there, a knight in armor with a naked
sword standing upon his right hand and another armed knight with a naked
sword standing upon his left hand.

Then Sir Andred came and stood in front of Sir Tristram and taunted him,
saying: "Ha, Tristram, how is it with thee now? Lo! thou camest like a spy
into this place, and now thou art taken with all thy treason upon thee. So
thou shalt die no knightly death, but, in a little while, thou shalt be
hanged like a thief."

Then he came close to Sir Tristram, and he laughed and said: "Tristram
where is now the glory of thy strength that one time overcame all thine
enemies? Lo! thou art helpless to strike a single blow in defence of thine
honor." And therewith Sir Andred lifted his hand and smote Sir Tristram
upon the face with the palm thereof.

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram slays Sir Andred] At that blow the rage of Sir
Tristram so flamed up in him that his eyes burned as with pure green fire.
And in an instant, so quickly that no man wist what he did, he turned with
amazing suddenness upon that knight who stood at his left hand, and he
lifted up both hands that were bound, and he smote that knight such a blow
upon the face that the knight fell down upon the ground and his sword fell
out of his hand. Then Sir Tristram snatched the sword and, turning with
astonishing quickness, he smote the knight upon his right hand such a
buffet that he instantly fell down upon his knees and then rolled over upon
the ground in a swoon. Then Sir Tristram turned upon Sir Andred, and
lifting high the sword with both hands tied, he smote him so terrible a
blow that the blade cut through his epulier and half through his body as
far as the paps. At that great terrible blow the breath fled out of Sir
Andred with a deep groan, and he fell down upon the ground and immediately
died.

Now all this had happened so suddenly that they who beheld it were
altogether amazed and stood staring as though bewitched by some spell. But
when they beheld Sir Tristram turn upon them and make at them with that
streaming sword lifted on high, the terror of his fury so seized upon them
that they everywhere broke from before him and fled, yelling, and with the
fear of death clutching them in the vitals. And Sir Tristram chased them
out of that place and into the courtyard of the castle, and some he smote
down and others escaped; but all who could do so scattered away before him
like chaff before the wind.

Then, when they were