aid Balin, unto me, for the
lady that is dead, did me great damage, and else would I have been loath
as any knight that liveth for to slay a lady. Make you ready, said the
knight Lanceor, and dress you unto me, for that one shall abide in the
field. Then they took their spears, and came together as much as their
horses might drive, and the Irish knight smote Balin on the shield, that
all went shivers off his spear, and Balin hit him through the shield,
and the hauberk perished, and so pierced through his body and the
horse's croup, and anon turned his horse fiercely, and drew out his
sword, and wist not that he had slain him; and then he saw him lie as a
dead corpse.

CHAPTER VI. How a damosel, which was love to Lanceor, slew herself for
love, and how Balin met with his brother Balan.

THEN he looked by him, and was ware of a damosel that came riding full
fast as the horse might ride, on a fair palfrey. And when she espied
that Lanceor was slain, she made sorrow out of measure, and said, O
Balin, two bodies thou hast slain and one heart, and two hearts in one
body, and two souls thou hast lost. And therewith she took the sword
from her love that lay dead, and fell to the ground in a swoon. And when
she arose she made great dole out of measure, the which sorrow grieved
Balin passingly sore, and he went unto her for to have taken the sword
out of her hand, but she held it so fast he might not take it out of her
hand unless he should have hurt her, and suddenly she set the pommel
to the ground, and rove herself through the body. When Balin espied her
deeds, he was passing heavy in his heart, and ashamed that so fair a
damosel had destroyed herself for the love of his death. Alas, said
Balin, me repenteth sore the death of this knight, for the love of this
damosel, for there was much true love betwixt them both, and for sorrow
might not longer behold him, but turned his horse and looked toward a
great forest, and there he was ware, by the arms, of his brother Balan.
And when they were met they put off their helms and kissed together, and
wept for joy and pity. Then Balan said, I little weened to have met with
you at this sudden adventure; I am right glad of your deliverance out
of your dolorous prisonment, for a man told me, in the castle of Four
Stones, that ye were delivered, and that man had seen you in the court
of King Arthur, and therefore I came hither into this country, for here
I supposed to find you. Anon t