Le Morte Darthur
what I shall do. Therewithal Sir Dinadan spake on high and said, Sir
knight, make thee ready to just with me, for it is the custom of errant
knights one to just with other. Sir, said Epinegris, is it the rule of
you errant knights for to make a knight to just 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? me seemeth 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 just as at this time, but take your
horse, and let us go hence. 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. Defend me, said Dinadan, from thy fellowship,
for Sir Tristram were mickle the worse and 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
and Sir Launcelot had been here, soon we should have been revenged upon
the false knights. When Sir Tristram heard them say so, he sent for his
shield and for his spear, and lightly within a little while he had
overtaken them, and bade them turn and amend what they had misdone.
What amends wouldest thou have? said the one knight. And therewith they
took their course, and either met other so hard, that Sir Tristram
smote down that knight over his horse tail. Then the other knight
dressed him to Sir Tristram; and in the same wise he served the other
knight. And then they gat off their horses as well as they might, and
dressed their shields and swords to do their battle to the utterance.
Knights, said Sir Tristram, ye shall tell me of whence ye are and what
be your names; for such men ye might be ye should hard escape my hands;
and ye might be such men of such a country that for all your evil deeds
ye should pass quit. Wit thou well, sir knight, said they, we fear us
not to tell thee our names, for my name is Sir Agravaine, and my name
is Gaheris, brethren unto the good knight Sir Gawaine, and we be
nephews unto king Arthur. Well, said Sir Tristram, for king Arthur’s
sake I shall let you pass as at this time. But it is shame, said Sir
Tristram, that Sir Gawaine and ye that be come of so great a blood,
that ye four brethren are so named as ye be. For ye be called the
greatest destroyers and murderers of good knights that be now in this
realm; for it is but as I heard say, that Sir Gawaine and ye slew among
you a better knight than ever ye were, that was the noble knight Sir
Lamorak de Galis; and it had pleased God, said Sir Tristram, I would I
had been by Sir Lamorak at his death. Then shouldest thou have gone the
same way, said Sir Gaheris. Fair knight, said Sir Tristram, there must
have been many more knights than ye are. And therewithal Sir Tristram
departed from them toward Joyous Gard. And when he was departed they
took their horses, and the one said to the other, We will overtake him
and be revenged upon him in the despite of Sir Lamorak.
CHAP. LVI.
_How Sir Tristram smote down Sir Agravaine and Sir Gaheris, and how Sir
Dinadan was sent for by La Beale Isoud._
So when they had overtaken Sir Tristram, Sir Agravaine bade him, Turn,
traitor knight. That is evil said, said Sir Tristram; and therewith he
pulled out his sword, and smote Sir Agravaine such a buffet upon the
helm that he tumbled down off his horse in a swoon, and he had a
grievous wound. And then he turned to Gaheris, and Sir Tristram smote
his sword and his helm together with such a might that Gaheris fell out
of his saddle; and so Sir Tristram rode unto Joyous Gard, and there he
alight and unarmed him. So Sir Tristram told La Beale Isoud of all his
adventure as ye have heard tofore. And when she heard him tell of Sir
Dinadan, Sir, she said, is not that he that made the song by king Mark?
That same is he, said Sir Tristram, for he is the best joker and
jester, and a noble knight of his hands, and the best fellow that I
know, and all good knights love his fellowship. Alas, Sir, said she,
why brought ye not him with you? Have ye no care, said Sir Tristram,
for he rideth to seek me in this country, and therefore he will not
away till he have met with me. And there Sir Tristram told La Beale
Isoud how Sir Dinadan held against all lovers. Right so there came in a
varlet and told Sir Tristram how there was come an errant knight into
the town with such colours upon his shield. That is Sir Dinadan, said
Sir Tristram. Wit ye what ye shall do? said Sir Tristram; send ye for
him, my lady Isoud, and I will not be seen, and ye shall hear the
merriest knight that ever ye spake withal, and the maddest talker, and
I pray you heartily that ye make him good cheer. Then anon La Beale
Isoud sent into the town, and prayed sir Dinadan that he would come
into the castle and repose him there, with a lady. With a good will,
said Sir Dinadan. And so he mounted upon his horse, and rode into the
castle, and there he alight, and was unarmed, and brought into the
castle. Anon La Beale Isoud came unto him, and either saluted other.
Then she asked him of whence that he was. Madam, said Dinadan, I am of
the court of king Arthur, and knight of the Table Round, and my name is
Sir Dinadan. What do ye in this country? said La Beale Isoud. Madam,
said he, I seek Sir Tristram the good knight, for it was told me that
he was in this country. It may well be, said La Beale Isoud, but I am
not aware of him. Madam said Dinadan, I marvel of Sir Tristram and more
other lovers, what aileth them to be so mad and so sotted upon women.
