lower of chivalry
of the world with him, as it is proved by the great battle he did with
the eleven kings; and therefore hie unto him night and day till that we
be nigh him, for the longer he tarrieth the bigger he is, and we ever
the weaker; and he is so courageous of himself that he is come to the
field with little people, and therefore let us set upon him or day and
we shall slay down; of his knights there shall none escape.

CHAPTER III. How King Arthur had ado with them and overthrew them, and
slew the five kings and made the remnant to flee.

UNTO this counsel these five kings assented, and so they passed forth
with their host through North Wales, and came upon Arthur by night, and
set upon his host as the king and his knights were in their pavilions.
King Arthur was unarmed, and had laid him to rest with his Queen
Guenever. Sir, said Sir Kay, it is not good we be unarmed. We shall have
no need, said Sir Gawaine and Sir Griflet, that lay in a little pavilion
by the king. With that they heard a great noise, and many cried,
Treason, treason! Alas, said King Arthur, we be betrayed! Unto arms,
fellows, then he cried. So they were armed anon at all points. Then came
there a wounded knight unto the king, and said, Sir, save yourself and
my lady the queen, for our host is destroyed, and much people of ours
slain. So anon the king and the queen and the three knights took their
horses, and rode toward Humber to pass over it, and the water was so
rough that they were afraid to pass over. Now may ye choose, said King
Arthur, whether ye will abide and take the adventure on this side, for
an ye be taken they will slay you. It were me liefer, said the queen, to
die in the water than to fall in your enemies' hands and there be slain.

And as they stood so talking, Sir Kay saw the five kings coming on
horseback by themselves alone, with their spears in their hands even
toward them. Lo, said Sir Kay, yonder be the five kings; let us go to
them and match them. That were folly, said Sir Gawaine, for we are but
three and they be five. That is truth, said Sir Griflet. No force,
said Sir Kay, I will undertake for two of them, and then may ye three
undertake for the other three. And therewithal, Sir Kay let his horse
run as fast as he might, and struck one of them through the shield and
the body a fathom, that the king fell to the earth stark dead. That saw
Sir Gawaine, and ran unto another king so hard that he smote him through