Well art thou met,said Palomides,and wit thou well my name is Palomides the Saracen;and either of them hated other to the death.Sir Palomides,said Ector,wit thou well there is neither thou nor none knight that beareth the life that slayeth any of our blood but he shall die for it;therefore an thou list to fight go seek Sir Launcelot or Sir Tristram,and there shall ye find your match.With them have I met,said Palomides,but I had never no worship of them.Was there never no manner of knight,said Sir Ector,but they that ever matched with you?Yes,said Palomides,there was the third,a good knight as any of them,and of his age he was the best that ever I found;for an he might have lived till he had been an hardier man there liveth no knight now such,and his name was Sir Lamorak de Galis.And as he had jousted at a tournament there he overthrew me and thirty knights more,and there he won the degree.And at his departing there met him Sir Gawaine and his brethren,and with great pain they slew him feloniously,unto all good knights'great damage.
Anon as Sir Percivale heard that his brother was dead,Sir Lamorak,he fell over his horse's mane swooning,and there he made the greatest dole that ever made knight.And when Sir Percivale arose he said:Alas,my good and noble brother Sir Lamorak,now shall we never meet,and I trow in all the wide world a man may not find such a knight as he was of his age;and it is too much to suffer the death of our father King Pellinore,and now the death of our good brother Sir Lamorak.
Then in the meanwhile there came a varlet from the court of King Arthur,and told them of the great tournament that should be at Lonazep,and how these lands,Cornwall and Northgalis,should be against all them that would come.
CHAPTER LV
How Sir Tristram met with Sir Dinadan,and of their devices,and what he said to Sir Gawaine's brethren.
NOW turn we unto Sir Tristram,that as he rode a-hunting he met with Sir Dinadan,that was come into that country to seek Sir Tristram.Then Sir Dinadan told Sir Tristram his name,but Sir Tristram would not tell him his name,wherefore Sir Dinadan was wroth.For such a foolish knight as ye are,said Sir Dinadan,I saw but late this day lying by a well,and he fared as he slept;and there he lay like a fool grinning,and would not speak,and his shield lay by him,and his horse stood by him;and well I wot he was a lover.Ah,fair sir,said Sir Tristram are ye not a lover?Mary,fie on that craft!said Sir Dinadan.That is evil said,said Sir Tristram,for a knight may never be of prowess but if he be a lover.It is well said,said Sir Dinadan;now tell me your name,sith ye be a lover,or else I shall do battle with you.As for that,said Sir Tristram,it is no reason to fight with me but Itell you my name;and as for that my name shall ye not wit as at this time.Fie for shame,said Dinadan,art thou a knight and durst not tell thy name to me?therefore Iwill fight with thee.As for that,said Sir Tristram,I will be advised,for I will not do battle but if me list.And if I do battle,said Sir Tristram,ye are not able to withstand me.Fie on thee,coward,said Sir Dinadan.
And thus as they hoved still,they saw a knight come riding against them.Lo,said Sir Tristram,see where cometh a knight riding,will joust with you.Anon,as Sir Dinadan beheld him he said:That is the same doted knight that I saw lie by the well,neither sleeping nor waking.Well,said Sir Tristram,I know that knight well with the covered shield of azure,he is the king's son of Northumberland,his name is Epinegris;and he is as great a lover as I know,and he loveth the king's daughter of Wales,a full fair lady.And now I suppose,said Sir Tristram,an ye require him he will joust with you,and then shall ye prove whether a lover be a better knight,or ye that will not love no lady.Well,said Dinadan,now shalt thou see what I shall do.Therewithal Sir Dinadan spake on high and said:Sir knight,make thee ready to joust with me,for it is the custom of errant knights one to joust with other.Sir,said Epinegris,is that the rule of you errant knights for to make a knight to joust,will he or nill?As for that,said Dinadan,make thee ready,for here is for me.And therewithal they spurred their horses and met together so hard that Epinegris smote down Sir Dinadan.Then Sir Tristram rode to Sir Dinadan and said:How now,meseemeth the lover hath well sped.
Fie on thee,coward,said Sir Dinadan,and if thou be a good knight revenge me.Nay,said Sir Tristram,I will not joust as at this time,but take your horse and let us go hence.God defend me,said Sir Dinadan,from thy fellowship,for I never sped well since I met with thee:
and so they departed.Well,said Sir Tristram,peradventure I could tell you tidings of Sir Tristram.God defend me,said Dinadan,from thy fellowship,for Sir Tristram were mickle the worse an he were in thy company;and then they departed.Sir,said Sir Tristram,yet it may happen I shall meet with you in other places.
So rode Sir Tristram unto Joyous Gard,and there he heard in that town great noise and cry.What is this noise?said Sir Tristram.Sir,said they,here is a knight of this castle that hath been long among us,and right now he is slain with two knights,and for none other cause but that our knight said that Sir Launcelot were a better knight than Sir Gawaine.That was a simple cause,said Sir Tristram,for to slay a good knight for to say well by his master.That is little remedy to us,said the men of the town.For an Sir Launcelot had been here soon we should have been revenged upon the false knights.