presumption, by my head! Stand back!" And Erec stops and looks at him,
and the other, too, stood still. Neither made advance until Erec had
replied all that he wished to say to him. "Friend," he says, "one can
speak folly as well as good sense. Threaten as much as you please, and
I will keep silence; for in threatening there is no sense. Do you know
why? A man sometimes thinks he has won the game who afterward loses it.
So he is manifestly a fool who is too presumptuous and who threatens too
much. If there are some who flee there are plenty who chase, but I do
not fear you so much that I am going to run away yet. I am ready to make
such defence, if there is any who wishes to offer me battle, that he
will have to do his uttermost, or otherwise he cannot escape." "Nay,"
quoth he, "so help me God! know that you shall have the battle, for I
defy and challenge you." And you may know, upon my word, that then the
reins were not held in. The lances they had were not light, but were big
and square; nor were they planed smooth, but were rough and strong. Upon
the shields with mighty strength they smote each other with their sharp
weapons, so that a fathom of each lance passes through the gleaming
shields. But neither touches the other's flesh, nor was either lance
cracked; each one, as quickly as he could, draws back his lance, and
both rushing together, return to the fray. One against the other rides,
and so fiercely they smite each other that both lances break and the
horses fall beneath them. But they, being seated on their steeds,
sustain no harm; so they quickly rise, for they were strong and lithe.
They stand on foot in the middle of the garden, and straightway attack
each other with their green swords of German steel, and deal great
wicked blows upon their bright and gleaming helmets, so that they hew
them into bits, and their eyes shoot out flame. No greater efforts can
be made than those they make in striving and toiling to injure and wound
each other. Both fiercely smite with the gilded pommel and the cutting
edge. Such havoc did they inflict upon each other's teeth, cheeks, nose,
hands, arms, and the rest, upon temples, neck, and throat that their
bones all ache. They are very sore and very tired; yet they do not
desist, but rather only strive the more. Sweat, and the blood which
flows down with it, dim their eyes, so that they can hardly see a thing;
and very often they missed their blows, like men who did not see to
w