139-153) In his hands he took his shield, all glittering: no one ever broke it with a blow or crushed it.
154-160) Upon the shield Pursuit and Flight were wrought, and Tumult, and Panic, and Slaughter.
168-177) Also there were upon the shield droves of boars and lions who glared at each other, being furious and eager: the rows of them moved on together, and neither side trembled but both bristled up their manes.
191-196) And on the shield stood the fleet-footed horses of grim Ares made gold, and deadly Ares the spoil-winner himself.
There was a moment's pause, then suddenly a murmur arose from the serried phalanxes before us, a sound like the distant whisper of the sea, caused by the gentle tapping of the handles of six thousand spears against their holders' shields. Slowly it swelled, till its growing volume deepened and widened into a roar of rolling noise, that echoed like thunder against the mountains, and filled the air with heavy waves of sound.
Next second the roll of the meeting shields came to our ears like the sound of thunder, and the plain seemed to be alive with flashes of light reflected from the shimmering spears.
But now a second regiment, distinguished by white plumes, kilts, and shields, was moving to the attack of the two thousand remaining Greys, who stood waiting in the same ominous silence as before, till the foe was within forty yards or so, when they hurled themselves with irresistible force upon them.
Then followed blow upon blow, that were, in turn, either received upon the shields or avoided.
"I cannot see any fitting mark, for I care not to waste a bolt upon these
shields, which a drunken boor could not miss at a village kermesse."
There he chose twelve
shields, with as many helmets and spears, and brought them back as fast as he could to give them to the suitors.
Lastly, he laid aside his shield, which had received some little damage, and received another from his squires.
In this second encounter, the Templar aimed at the centre of his antagonist's shield, and struck it so fair and forcibly, that his spear went to shivers, and the Disinherited Knight reeled in his saddle.
He bore on a white shield a black bull's head, half defaced by the numerous encounters which he had undergone, and bearing the arrogant motto, Cave, Adsum.
And when Sir Gawaine saw that, he dressed his shield, and they aventred their spears, and they came together with all the might of their horses, that either knight smote other so hard in the midst of their shields, but Sir Gawaine's spear brake --"
-- "and lightly Sir Gawaine rose upon his feet and pulled out his sword, and dressed him toward Sir Mar- haus on foot, and therewith either came unto other eagerly, and smote together with their swords, that their shields flew in cantels, and they bruised their helms and their hauberks, and wounded either other.
