strength and courage, and be springs swiftly to his feet, and
advanced furiously to meet the duke, and thrusts at him, and
presses him so that the duke was amazed thereat; for he finds him
more greedy for combat, more strong and agile than he had found
him before, it seems to him, when they first encountered. And
because he fears his onset he says to him: "Knight, so may God
save me, I see thee right courageous and valiant. But if it had
not been for my nephew, whom I shall never forget, willingly
would I have made peace with thee, and would have released thee
from the quarrel; for never would I have meddled any more in the
matter." "Duke," says Cliges, "what may be your pleasure? Is it
not meet that he who cannot make good his claim yield it, one of
two evils; when one has to choose, one ought to choose the
lesser. When your nephew picked a quarrel with me, he acted
unwisely. I will serve you in the same way--be assured of it--if
I ever can, if I do not receive submission from you." The duke,
to whom it seems that Cliges was growing in strength every
moment, thinks that it is much better for him to stop short
half-way before he is altogether wearied out. Nevertheless, he
does not confess to him the truth quite openly, but he says:
"Knight, I see thee debonair and agile and of great courage. But
exceeding young art thou: for this reason I reflect, and I know
of a surety, that if I conquer and kill thee, never should I win
praise or esteem thereby, nor should I ever see any man of valour
in whose hearing I should dare to confess that I had fought with
thee, for I should do honour to thee and shame to myself. But if
those knowst what honour means, a great honour will it be to thee
for ever that thou hast stood thy ground against me, even for two
encounters only. Now a wish and desire has come to me, to release
thee from the quarrel and not to fight with thee any longer."