Gerin saw how it fared, how that the Romanish lay there down; and spurred his horse, and met another, and smote him throughout with his spear, and these words spake:  “Ride now so, Roman, and sink thee to hell, and thus we shall sink you, if God will us help!  Threat is worth nought, unless there be deeds eke!” Beof saw, the brave man, how his comrades had done; and turned his horse wondrously quick, and with all his might advanced to a knight, and smote him above the shield, so that his good burny burst, and throughout the neck the spear drove full soon.  And thus the earl gan to call keenly to his companions:  “The Britons will us destroy, if we hence go, unless we the better begin ere we hence depart!” Even with the speech that the earl said, they turned them soon, wondrously prompt; and each drew his sword quickly, and each slew his Roman; and afterwards their horses they turned, and held their way.  And the Romanish men rode ever after them; oft they smote on them, oft they them reproached; oft they said to them:  “Ye shall pay for the deed!” but they might not through anything any of them down bring, nor any harm there do to them in the conflicts.  But ever awhile the earls back turned, and ere they separated, the worse was to the Rome-folk.

Thus they proceeded fifteen miles, until they came to a place under a fair wood, hard by the castle where Arthur lay fast.  Three miles therefrom to the wood thronged nine thousand bold Britons, whom Arthur thither sent, who best knew the land; they would learn the sooth, of Walwain the keen, and of his companions, how they had fared; whether they were alive, or they lay by the way.  These knights proceeded through the wood wondrously still, upon a hill, and eagerly beheld.  They caused all the horsemen to alight in the wood, and get ready their weapons, and all their weeds (garments), except an hundred men, that there should look out, if they might descry through thing of any kind.  Then saw they afar, in a great plain, three knights ride with all their main.  After the three knights there came thirty; after the thirty they saw three thousand; thereafter came thronging thirty thousand anon, of Romanish folk, clad in armour.  And ever the earls before them quickly rode, ever the right way that toward the wood lay, where their comrades were well hid.  The earls rode to the wood; the Romanish men rode after; the Britons attacked them on their rested steeds, and smote in front, and felled an hundred anon.  Then weened the Rome-folk that Arthur came riding, and were very greatly afraid; and the Britons pursued after them, and slew of the folk fifteen hundred.  Then came them to help sixteen thousand of their own folk, whom Arthur had thither sent, bold Britons, with burnies clad.