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PREVIOUSCHAPTER X
How King Arthur had a battle against Nero and King Lot of Orkney,
and how King Lot was deceived by Merlin, and how twelve kings
were slain.
THEN King Arthur made ready his host in ten battles and Nero was
ready in the field afore the Castle Terrabil with a great host,
and he had ten battles, with many more people than Arthur had.
Then Nero had the vanguard with the most part of his people, and
Merlin came to King Lot of the Isle of Orkney, and held him with
a tale of prophecy, till Nero and his people were destroyed. And
there Sir Kay the seneschal did passingly well, that the days of
his life the worship went never from him; and Sir Hervis de Revel
did marvellous deeds with King Arthur, and King Arthur slew that
day twenty knights and maimed forty. At that time came in
the Knight with the Two Swords and his brother Balan, but they
two did so marvellously that the king and all the knights
marvelled of them, and all they that beheld them said they were
sent from heaven as angels, or devils from hell; and King Arthur
said himself they were the best knights that ever he saw, for
they gave such strokes that all men had wonder of them.
In the meanwhile came one to King Lot, and told him while he
tarried there Nero was destroyed and slain with all his people.
Alas, said King Lot, I am ashamed, for by my default there is
many a worshipful man slain, for an we had been together there
had been none host under the heaven that had been able for to
have matched with us; this faiter with his prophecy hath mocked
me. All that did Merlin, for he knew well that an King Lot had
been with his body there at the first battle, King Arthur had
been slain, and all his people destroyed; and well Merlin knew
that one of the kings should be dead that day, and loath was
Merlin that any of them both should be slain; but of the twain,
he had liefer King Lot had been slain than King Arthur. Now what
is best to do? said King Lot of Orkney; whether is me better to
treat with King Arthur or to fight, for the greater part of our
people are slain and destroyed? Sir, said a knight, set on
Arthur for they are weary and forfoughten and we be fresh. As
for me, said King Lot, I would every knight would do his part as
I would do mine. And then they advanced banners and smote
together and all to-shivered their spears; and Arthur's knights,
with the help of the Knight with the Two Swords and his brother
Balan put King Lot and his host to the worse. But always King
Lot held him in the foremost front, and did marvellous deeds of
arms, for all his host was borne up by his hands, for he abode
all knights. Alas he might not endure, the which was great pity,
that so worthy a knight as he was one should be overmatched, that
of late time afore had been a knight of King Arthur's, and wedded
the sister of King Arthur; and for King Arthur lay by King Lot's
wife, the which was Arthur's sister, and gat on her Mordred,
therefore King Lot held against Arthur. So there was a knight
that was called the Knight with the Strange Beast, and at that
time his right name was called Pellinore, the which was a good
man of prowess, and he smote a mighty stroke at King Lot as he
fought with all his enemies, and he failed of his stroke, and
smote the horse's neck, that he fell to the ground with King Lot.
And therewith anon Pellinore smote him a great stroke through the
helm and head unto the brows. And then all the host of Orkney
fled for the death of King Lot, and there were slain many
mothers' sons. But King Pellinore bare the wite of the death of
King Lot, wherefore Sir Gawaine revenged the death of his father
the tenth year after he was made knight, and slew King Pellinore
with his own hands. Also there were slain at that battle twelve
kings on the side of King Lot with Nero, and all were buried in
the Church of Saint Stephen's in Camelot, and the remnant of
knights and of others were buried in a great rock.
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