“Messire,” quoth Sir Percival, “I see that you are a knight of much greater experience than I; but, ne’ertheless, I cannot find it in my heart to forego this adventure.  So what I have to propose is this:  that you and I do combat here in this place, and that he who proveth himself to be the better of us twain shall carry out this undertaking that we are both set upon.”

Unto this, that strange knight lent a very willing assent, saying:  “Very well, Messire, it shall be as you ask.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Percival doeth battle with the strange knight] So with that each knight turned his horse and rode a little piece away; and each took such stand as pleased him; and each dressed his spear and shield and made him in all wise ready for the encounter.  And when they had so prepared themselves, each knight shouted to his horse, and drave spur into its flank and rushed, the one against the other, with such terrible noise and violence that the sound thereof was echoed back from the woods like to a storm of thunder.

So they met in the midst of the course with such a vehement impact that it was terrible to behold.  And in that encounter the spear of each knight was burst all into fragments; and the horse of each fell back upon his haunches and would have been overthrown had not each knight voided his saddle with a very wonderful skill and agility.

Then each knight drew sword and came the one against the other, as furiously as two rams at battle.  So they fought for nigh the space of an hour, foining and striking, and tracing hither and tracing thither most furiously; and the noise of the blows they struck might have been heard several furlongs away.

[Sidenote:  Sir Percival overcometh the strange knight] During that battle Sir Percival received several sore wounds so that by and by a great passion of rage seized upon him.  So he rushed the battle with might and main, and therewith struck so many furious blows that by and by that other knight held his shield very low for weariness.  This Sir Percival perceived, and therewith he smote the other so furious a blow upon the head that the knight sank down upon his knees and could not arise.  Then Sir Percival ran to him and catched him by the neck and flung him down violently upon the ground, crying out, “Yield or I slay thee!”

Then that knight besought mercy in a very weak voice, saying:  “Sir Knight, I beseech thee, spare my life!”

Sir Percival said:  “Well, I will spare thee, but tell me, what is thy name?” To this the other said:  “I am Sir Lionel, and I am a knight of King Arthur’s court and of the Round Table.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Percival giveth aid to Sir Lionel] Now when Sir Percival heard this he cried out aloud, for he was very greatly grieved, and he said:  “Al as, what have I done for to fight against thee in this wise!  I am Sir Percival, whom thine own kinsman, Sir Launcelot of the Lake, hath trained in arms.  But indeed, I did never think to use that art which he taught me against one so dear to his heart as thou art, Sir Lionel.”  So with that Sir Percival assisted Sir Lionel to arise to his feet, and Sir Lionel was so weak from that woeful battle that he could hardly stand.