[Sidenote:  King Ban beholdeth the burning of Trible] Now there was a very high hill near-by where they were, and upon the top of the hill was an open platform of rock whence a man could see a great way off in every direction.  So King Ban went to this place, and, when he had come there, he cast his eyes in the direction of the light and he straightway beheld with a manner of terror that the light came from Trible; and then, with that terror still growing greater at his heart, he beheld that the town and the castle were all in one great flame of fire.

When King Ban saw this he sat for a while upon his horse like one turned into a stone.  Then, after a while, he cried out in a great voice:  “Woe!  Woe!  Woe is me!” And then he cried out still in a very loud voice, “Certes, God hath deserted me entirely.”

[Sidenote:  The death of King Ban] Therewith a great passion of grief took hold upon him and shook him like to a leaf, and immediately after that he felt that something brake within him with a very sharp and bitter pain, and he wist that it was his heart that had broken.  So being all alone there upon the hilltop, and in the perfect stillness of the night, he cried out, “My heart!  My heart!” And therewith, the shadows of death coming upon him, he could not sit any longer upon his horse, but fell down upon the ground.  And he knew very well that death was nigh him, so, having no cross to pray upon, he took two blades of grass and twisted them into that holy sign, and he kissed it and prayed unto it that God would forgive him his sins.  So he died all alone upon that hilltop.

Meanwhile, Queen Helen and Foliot sat together waiting for him to return and presently they heard the sound of his horse’s hoofs coming down that rocky path.  Then Queen Helen said:  “Foliot, methinks my lord cometh.”  So in a little came the horse with the empty saddle.  When Foliot beheld that he said:  “Lady, here meseems is great trouble come to us, for methinks something hath befallen my lord, and that he is in sore travail, for here is his horse without him.”

Then it seemed to Queen Helen as though the spirit of life suddenly went away from her, for she foresaw what had befallen.  So she arose like one in a dream, and, speaking very quietly, she said:  “Foliot, take me whither my lord went awhile since!” To this Foliot said:  “Lady, wait until the morning, which is near at hand, for it is too dark for you to go thitherward at this present.”  Whereunto the Lady Helen replied:  “Foliot, I cannot wait, for if I stay here and wait I believe I shall go mad.”  Upon this, Foliot did not try to persuade her any more but made ready to take her whither she would go.

Now the young child Launcelot was then asleep upon the Queen’s knees, wherefore she took her cloak and wrapped the child in it and laid him very gently upon the ground, so that he did not wake.  Then she mounted upon her palfrey and Foliot led the palfrey up the hill whither King Ban had gone a short time since.