Page:The Garden of Romance - 1897.djvu/75

Rh "As for me," said King Lot, "I would that every knight would do his part as I will do mine." And then they advanced their banners, and smote together, and all toshivered their spears; and King Arthur's knights, with the help of the knight of the two swords, and his brother, Balan, put King Lot and his host to the worst. But always King Lot held him in the foremost, and did great deeds of arms; for all his host was borne up by his hands, for he abode and withstood all knights. Alas! he might not ever endure, the which was great pity that so worthy a knight as he was should be overmatched, and that of late time afore had been a knight of King Arthur's, and had wedded King Arthur's sister; and, because King Arthur cast his love upon her and therewith begat Mordred, therefore King Lot held against King Arthur. So there was a knight, that was called the knight with the strange beast, and at that time his right name was Pellinore, which was a good man of prowess; and he smote a mighty stroke at King Lot as he fought with 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 Sir Pellinore smote him a great stroke through the helm, and hewed him to the brows: then all the host of Orkney fled for the death of King Lot, and there was slain many a mother's son. But King Pellinore bare the blame 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 was slain at the battle twelve kings on King Lot's side with Nero, and all were buried in the church of St. Stevens, in Camelot; and the remnant of knights and of others were buried in a great rock.