Why, said La Beale Isoud, are ye a knight and be no lover? It is shame
to you: wherefore ye may not be called a good knight but if ye make a
quarrel for a lady. Nay, said Sir Dinadan, for the joy of love is too
short, and the sorrow thereof, and what cometh thereof, dureth over
long. Ah, said La Beale Isoud, say ye not so, for here fast by was the
good knight Sir Bleoberis, that fought with three knights at once for a
damsel’s sake, and he wan her afore the king of Northumberland. It was
so, said Sir Dinadan, for I know him well for a good knight and a
noble, and come of noble blood, for all be noble knights of whom he is
come of, that is Sir Launcelot du Lake. Now I pray you, said La Beale
Isoud, tell me will ye fight for my love with three knights that done
me great wrong? and in so much as ye be a knight of king Arthur’s I
require you to do battle for me. Then Sir Dinadan said, I shall say you
be as fair a lady as ever I saw any, and much fairer than is my lady
queen Guenever, but, wit ye well at one word, I will not fight for you
with three knights, Heaven defend me. Then Isoud laughed, and had good
game at him. So he had all the cheer that she might make him; and there
he lay all that night. And on the morn early Sir Tristram armed him,
and La Beale Isoud gave him a good helm; and then he promised her that
he would meet with Sir Dinadan, and they two would ride together unto
Lonazep, where the tournament should be;—and there shall I make ready
for you, where ye shall see the tournament. Then departed Sir Tristram
with two squires that bare his shield and his spears that were great
and long.
CHAP. LVII.
_How Sir Dinadan met with Sir Tristram, and with justing with Sir
Palamides Sir Dinadan knew him._
Then after that, Sir Dinadan departed and rode his way a great pace
until he had overtaken Sir Tristram. And when Sir Dinadan had overtaken
him, he knew him anon, and he hated the fellowship of him above all
other knights. Ah, said Sir Dinadan, art thou that coward knight that I
met with yesterday, keep thee, for thou shalt just with me, maugre thy
head. Well, said Sir Tristram, and I am loth to just. And so they let
their horses run, and Sir Tristram missed of him a purpose, and Sir
Dinadan brake a spear upon Sir Tristram; and therewith Sir Dinadan
dressed him to draw out his sword. Not so, said Sir Tristram, why are
ye so wroth? I will not fight. Fie on thee, coward, said Sir Dinadan,
thou shamest all knights. As for that, said Sir Tristram, I care not,
for I will wait upon you and be under your protection, for because ye
are so good a knight ye may save me. The devil deliver me of thee, said
Sir Dinadan, for thou art as goodly a man of arms and of thy person as
ever I saw, and the most coward that ever I saw. What wilt thou do with
those great spears that thou carriest with thee? I shall give them,
said Sir Tristram, to some good knight when I come to the tournament:
and if I see you do best I shall give them to you. So thus as they rode
talking they saw where came an errant knight afore them, that dressed
him to just. Lo, said Sir Tristram, yonder is one will just, now dress
thee to him. A shame betide thee, said Sir Dinadan. Nay not so, said
Tristram, for that knight beseemeth a shrew. Then shall I, said Sir
Dinadan. And so they dressed their shields and their spears, and they
met together so hard that the other knight smote down Sir Dinadan from
his horse. Lo, said Sir Tristram, it had been better ye had left. Fie
on thee, coward, said Sir Dinadan. Then Sir Dinadan started up, and gat
his sword in his hand, and proffered to do battle on foot. Whether in
love or in wrath, said the other knight. Let us do battle in love, said
Sir Dinadan. What is your name? said that knight, I pray you tell me.
Wit ye well my name is Sir Dinadan. Ah Dinadan, said that knight, and
my name is Gareth, the youngest brother unto Sir Gawaine. Then either
made of other great cheer, for this Gareth was the best knight of all
the brethren, and he proved a good knight. Then they took their horses,
and there they spake of Sir Tristram, how such a coward he was: and
every word Sir Tristram heard, and laughed them to scorn. Then were
they ware where there came a knight afore them well horsed and well
armed, and he made him ready to just. Fair knights, said Sir Tristram,
look betwixt you who shall just with yonder knight, for I warn you I
will not have ado with him. Then shall I, said Sir Gareth: and so they
encountered together, and there that knight smote down Sir Gareth over
his horse croup. How now, said Sir Tristram unto Sir Dinadan, dress
thee now, and revenge the good knight Gareth. That shall I not, said
Sir Dinadan, for he hath stricken down a much bigger knight than I am.
Ah, said Sir Tristram, now Sir Dinadan I see and feel well your heart
faileth you, therefore now shall ye see what I shall do. And then Sir
Tristram hurtled unto that knight, and smote him quite from his horse.
And when Sir Dinadan saw that he marvelled greatly: and then he deemed
that it was Sir Tristram. Then this knight that was on foot pulled out
his sword to do battle. What is your name? said Sir Tristram. Wit ye
well, said the knight, my name is Sir Palamides. What knight hate ye
most? said Sir Tristram. Sir knight, said he, I hate Sir Tristram to
the death, for and I may meet with him the one of us shall die. Ye say
well, said Sir Tristram, and wit ye well that I am Sir Tristram de