mayest see, and whatever thou mayest hear concerning me," said he,
"do thou not turn back. And unless I speak unto thee, say not thou
one word either." And they set forward. And he did not choose the
pleasantest and most frequented road, but that which was the wildest
and most beset by thieves, and robbers, and venomous animals. And
they came to a high road, which they followed till they saw a vast
forest, and they went towards it, and they saw four armed horsemen
come forth from the forest. When the horsemen had beheld them, one
of them said to the others, "Behold, here is a good occasion for us
to capture two horses and armour, and a lady likewise; for this we
shall have no difficulty in doing against yonder single knight, who
hangs his head so pensively and heavily." And Enid heard this
discourse, and she knew not what she should do through fear of
Geraint, who had told her to be silent. "The vengeance of Heaven be
upon me," she said, "if I would not rather receive my death from his
hand than from the hand of any other; and though he should slay me
yet will I speak to him, lest I should have the misery to witness his
death." So she waited for Geraint until he came near to her.
"Lord," said she, "didst thou hear the words of those men concerning
thee?" Then he lifted up his eyes, and looked at her angrily. "Thou
hadst only," said he, "to hold thy peace as I bade thee. I wish but
for silence, and not for warning. And though thou shouldest desire
to see my defeat and my death by the hands of those men, yet do I
feel no dread." Then the foremost of them couched his lance, and
rushed upon Geraint. And he received him, and that not feebly. But
he let the thrust go by him, while he struck the horseman upon the
centre of his shield in such a manner that his shield was split, and
his armour broken, and so that a cubit's length of the shaft of
Geraint's lance passed through his body, and sent him to the earth,
the length of the lance over his horse's crupper. Then the second