So each knight withdrew to his end of the lists and there they made themselves ready. And when they were all prepared, then each launched against the other with all the speed and vehemence that he possessed. So they met in the midst of the course and in that encounter the spear of Sir Mador was broken all to pieces, but the spear of the other knight held so that Sir Mador and his horse were both overturned into the dust.
But Sir Mador recovered from his fall very suddenly, and drawing his sword and setting his shield in front of him he came forward to the assault of his enemy as though this were the very beginning of the battle. Upon this the other knight leaped very nimbly and quickly down from his horse, and setting his shield before him, he drew his sword and came forward as with great eagerness for battle.
Sir Mador is beaten in battle.
Each struck at the other with great fierceness, for Sir Mador was a very strong and powerful knight, and was further upheld by his indignation. So they fought for above an hour, and in that time Sir Launcelot held his strength, but the strength of Sir Mador began to wane so that he could hardly sustain his arm. Then Sir Launcelot redoubled his strokes until Sir Mador held his shield full low. At that Sir Launcelot lifted up his sword and he smote Sir Mador so terribly upon the helm that he fell grovelling to the earth. Then Sir Launcelot drew near to Sir Mador to smite him again, but Sir Mador raised himself a little and lifting his sword he smote Sir Launcelot through the thick of the thigh.
But when Sir Launcelot felt himself to be thus wounded and when he beheld how that the blood flowed forth in a red stream from the wound in his thigh, he drew away and waited for Sir Mador to rise again. And when Sir Mador had arisen he rushed upon him and smote him again, so terrible a blow that the blade bit through the iron helmet, and the leather coif and into the bone beneath the coif.
Sir Launcelot spareth Sir Mador.
Then Sir Mador fell down and lay upon the ground like one who was dead, and Sir Launcelot ran in to where he lay and seizing the helmet that covered the head, he cut the thongs with his misericordia and rushed it off from his head. With that the light shone in upon the face of Sir Mador and aroused him from his swoon; and beholding Sir Launcelot standing terribly above him, he cried out, in a loud piercing voice, “Spare me my life, Sir Knight! Spare me my life!” Quoth Sir Launcelot, “I will not spare thee thy life, unless thou dost confess that thou wert mistaken concerning the guilt of the Queen, and that she is innocent of evil.” Said Sir Mador, “I do confess it.”
Then Sir Launcelot called the Lord Constable of the lists to him and he said to Sir Mador, “Confess what thou hast confessed to me to this gentleman.” And Sir Mador said, “Sir, to this constable I do confess and acknowledge that I was mistook as to the guilt of the Queen, and that she is indeed guiltless of that of which I have accused her, and of all other crimes whatsoever.”
Then Sir Launcelot said, “Bear this knight hence away from this spot.”
Upon that there came several attendants to that place and they lifted Sir Mador and carried him away from that place.