enemies!  For they were too keen, and too presumptuous, and fought too rashly, and too far advanced, and spread too widely over the broad conflict.  Then came the King of Media, the mickle and the broad; a heathen chief,—­there he harm wrought; he led for companions twenty thousand riders; he held in his hand a spear exceeding strong.  The spear he forth thrust with his strong might, and smote the Earl Beduer before in the breast, so that the burny soon burst, before and behind, and his breast was opened; the blood came forth lukewarm.  There fell Beduer anon, dead upon the ground; there was misery and sorrow enow!  There Kay found Beduer lie him dead there, and Kay would carry away the body with himself; with twenty hundred knights he approached thereabout, and strongly fought, and felled the Rome-folk, and slew there many thousand men of Media; the fight was exceeding strong, and they were thereat long.  Then arrived there a king most hateful, with sixty thousand good men of his land; Setor the keen, who came him from Lybia.  There the strong king gan him fight with Kay, and wounded Kay sorely in the strong fight, to the bare death—­grievous was the deed!

His knights there right carried him from the fight, with mickle strength through the fight they pierced.  Woe was to Arthur the king for the tiding!  That saw the rich thane, who was named Ridwathlan, Beduer’s sister’s son, of noble Britons he was descended, that Boccus with his strong spear had slain Beduer.  Woe was to him alive, when his uncle was dead; for he of all men most him loved.  He called knights most good of his kindred, and of the dearest of all that he knew alive; five hundred by tale advanced together.  Then said Ridwathlan, noble man of Britain:  “Knights, ye are of my kindred, come ye here to me, and avenge we Beduer, mine uncle, who was best of our race, whom Boccus hath slain with his strong spear.  Go we all together, and fell our foes!”

Even with the words he forth pushed, and all his noble companions with him anon; and Boccus the king they knew, where he was in the combat; with his spear and with his shield many a knight he killed.  Ridwathlan drew out his sword soon, and struck at him, and smote the king on the helm, so that it severed in two, and eke the burny-hood, so that it (the sword) stopt at the teeth; and the heathen king fell to the ground, and his foul soul sank into hell!  Ridwathlan then said—­cruel he was in mood—­“Boccus, now thou hast bought dear that Beduer thou slew; and thy soul shall now be companion of the Worse!” Even with the words, as if it were the wind, he pressed to the fight; as a whirlwind doth in the field, when it heaveth the dust high from the earth, all so Ridwathlan rushed on his enemies.  All they it slew that they came nigh, the while that they might wield their noble weapons; in all the fight were no knights better, the while that the life lasted them in their breasts.  Boccus the king they slew, and a thousand of his knights; then was Beduer avenged well with the best!