the danger incurred by
the champions engaged.

Having intimated their more specific purpose, the champions retreated to
the extremity of the lists, where they remained drawn up in a line; while
the challengers, sallying each from his pavilion, mounted their horses,
and, headed by Brian de Bois-Guilbert, descended from the platform, and
opposed themselves individually to the knights who had touched their
respective shields.

At the flourish of clarions and trumpets they started out against each
other at full gallop; and such was the superior dexterity or good fortune
of the challengers that those opposed to Bois-Guilbert, Malvoisin, and
Front-de-Boeuf rolled on the ground.

The antagonist of Grantmesnil, instead of bearing his lance-point fair
against the crest or the shield of his enemy, swerved so much from the
direct line as to break the weapon athwart the person of his opponent--a
circumstance which was accounted more disgraceful than that of being
actually unhorsed; because the latter might happen from accident, whereas
the former evinced awkwardness and want of management of the weapon and of
the horse.

The fifth knight alone maintained the honor of his party, and parted
fairly with the knight of St. John, both splintering their lances without
advantage on either side.

The shouts of the multitude, together with the acclamations of the heralds
and the clangor of the trumpets, announced the triumph of the victors and
the defeat of the vanquished. The former retreated to their pavilions, and
the latter, gathering themselves up as they could, withdrew from the lists
in disgrace and dejection, to agree with their victors concerning the
redemption of their arms and their horses, which, according to the laws of
the tournament, they had forfeited.

The fifth of their number alone tarried in the lists long enough to be
greeted by the applause of the spectators, among whom he retreated, to the
aggravation, doubtless, of his companions' mortification.

A second and a third party of knights took the field; and although they
had various success, yet, upon the whole, the advantage decidedly remained
with the challengers, not one of whom lost his seat or swerved from his
charge--misfortunes which befell one or two of their antagonists in each
encounter. The spirits, therefore, of those opposed to them seemed to be
considerably damped by their continued success.

Three knights only appeared on the fourth entry who, avoi