arthur then called--noblest of all kings: "Now go we all to them, my
brave knights! And God himself aid us our enemies to fell!"
Even with the words then blew men the trumpets; fifteen thousand anon
thronged together to blow horns and trumps; the earth gan to tremble
for the great blast, for the mickle clamour! The Rome-folk turned
backs to the fight; standards fell,--noble men perished,--those fled
who might,--the fated there fell! Much man-slaughter was there; might
it no man tell, how many hundred men were there hewed in pieces in the
mickle throng, in the man-slaughter! The emperor was slain in strange
manner, so that no man of ever any country afterwards ever knew it to
say, who killed the emperor.
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