Le Morte Darthur
nephew unto king Brandegore, then king Arthur let him make knight of
the Round Table; and so he proved a good knight and an adventurous.
Now will we turn to our matter of Sir Launcelot. It befel upon a day
Sir Ector and Sir Percivale came to Sir Launcelot and asked him what he
would do, and whether he would go with them unto king Arthur or not?
Nay, said Sir Launcelot, that may not be by no mean; for I was so
entreated at the court that I cast me never to come there more. Sir,
said Sir Ector, I am your brother, and ye are the man in the world that
I love most, and if I understood that it were your disworship, ye may
understand I would never counsel you thereto; but king Arthur and all
his knights, and in especial queen Guenever, made such dole and sorrow
that it was marvel to hear and see. And ye must remember the great
worship and renown that ye be of, how that ye have been more spoken of
than any other knight that is now living; for there is none that
beareth the name now but ye and Sir Tristram; therefore, brother, said
Sir Ector, make you ready to ride to the court with us, and I dare say
there was never knight better welcome to the court than ye: and I wot
well, and can make it good, said Sir Ector, it hath cost my lady the
queen twenty thousand pound the seeking of you. Well, brother, said Sir
Launcelot, I will do after your counsel, and ride with you. So then
they took their horses, and made them ready, and took their leave at
king Pelles and at dame Elaine. And when Sir Launcelot should depart,
dame Elaine made great sorrow. My lord Sir Launcelot, said dame Elaine,
at this same feast of Pentecost shall your son and mine, Galahad, be
made knight, for he is fully now fifteen winter old. Do as ye list,
said Sir Launcelot, God give him grace to prove a good knight. As for
that, said dame Elaine, I doubt not he shall prove the best man of his
kin, except one. Then shall he be a man good enough, said Sir Launcelot.
CHAP. X.
_How Sir Launcelot with Sir Percivale and Sir Ector came to the court,
and of the great joy of him._
Then they departed, and within five days’ journey they came to Camelot,
that is called in English, Winchester. And when Sir Launcelot was come
among them, the king and all the knights made great joy of him. And
there Sir Percivale de Galis and Sir Ector de Maris began and told the
whole adventures, that Sir Launcelot had been out of his mind the time
of his absence, how he called himself Le Chevaler Mal Fet, the knight
that had trespassed, and in three days Sir Launcelot smote down five
hundred knights. And ever, as Sir Ector and Sir Percivale told these
tales of Sir Launcelot, queen Guenever wept as she should have died.
Then the queen made great cheer. Truly, said king Arthur, I marvel for
what cause ye Sir Launcelot went out of your mind? I and many others
deem it was for the love of fair Elaine, the daughter of king Pelles,
by whom ye are noised that ye have a child, and his name is Galahad;
and men say he shall do marvels. My lord, said Sir Launcelot, if I did
any folly, I have that I sought. And therewithal the king spake no
more; but all Sir Launcelot’s kin knew for whom he went out of his
mind. And then there were great feasts made and great joy. And many
great lords and ladies, when they heard that Sir Launcelot was come to
the court again, they made great joy.
CHAP. XI.
_How La Beale Isoud counselled Sir Tristram to go unto the court to the
great feast of Pentecost._
Now will we leave of this matter, and speak we of Sir Tristram and of
Sir Palamides, that was the Saracen unchristened. When Sir Tristram was
come home unto Joyous Gard from his adventures, all this while that Sir
Launcelot was thus missed two year and more, Sir Tristram bare the
renown through all the realm of Logris, and many strange adventures
befel him, and full well and manly and worshipfully he brought them to
an end. So when he was come home, La Beale Isoud told him of the great
feast that should be at Pentecost next following; and there she told
him how Sir Launcelot had been missed two years, and all that while he
had been out of his mind, and how he was holpen by the holy vessel the
Sancgreal. Alas, said Sir Tristram, that caused some debate betwixt him
and queen Guenever. Sir, said dame Isoud, I know it all, for queen
Guenever sent me a letter, in the which she wrote me all how it was,
for to require you to seek him; and now, blessed be God, said La Beale
Isoud, he is whole and sound, and come again to the court. Thereof am I
glad, said Sir Tristram, and now shall ye and I make us ready, for both
ye and I will be at the feast. Sir, said Isoud, and it please you I
will not be there, for through me ye be marked of many good knights,
and that causeth you to have much more labour for my sake than needeth
you. Then will I not be there, said Sir Tristram, but if ye be there.
