and with wisdom advance to the fire; and go thou aside, and behold diligently, if thou mayest find ought of the fiend.  And if thou mayest him perceive, in wise of any kind, go down still, until thou come to the water, and say me there soon what thou hast seen.  And if it so befalleth, that thou come to the fire, and the fiend thee perceive, and proceed toward thee, have my good horn, that all with gold is adorned, and blow it with strength, as man shall for need.  And advance thee to the fiend, and begin to fight, and we shall come to thee, as most quickly we may do it.  And if thou findest him near the fire and thou all unperceived back mayest go; then forbid I thee, by thy bare life, that thou ever with the monster begin fight.”

Beduer heard what his lord said to him; his weapons he put him on, and forth he went, and ascended up the mount that was immense.  He bare in his hand a spear exceeding strong; a shield on his back, ornamented all with gold; a helm on his head, high, of steel; his body was covered with a fair burny; he had by his side a brand all of steel; and forth he gan step, the powerfully strong earl, until he arrived near the fire; and he under a tree gan him tarry.  Then heard he one weep, wondrously much, weep and whine with piteous cries.  Then the knight weened that it were the giant, and he became incensed as if it were a wild boar, and soon forgot what his lord said to him.  His shield he drew on his breast, his spear he grasped fast, and near gan wend toward the fire; he thought to find the stern fiend, that he might fight, and prove himself.  Then found he there a woman shaking with her head, a hoary-locked wife, who wept for her wretchedness; she cursed her lot that she was alive; that sate by the fire, with piteous cries, and sat and ever she beheld a grave, and said her words with plaintive voice:  “Alas!  Helen; alas! dear maid; alas! that I thee fed, that I thee fostered; alas! that the monster hath thee here thus destroyed; alas! that I was born; my limbs he hath broken in pieces!”

Then looked the woman about, where the giant should arrive; and looked on the Earl Beduer, who was come there.  Then said the woman hoar, where she sate by the fire:  “What are thou, fair wight? art thou angel, art thou knight? are thy wings hung with gold?  If thou art from heaven, thou mayest in safety go hence, and if thou art earthly knight, harm thou wilt have forth-right.  For now anon cometh the monster that all thy limbs will draw in pieces; though thou wert all steel, he would thee destroy, every bit.  He went to Britanny, to the best of all mansions, to Howel’s castle, noble man in Britanny; the gates he all brake in pieces, and within he gan wend.  He took the hall wall, and pulled it to ground; the chamber’s door he cast down, so that it burst in five; he found in the chamber the fairest of all maids; Helen she was named, of noble race; Howel’s daughter, noble man of Britanny, Arthur’s relative of most noble lineage.