the ground senseless. "Tall man," said Peredur, "shew me which is
Arthur." "Hold thy peace," said Kai, "and go after the knight who
went hence to the meadow, and take from him the goblet, and overthrow
him, and possess thyself of his horse and arms, and then thou shalt
receive the order of knighthood." "I will do so, tall man," said
Peredur. So he turned his horse's head towards the meadow. And when
he came there, the knight was riding up and down, proud of his
strength, and valour, and noble mien. "Tell me," said the knight,
"didst thou see any one coming after me from the Court?" "The tall
man that was there," said he, "desired me to come, and overthrow
thee, and to take from thee the goblet, and thy horse and thy armour
for myself." "Silence!" said the knight; "go back to the Court, and
tell Arthur, from me, either to come himself, or to send some other
to fight with me; and unless he do so quickly, I will not wait for
him." "By my faith," said Peredur, "choose thou whether it shall be
willingly or unwillingly, but I will have the horse, and the arms,
and the goblet." And upon this the knight ran at him furiously, and
struck him a violent blow with the shaft of his spear, between the
neck and the shoulder. "Haha! lad," said Peredur, "my mother's
servants were not used to play with me in this wise; therefore, thus
will I play with thee." And thereupon he struck him with a sharp-
pointed fork, and it hit him in the eye, and came out at the back of
his neck, so that he instantly fell down lifeless.

"Verily," said Owain the son of Urien to Kai, "thou wert ill-advised,
when thou didst send that madman after the knight. For one of two
things must befall him. He must either be overthrown, or slain. If
he is overthrown by the knight, he will be counted by him to be an
honourable person of the Court, and an eternal disgrace will it be to
Arthur and his warriors. And if he is slain, the disgrace will be