ly as
possible in accordance with the Queen's desire. But the other, who
fought with him, did not miss his thrust, but struck him with such
violence that he was roughly handled. Thereupon he took to flight, and
after that he never turned his horse's head toward any knight, and were
he to die for it, he would never do anything unless he saw in it his
shame, disgrace, and dishonour; he even pretends to be afraid of all the
knights who pass to and fro. And the very knights who formerly esteemed
him now hurled jests and jibes at him. And the herald who had been
saying: "He will beat them all in turn!" is greatly dejected and
discomfited when he hears the scornful jokes of those who shout:
"Friend, say no more! This fellow will not take any one's measure again.
He has measured so much that his yardstick is broken, of which thou hast
boasted to us so much." Many say: "What is he going to do? He was so
brave just now; but now he is so cowardly that there is not a knight
whom he dares to face. The cause of his first success must have been
that he never engaged at arms before, and he was so brave at his first
attack that the most skilled knight dared not withstand him, for he
fought like a wild man. But now he has learned so much of arms that he
will never wish to bear them again his whole life long. His heart cannot
longer endure the thought, for there is nothing more cowardly than his
heart." And the Queen, as she watches him, is happy and well-pleased,
for she knows full well, though she does not say it, that this is surely
Lancelot. Thus all day long till evening he played his coward's part,
and late in the afternoon they separated. At parting there was a great
discussion as to who had done the best. The son of the Irish king thinks
that without doubt or contradiction he has all the glory and renown. But
he is grievously mistaken, for there were plenty of others as good as
he. Even the vermilion knight so pleased the fairest and gentlest of
the ladies and damsels that they had gazed at him more than at any
other knight, for they had remarked how well he fought at first, and how
excellent and brave he was; then he had become so cowardly that he dared
not face a single knight, and even the worst of them could defeat and
capture him at will. But knights and ladies all agreed that on the
morrow they should return to the list, and the damsels should choose
as their lords those who should win honour in that day's fight: on this
arr