and trained to war with wonderful craft.
Five hundred mounted men went with each elephant,
and on each elephant was a war-house built,
and in each war-house were thirty men,
fighting with craft and going with eagerness.
To some men it will seem strange to hear this,
because that elephants have never come to England.
An elephant is an immense beast, greater than a house,
all surrounded with bones, within the skin,
except at the navel, and he never lies down.
Four and twenty months goeth the mother with foal;
and three hundred years they live, if they be not crippled;
and man may tame them wonderfully for battle.
The whale is of all fishes greatest, and the elephant is of all beasts greatest,
but nevertheless man's skill may tame them.
The heathen then went to the battle swiftly,
and with mulberries emboldened the elephants,
because mulberries are to them the pleasantest of food.
There was a very terrible army of the heathen men,
but nevertheless Judas went against them with war,
and slew there soon six hundred men;
and one of his comrades, Eleazar he hight,
ran to an elephant that was the most excellent there,
weened that the king was in the war-house that he bare.
He ran with drawn sword through the midst of the band,
and slew ever on both sides, so that they fell dying,
until he came to the elephant, and went under him,
pricked (him) then at the navel, so that they both lay there,
each one the other's slayer; and Judas afterwards returned
