Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK II CHAPTER XV

CHAPTER XV

How Balin fought with King Pellam, and how his sword
brake, and how he gat a spear wherewith he smote the
dolorous stroke.

ANON all the knights arose from the table for to set on Balin,
and King Pellam himself arose up fiercely, and said, Knight, hast
thou slain my brother? thou shalt die therefore or thou depart. 
Well, said Balin, do it yourself.  Yes, said King Pellam, there
shall no man have ado with thee but myself, for the love of my
brother.  Then King Pellam caught in his hand a grim weapon and
smote eagerly at Balin; but Balin put the sword betwixt his head
and the stroke, and therewith his sword burst in sunder.  And
when Balin was weaponless he ran into a chamber for to seek some
weapon, and so from chamber to chamber, and no weapon he could
find, and always King Pellam after him.  And at the last he
entered into a chamber that was marvellously well dight and
richly, and a bed arrayed with cloth of gold, the richest that
might be thought, and one lying therein, and thereby stood a
table of clean gold with four pillars of silver that bare up the
table, and upon the table stood a marvellous spear strangely
wrought.  And when Balin saw that spear, he gat it in his hand
and turned him to King Pellam, and smote him passingly sore with
that spear, that King Pellam fell down in a swoon, and therewith
the castle roof and walls brake and fell to the earth, and Balin
fell down so that he might <71>not stir foot nor hand.  And so
the most part of the castle, that was fallen down through that
dolorous stroke, lay upon Pellam and Balin three days.