that you have had my brother's candlestick that was foully
stolen from him!"

"Know you then who I am?" saith the King.

"Yea," saith the knight; "You are the King Arthur that aforetime were
good and now are evil. Wherefore I defy you as my mortal enemy."

He draweth him back so that his onset may be the weightier. The King
seeth that he may not depart without a stour. He setteth his spear in
rest when he seeth the other come towards him with his own spear all
burning. The King smiteth his horse with his spurs as hard as he may,
and meeteth the knight with his spear and the knight him. And they
melled together so stoutly that the spears bent without breaking, and
both twain are shifted in their saddles and lose their stirrups. They
hurtle so strongly either against other of their bodies and their
horses that their eyes sparkle as of stars in their heads and the blood
rayeth out of King Arthur by mouth and nose. Either draweth away from
other and they take their breath. The King looketh at the Black
Knight's spear that burneth, and marvelleth him right sore that it is
not snapped in flinders of the great buffet he had received thereof,
and him thinketh rather that it is a devil and a fiend. The Black
Knight is not minded to let King Arthur go so soon, but rather cometh
toward him a great career. The King seeth him come toward him and so
covereth him of his shield for fear of the flame. The King receiveth
him on the point of his spear and smiteth him with so sore a shock that
he maketh him bend backward over his horse croup. The other, that was
of great might, leapeth back into the saddle-bows and smiteth the King
upon the boss of his shield so that the burning point pierceth the
shield and the sleeve of his habergeon and runneth the sharp iron into
his arm. The King feeleth the wound and the heat, whereof is he filled
with great wrath, and the knight draweth back his spear to him, and
hath great joy at heart when he feeleth the King wounded. The King was
rejoiced not a whit, and looked at the spear that was quenched thereof
and burned no longer.

"Sir," saith the knight, "I cry you mercy. Never would my spear have
been quenched of its burning, save it were bathed in your blood."

"Now may never God help me," saith King Arthur, "whenever I shall have
mercy on you, and I may achieve!"

He pricketh towards him a great run, and smiteth him in the broad of
the breast and thrusted his spear half an ell int