Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK I CHAPTER XVIII

CHAPTER XVIII

How King Arthur, King Ban, and King Bors rescued
King Leodegrance, and other incidents.

AND then King Arthur, and King Ban, and King Bors departed with
their fellowship, a twenty thousand, and came within six days
into the country of Cameliard, and there rescued King
Leodegrance, and slew there much people of King Rience, unto the
number of ten thousand men, and put him to flight.  And then had
these three kings great cheer of King Leodegrance, that thanked
them of their great goodness, that they would revenge him of his
enemies; and there had Arthur the first sight of Guenever, the
king's daughter of Cameliard, and ever after he loved her.  After
they were wedded, as it telleth in the book.  So, briefly to make
an end, they took their leave to go into their own countries, for
King Claudas did great destruction on their lands.  Then said
Arthur, I will go with you.  Nay, said the kings, ye shall not at
this time, for ye have much to do yet in these lands, therefore
we will depart, and with the great goods that we have gotten in
these lands by your gifts, we shall wage good knights and
withstand the King Claudas' malice, for by the grace of God, an
we have need we will send to you for your <34>succour; and if ye
have need, send for us, and we will not tarry, by the faith of
our bodies.  It shall not, said Merlin, need that these two kings
come again in the way of war, but I know well King Arthur may not
be long from you, for within a year or two ye shall have great
need, and then shall he revenge you on your enemies, as ye have
done on his.  For these eleven kings shall die all in a day, by
the great might and prowess of arms of two valiant knights (as it
telleth after); their names be Balin le Savage, and Balan, his
brother, that be marvellous good knights as be any living.

Now turn we to the eleven kings that returned unto a city that
hight Sorhaute, the which city was within King Uriens', and there
they refreshed them as well as they might, and made leeches
search their wounds, and sorrowed greatly for the death of their
people.  With that there came a messenger and told how there was
come into their lands people that were lawless as well as
Saracens, a forty thousand, and have burnt and slain all the
people that they may come by, without mercy, and have laid siege
on the castle of Wandesborow.  Alas, said the eleven kings, here
is sorrow upon sorrow, and if we had not warred against Arthur as
we have done, he would soon revenge us.  As for King Leodegrance,
he loveth Arthur better than us, and as for King Rience, he hath
enough to do with Leodegrance, for he hath laid siege unto him. 
So they consented together to keep all the marches of Cornwall,
of Wales, and of the North.  So first, they put King Idres in the
City of Nauntes in Britain, with four thousand men of arms, to
watch both the water and the land.  Also they put in the city of
Windesan, King Nentres of Garlot, with four thousand knights to
watch both on water and on land.  Also they had of other men of
war more than eight thousand, for to fortify all the fortresses
in the marches of Cornwall.  Also they put more knights in all
the marches of Wales and Scotland, with many good men of arms,
and so they kept them together the space of three year, and ever
allied them with mighty kings and dukes and lords.  And to them
fell King Rience of North Wales, the which <35>and Nero that was
a mighty man of men.  And all this while they furnished them and
garnished them of good men of arms, and victual, and of all
manner of habiliment that pretendeth to the war, to avenge them
for the battle of Bedegraine, as it telleth in the book of
adventures following.