d to make use of his
lance; but, making a pass at him, took him by the right leg and,
wheeling him half round, laid him prostrate on the sand. The squires of
the game ran to him laughing, and replaced him in his saddle. The
fourth combatant took him by the left leg, and tumbled him down on the
other side. He was conducted back with scornful shouts to his tent,
where, according to the law, he was to pass the night; and as he limped
along with great difficulty he said, "What an adventure for such a man
as I!"

The other knights acquitted themselves with greater ability and
success. Some of them conquered two combatants; a few of them
vanquished three; but none but Prince Otamus conquered four. At last
Zadig fought him in his turn. He successively threw four knights off
their saddles with all the grace imaginable. It then remained to be
seen who should be conqueror, Otamus or Zadig. The arms of the first
were gold and blue, with a plume of the same color; those of the last
were white. The wishes of all the spectators were divided between the
knight in blue and the knight in white. The queen, whose heart was in a
violent palpitation, offered prayers to Heaven for the success of the
white color.

The two champions made their passes and vaults with so much agility,
they mutually gave and received such dexterous blows with their lances,
and sat so firmly in their saddles, that everybody but the queen wished
there might be two kings in Babylon. At length, their horses being
tired and their lances broken, Zadig had recourse to this stratagem: He
passes behind the blue prince; springs upon the buttocks of his horse;
seizes him by the middle; throws him on the earth; places himself in
the saddle; and wheels around Otamus as he lay extended on the ground.
All the amphitheater cried out, "Victory to the white knight!"

Otamus rises in a violent passion, and draws his sword; Zadig leaps
from his horse with his saber in his hand. Both of them are now on the
ground, engaged in a new combat, where strength and agility triumph by
turns. The plumes of their helmets, the studs of their bracelets, the
rings of their armor, are driven to a great distance by the violence of
a thousand furious blows. They strike with the point and the edge; to
the right, to the left, on the head, on the breast; they retreat; they
advance; they measure swords; they close; they seize each other; they
bend like serpents; they attack like lions; and the fire ev