“Yonder is a shrewd guest,” quoth Sir Mador de la Port, “therefore will I have at him.”
So they encountered, and Sir Lancelot bore him down, horse and man, so that his shoulder was put out. “Now befalleth it to me to joust,” said Sir Mordred, “for Sir Mador has had a great fall.” But he fared no better, for Sir Lancelot smote him out of his saddle with such might that his neck was well-nigh broken, and he lay long in a swoon. Then came in Sir Gahalatine, and he and Lancelot ran together, and both broke their spears; but when they took to their swords, Sir Lancelot smote Sir Gahalatine so hard on the helm that blood came from his nose and mouth, and he fell stunned from his horse. Thereafter Sir Lancelot got another great spear, and before it broke he had struck down with it sixteen knights, and with another he unhorsed twelve knights more, so that the King of Northgalis’s knights would joust no more, and the prize was given to King Bagdemagus.
Sir Lancelot rode with Bagdemagus to his castle, and there he was well entertained by the king and his daughter. The next day he departed to seek his brother Sir Lionel, and came to the same forest where he had parted from him. As he rode, he met a damsel, and asked her if she knew of any adventures.
“Yes,” she answered, “here are adventures near at hand, if thou darest to prove them.”
“For that cause came I hither,” said Lancelot. Then the damsel undertook, if he would tell her his name, to bring him where was the strongest knight he had ever met. So he told her his name. Then said she, “Sir, here is an adventure that well befits thee. Hard by dwells a knight that can overmatch any other I ever heard of, except it be thee; and I understand that he keeps in his prison more than threescore of King Arthur’s knights that he has conquered with his own hands. But when you have accomplished that adventure, you must promise me, as you are a true knight, to go with me and help me and other damsels that are distressed by a false knight.”
Sir Lancelot promised as she desired, and she brought him to Sir Turquine’s castle, and bid him beat on the copper basin. He smote it so hard and so long that the bottom fell out, but no one answered. Then he rode by the gate of the castle nearly half an hour, and presently he saw coming a great knight, driving before him a horse, on which lay an armed knight bound, and that knight Sir Lancelot presently saw was Sir Gaheris, Sir Gawaines brother.
Then Sir Lancelot rode out to meet them, and the great knight, who was Sir Turquine, got his spear in readiness. Without many words, they ran together with so much force that both their horses’ backs broke. So soon as they could get to their feet, they drew their swords, and smote each other many terrible blows, so that in no long time each was sorely wounded. Thus they fought for more than two hours, till at last both were breathless, and they stood leaning on their swords.
“Now, fellow,” quoth Sir Turquine, “hold thy hand awhile, and tell me what I shall ask thee.”
“Say on,” said Sir Lancelot.
“Thou art,” said Turquine, “the biggest man I ever met, and the best breathed, and like one knight that I hate above all others. If thou be not he, I will gladly accord with thee, and for thy love will deliver all the prisoners I have; and if thou wilt tell me thy name, thou and I will be friends together, and I will never fail thee while I live.”