assuredly he thought his Master's death was certain, unless it pleased God miraculously to deliver him. The Green Sword Knight then took his lance and covered himself with his shield, and went against the Endriago as a man already dead but without fear. The Devil seeing him come on snorted out fire and smoke so black and thick that they could scarcely see one another, and he of the Green Sword went on through the smoke and drove at the monster with his lance, and by great good fortune pierced it in the eye; it caught the lance with its talons and bit it into pieces, and the iron and a fragment of the stave remained driven on through its tongue and the skin of the throat, for it had sprung on upon it thinking to seize the Knight but he defended himself with good heart seeing his exceeding peril, and the shock of this wound repelled the monster, and the blood ran fast, and with the shrieks it gave it ran down its throat and almost choaked it, so that it could neither close its mouth nor bite with it, the Knight then drew his Green Sword and struck at it, but the blow fell upon its scales, and felt as though it had fallen upon a rock and it made no impression; the Endriago thought then to grasp him, but only caught his shield which it plucked so fiercely that he fell upon his hands, but he recovered while
with its talons the monster rent the shield to pieces. He then seeing that his shield was gone, and that his good sword availed him nothing, knew that he had no hope unless he could strike the other eye. Now the Endriago was faint and weak with its wound, and our Lord having wrath that the wicked one had so long had the dominion over those who, sinners as they were, believed his holy catholick faith, was pleased to give the Knight strength and especial grace to perform what else could not by course of nature have been done. He aimed his sword at the other eye but God guided it to one of the nostrils, for they were large and spreading, and so hard he thrust that it reached the brain, the Endriago itself forcing it on, for seeing him so near it grappled with him and plucked him towards itself, and with its dreadful talon rent away the arms from his back, and crushed the flesh and bones to the very entrails, but then being suffocated with its own blood, and the sword being in its brain, and above all the sentence of God being passed upon it, its grasp relaxed and it fell like one dead, and the Knight plucked out his sword and thrust it down its throat till he killed the monster.
But before its soul departed the Devil flew from
its mouth and went through the air with a great thunder-clap, and they of the Castle heard it as if close to them, and, though barred and bolted in as they were, they feared greatly for their lives, and if the sea had not been so stormy they would have run to their ships, howbeit they prayed earnestly to God for the good Knight who was engaged in so terrible a battle. Now he, when the Endriago was dead, drew back and went toward Gandalin, but he could not bear his wound longer and reeled and fell beside a little brook. When Gandalin came up and saw how he was wounded he verily believed him slain, and fell from his horse and began to tear his hair and shriek; the Knight at this somewhat recovered and said, Good brother and my true friend you see I am slain; I beseech you, by the fostering I received from your parents, and by the true love which I have ever borne you, that so soon as I be dead you take my heart to my Lady Oriana, and tell her to preserve it for his sake whose it was, for in so doing my soul will receive comfort! this was all he could say; Gandalin did not stay to answer but went to horse and galloped as fast as he could, and coming on the hill-top he wound his horn as loud as he could wind it, in token that the Endriago was dead; that sound Ardian the Dwarf, who was on the tower, heard, and he
cried out to Master Helisabad to go help his Master for the monster was slain. He took what was needful and mounted and galloped that way, where presently he met Gandalin who cried, for God's sake help my Master! the Endriago is dead. Right joyfully did he spur onward, not knowing in what plight the Knight was, whom he found senseless and giving pitiful groans. How now Sir Knight? quoth he, where is your great courage gone now when you so need it? fear not, for here am I your good friend and true servant Master Helisabad to help you! the Knight heard him and opened his eyes and raised his arm as if to embrace him. Then the Master took off his cloak and spread it on the ground and he and Gandalin laid the Knight upon it, and disarmed him; but when the Master saw the wound, though he was the best in the world for such needs, and had seen so many cruel wounds before, he was dismayed and feared for his life; however he resolved to do his best, as one who loved him as the best Knight in the world, and looking more closely he found that the flesh and bones only had suffered, but that the entrails were unhurt. At this he had greater hope, and he set the bones and ribs and sewed up the flesh, and placed such salves and bandaged the whole body so well that the blood was staunched,
