 of the weapon and of the horse. The
fifth knight alone maintained the honour of his party, and parted fairly with
the Knight of St. John, both splintering their lances without advantage on
either side.
    The shouts of the multitude, together with the acclamations of the heralds,
and the clangour of the trumpets, announced the triumph of the victors and the
defeat of the vanquished. The former retreated to their pavilions, and the
latter, gathering themselves up as they could, withdrew from the lists in
disgrace and dejection, to agree with their victors concerning the redemption of
their arms and their horses, which, according to the laws of the tournament,
they had forfeited. The fifth of their number alone tarried in the lists long
enough to be greeted by the applauses of the spectators, amongst whom he
retreated, to the aggravation, doubtless, of his companions' mortification.
    A second and a third party of knights took the field; and although they had
various success, yet, upon the whole, the advantage decidedly remained with the
challengers, not one of whom lost his seat or swerved from his charge -
misfortunes which befell one or two of their antagonists in each encounter. The
spirits, therefore, of those opposed to them, seemed to be considerably damped
by their continued success. Three knights only appeared on the fourth entry,
who, avoiding the shields of Bois-Guilbert and Front-de-Boeuf, contented
themselves with touching those of the three other knights, who had not
altogether manifested the same strength and dexterity. This politic selection
did not alter the fortune of the field, the challengers were still successful:
one of their antagonists was overthrown, and both the others failed in the
attaint,18 that is, in striking the helmet and shield of their antagonist firmly
and strongly, with the lance held in a direct line, so that the weapon might
break, unless the champion was overthrown.
    After this fourth encounter, there was a considerable pause; nor did it
appear that any one was very desirous of renewing the contest. The spectators
murmured among themselves; for, among the challengers, Malvoisin and
Front-de-Boeuf were unpopular from their characters, and the others, except
Grantmesnil, were disliked as strangers and foreigners. But none shared the
general feeling of dissatisfaction so keenly as Cedric the Saxon, who saw, in
each advantage gained by the Norman challengers, a repeated triumph over the
honour of England. His own education had taught him no skill in the games of
chivalry, although, with the arms of his Saxon ancestors, he had manifested
himself, on
