He spurred the tan, white-stockinged destrier and it bore him in a mighty charge, and with his rough-hewn, twisted lance he dealt Gorvain a blow that drove him from his saddle, then Agravain, Cligés and the valiant Lancelot. He won control of all four horses, and gave them to those he saw who’d lost their own. The outsiders, who’d been in total disarray, saw the tide of the tournament stemmed by the intervention of Perceval; they turned their horses about: from his example they took new heart, and boldly resumed the battle against the castle knights. Perceval the Welshman thundered into the Cornish and drove them back across the ford in utter confusion; he fought with all his might, and wouldn’t change or swap his crude, bark-covered lance!

Tristran was furious when he heard what was happening; ablaze with rage he asked who the knight was who was wreaking such havoc – he wanted to take him on! He didn’t have to look for long. Perceval kept heading for the fiercest fighting, and forced them all back to the castle gate. Tristran was there in the thick of it, with the good Sir Gawain fighting better than any on their side; and as Tristran turned his horse about he saw Perceval to the right, mounted on Kay’s charger. The moment he set eyes on him he knew he was the one and was enraged; setting himself so firmly in the stirrups that he stretched the straps, he charged towards him instantly. Perceval saw him coming with lance and shield set expertly, with perfect poise and finesse; but it bothered him greatly to see a hurdy-gurdy round his neck! He thought it was another minstrel, come to send them up and make a mockery of it all! But Tristran, furious that they were being driven back, couldn’t wait to meet him man to man, this knight in tattered garb who’d turned the contest the outsiders’ way. He spurred his swift and willing horse with all his might, and Perceval charged to meet him; they both had lances levelled and came full tilt, and delivered blows to each other’s shield that split them apart and smashed their lances into shards. And as they met they collided full on – horses, too – and Perceval sent Tristran crashing: everyone in the tournament saw him with his heels in the air and measuring his length in the grass. It was such a heavy fall that his heart nearly burst within him; he was so badly hurt that he couldn’t stand. Perceval drew rein and was about to make him yield as his prisoner, but suddenly Lancelot, Sir Yvain, Sagremor and the worthy Gawain came galloping to the attack. Perceval, undaunted, drew his sword and responded with such force that even the bravest was driven back. He assailed them with a rain of blows, battering armour, smashing helms and cleaving shields. He defended himself so brilliantly that they couldn’t gain a foot of ground.

Gerbert's Continuation of Perceval