When each was seated on his horse, they all asked
for leave to depart from their host who had served them so
honourably. Then they ride along the road until the day draws to
a close, and late in the afternoon they reach the sword-bridge.
(Vv. 3021-3194.) At the end of this very difficult bridge they
dismount from their steeds and gaze at the wicked-looking stream,
which is as swift and raging, as black and turgid, as fierce and
terrible as if it were the devil's stream; and it is so dangerous
and bottomless that anything failing into it would be as
completely lost as if it fell into the salt sea. And the bridge,
which spans it, is different from any other bridge; for there
never was such a one as this. If any one asks of me the truth,
there never was such a bad bridge, nor one whose flooring was so
bad. The bridge across the cold stream consisted of a polished,
gleaming sword; but the sword was stout and stiff, and was as
long as two lances. At each end there was a tree-trunk in which
the sword was firmly fixed. No one need fear to fall because of
its breaking or bending, for its excellence was such that it
could support a great weight. But the two knights who were with
the third were much discouraged; for they surmised that two lions
or two leopards would be found tied to a great rock at the other
end of the bridge.
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