was given to them!  Arthur hastened speedily to the water, and turned his spear’s point, and hindered to them the ford; there the Saxons were drowned, full seven thousand.  Some they gan wander, as the wild crane doth in the moorfen, when his flight is impaired, and swift hawks pursue after him, and hounds with mischief meet him in the reeds; then is neither good to him, nor the land nor the flood, the hawks him smite, the hounds him bite, then is the royal fowl at his death-time!  Colgrim fled him over the fields quickly, until he came to York, riding most marvellously; he went into the burgh, and fast it inclosed; he had within ten thousand men, burghers with the best; that were beside him.  Arthur pursued after him with thirty thousand knights, and marched right to York with folk very numerous, and besieged Colgrim at York, who defended it against him.

Seven nights therebefore Baldolf the fair, Colgrim’s brother, was gone southward, and lay by the sea-side, and abode Childric.  Childric was in those days a kaiser of powerful authority; the land in Alemaine was his own.  When Baldolf heard, where he lay by the sea, that Arthur had inclosed Colgrim in York, Baldolf had assembled seven thousand men, bold fellows, who by the sea lay; they took them to counsel, that back they would ride, and leave Childric, and proceed into York, and fight with Arthur, and destroy all his people.  Baldolf swore in his anger, that he would be Arthur’s bane, and possess all this realm, with Colgrim his brother.  Baldolf would not wait for the kaiser Childric, but thence he marched forth, and drew him forth right north, from day to day, with his bold folk, until he came into a wood, into a wilderness, full seven miles from Arthur’s host.  He had thought by night with seven thousand knights to ride upon Arthur, and fell his folk, and himself kill.

But all it otherwise happened, other than he weened; for Baldolf had in his host a British knight; he was Arthur’s relative, named Maurin.  Maurin went aside to the wood, through woods and through fields, until he came to Arthur’s tents; and thus said soon to Arthur the king:  “Hail be thou, Arthur, noblest of kings!  I am hither come; I am of thy kindred.  Here is Baldolf arrived with warriors most hardy, and thinketh in this night to slay thee and thy knights, to avenge his brother, who is greatly discouraged, but God shall prevent him, through his mickle might, And send now forth Cador, the Earl of Cornwall, and with him bold knights, good and brave, full seven hundred good thanes; and I will counsel them, and I will lead them, how they may Baldolf slay as if a wolf.”  Forth went Cador and all these knights, so that they came aside where Baldolf lay in tents, they advanced to him on each side; they slew, they captured all that they came nigh;—­there were killed nine hundred all out told.