I was her foster-mother, and fair her fostered.  There the giant took us forth with himself, fifteen miles, into this wild wood, hither to this same place; thus he us treated to-day a sen’night.  So soon as he hither came, so he took the maid; he would have carnal intercourse with the maiden.  Age had she no more but fifteen years; the maiden might not endure his force; anon so he lay with her, her life she lost soon!  And here he her buried, fairest of all maids, Helen, mine own foster, Howel’s daughter!  When he had this done, so myself he took; on the ground he me laid, and lay with myself.  Now hath he all my bones loathsomely broken; my limbs all dismembered; my life to me is odious!  Now I have thee told, how we are led here.  Flee now quickly, least he thee find; for if he cometh enraged, with his direful onsets, was he never born that may stand thee before!”

Even with these words that the woman said, Beduer gan to comfort her with fair words:  “Dear mother, I am a man, and knight am brave; and I will say thee through my sooth words, that no champion was born of ever any lady, that man may not with strength stoop him to ground; and serve thee an old woman—­very little are thy powers.  But have now very goodday, and I will go my way.”

Down went him Beduer to his sovereign, and told him how he had care, and all how he had fared, and what the old woman told him of the maiden, and how the giant each day by the old woman lay.  There they them between held their communing, how they might take on, so that the fiend were destroyed.

The while arrived the giant, and proceeded to his fire; he bare upon his back a great burthen, that was twelve swine, tied together, with withies exceeding great wreathed altogether.  Adown he threw the dead swine, and himself sate thereby; his fire he gan mend, and great trees laid thereon; the six swine he drew in pieces, and ever he to the woman smiled, and soon by a while he lay by the woman.  But he knew not of the tiding that came to his lemman.  He drew out his embers; his flesh he gan to roast; and all the six swine he gan eat ere he arose from his seat, all besmeared in the ashes—­evil were the viands; and afterwards he gan to roar, and vociferated much, and down lay by the fire, and stretched his limbs.

Let we now the giant be, and go to the king.  Arthur at the water took his weapons in hand, and the Earl Beduer, good knight, wise and wary; and the third was Kay, the king’s steward and his relative.  Over the water they came, weaponed with the best, and ascended up the hill with all their strength, until they arrived near the fire, where the giant lay and slept, and the woman sate and wept.  Arthur drew him beside and spake to his companions; forbade them by their limbs and by their bare life, that none were so keen that they should come near, unless they saw that it were need.  Beduer tarried him there, and Kay, his companion.