and the breath did not come through the wound, so that the Knight recovered strength to speak, and opening his eyes said, O Lord God Almighty, who for thy great mercy didst come into the world and take flesh of the Virgin Mary; and to open the gates of paradise which were shut, didst suffer so many injuries and death at last from that cursed and unhappy race, I beseech thee, Lord, as one of the vilest of sinners, to have mercy upon my soul, for my body is condemned to the earth! Sir Knight, quoth the Master, it pleases me to hear you, for remedy must come from him of whom you ask it in the first place, and in the second from me who am his servant; fear not, for on my life I will answer for yours! then he took a sponge that was steeped in a confection good against the poison, and placed it at his nostrils whereby he greatly recovered, and Gandalin knelt down and kissed the Master's hand beseeching him to save his Lord. He then bade Gandalin ride in speed to the Castle and bring men and a litter to convey the Knight there before the night-fall. Away rode Gandalin, and they made a litter the best they could with boughs and carried the Green Sword Knight thereon upon their shoulders to the Castle, and made for him a bed as well as they could with the rich linen which Grasinda had sent aboard, but
he was senseless and knew not what they did, and groaned all night with the torment of his wounds, and had no power to speak. The Master had his own bed placed by him to comfort him, and from time to time applied such excellent and fitting medicines to draw out the poison of the Endriago that by day-break he brought him to a sweet sleep, such good things did he administer, and he ordered all the men to withdraw that no noise might be made to awaken him. After a long sleep the Knight started and cried out aloud, Gandalin! Gandalin! take care of thyself or that foul Devil will slay thee! The Master went immediately to him smiling, and with a better face than heart, for he still feared for his life; if you took care of yourself as he does Sir, quoth he, your renown would not have spread so over the world. But then he knew the Master and said, where are we? for he was yet beside himself. That day the Master displayed his skill so well, as being naturally the best leech in the world, that by vespers the Knight was in his full senses, and knew all around him, and the Master then saw by the appearance of the wounds, that through his great cunning, and above all by the great mercy of God, his life was safe. When the men heard this they gave thanks to God with exceeding joy, but above
all was the joy of Gandalin and the Dwarf, who loved him from their inmost hearts. They then all came round Gandalin beseeching him to tell of the battle how it had passed, that they might be able to relate the manner of so rare a feat of chivalry; this Gandalin said he would willingly do, on condition that the Master would first administer an oath to him upon the holy Gospels, that they might believe the truth of what he should say and faithfully commit it to writing, that the remembrance of so signal an atchievement might not be lost. Master Helisabad then administered the oath that the thing might be certainly believed, and Gandalin recounted all the circumstances of the battle. When he had finished they said they would all go and see the Endriago, for when they removed the Knight they had not thought of looking for it in the thicket where it had fallen. So the Master gave them all certain confections good against the poison, but when they saw the monster they were more than ever astonished and could scarcely believe that heart of mortal man could have courage to attack such a Devil's work. Twenty days the Knight remained in that Castle not being able to leave his bed, at length Master Helisabad thinking him enough recovered to be removed on board, asked him whither he would go,
for some things were necessary for his full recovery which could not there be procured. Oh my true friend, said the Knight, what guerdon can I make you for the great service you have done me, being only a poor Knight with nothing but a horse and these broken arms! Sir, replied the Master, I expect greater guerdon from you than King or great Lord could give me, the succour that so many distressed ones will receive from you, whereof I under God shall have been the cause! The Knight was abashed to hear himself thus praised. Since the weather is changed, said he, let us proceed to Constantinople; great desire have I to see that great Emperor, that if it please God that I should ever return there where my heart desires, I may have strange things to relate, such as can only be seen in such places.