His horse
became him so well that it is evident he must be his own, and as
for the shield he held by the straps and the helmet laced upon
his head, which fitted him so well, you would never for a moment
have thought that he had borrowed it or received it as a loan;
rather, you would be so pleased with him that you would maintain
that he had been thus born and raised: for all this I should like
you to take my word.
(Vv. 2691-2792.) Outside the gate, where the battle was to be
fought, there was a stretch of level ground well adapted for the
encounter. When they catch sight of each other, they spur hotly
to the attack and come together with such a shock, dealing such
blows with their lances, that they first bend, then buckle up,
and finally fly into splinters. With their swords they then hew
away at their shields, helmets, and hauberks. The wood is cut
and the steel gives way, so that they wound each other in several
places. They pay each other such angry blows that it seems as if
they had made a bargain. The swords often descend upon the
horses' croups, where they drink and feast upon their blood;
their riders strike them upon the flanks until at last they kill
them both. And when both have fallen to earth, they attack each
other afoot; and if they had cherished a mortal hatred, they
could not have assailed each other more fiercely with their
swords.
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