Not so, said La Beale Isoud, for then shall I be spoken of shame among
all queens and ladies of estate, for ye that are called one of the
noblest knights of the world, and ye a knight of the Round Table, how
may ye be missed at that feast? What shall be said among all
knights?—See how Sir Tristram hunteth, and hawketh, and cowereth
within a castle with his lady, and forsaketh your worship. Alas, shall
some say, it is pity that ever he was made knight, or that ever he
should have the love of a lady. Also what shall queens and ladies say
of me?—It is pity that I have my life, that I will hold so noble a
knight as ye are from his worship. Truly, said Sir Tristram unto La
Beale Isoud, it is passing well said of you, and nobly counselled, and
now I well understand that ye love me; and like as ye have counselled
me, I will do a part thereafter. But there shall no man nor child ride
with me, but myself. And so will I ride on Tuesday next coming, and no
more harness of war but my spear and my sword.
CHAP. XII.
_How Sir Tristram departed unarmed, and met with Sir Palamides, and how
they smote each other, and how Sir Palamides forbare him._
And so when the day came, Sir Tristram took his leave at La Beale
Isoud; and she sent with him four knights, and within half a mile he
sent them again: and within a mile after Sir Tristram saw afore him
where Sir Palamides had stricken down a knight, and almost wounded him
to the death. Then Sir Tristram repented him that he was not armed, and
then he hoved still. With that Sir Palamides knew Sir Tristram, and
cried on high, Sir Tristram, now be we met, for or we depart we will
redress our old sores! As for that, said Sir Tristram, there was never
yet Christian man that might make his boast that ever I fled from him;
and wit ye well Sir Palamides, thou that art a Saracen shall never make
thy boast that Sir Tristram de Liones shall flee from thee. And
therewith Sir Tristram made his horse to run, and with all his might he
came straight upon Sir Palamides, and brast his spear upon him in an
hundred pieces. And forthwithal Sir Tristram drew his sword. And then
he turned his horse and struck at Palamides six great strokes upon his
helm, and then Sir Palamides stood still and beheld Sir Tristram, and
marvelled of his woodness and of his folly. And then Sir Palamides said
to himself, And Sir Tristram were armed it were hard to cease him of
this battle, and if I turn again and slay him I am shamed wheresoever
that I go. Then Sir Tristram spake, and said, Thou coward knight, what
castest thou to do? why wilt thou not do battle with me, for have thou
no doubt I shall endure all thy malice. Ah, Sir Tristram, said Sir
Palamides, full well thou wotest I may not fight with thee for shame,
for thou art here naked, and I am armed, and if I slay thee dishonour
shall be mine. And well thou wotest, said Sir Palamides to Sir
Tristram, I know thy strength and thy hardiness to endure against a
good knight. That is truth, said Sir Tristram, I understand thy
valiantness well. Ye say well, said Sir Palamides, now I require you
tell me a question that I shall say to you. Tell me what it is, said
Sir Tristram, and I shall answer you the truth. I put the case, said
Sir Palamides, that ye were armed at all rights as well as I am, and I
naked as ye be, what would ye do to me now by your true knighthood? Ah,
said Sir Tristram, now I understand thee well, Sir Palamides, for now
must I say my own judgment, and, as God me bless, that I shall say
shall not be said for no fear that I have of thee. But this is all;
wit, Sir Palamides, as at this time thou shouldest depart from me, for
I would not have ado with thee. No more will I, said Sir Palamides, and
therefore ride forth on thy way. As for that I may choose, said Sir
Tristram, either to ride or to abide. But Sir Palamides, said Sir
Tristram, I marvel of one thing, that thou that art so good a knight,
that thou wilt not be christened, and thy brother Sir Safere hath been
christened many a day.
CHAP. XIII.
_How that Sir Tristram gat him harness of a knight which was hurt, and
how he overthrew Sir Palamides._
As for that, said Sir Palamides, I may not yet be christened, for one
avow that I have made many years agone; howbeit in my heart I believe
in Jesus Christ and his mild mother Mary; but I have but one battle to
do, and when that is done I will be baptised with a good will. By my
head, said Sir Tristram, as for one battle thou shalt not seek it no
longer. For God defend, said Sir Tristram, that through my default thou
shouldest longer live thus a Saracen. For yonder is a knight that ye,
Sir Palamides, have hurt and smitten down; now help me that I were
armed in his armour, and I shall soon fulfil thine avows. As ye will,
said Sir Palamides, so it shall be. So they rode unto that knight that
sat upon a bank, and then Sir Tristram saluted him, and he weakly
saluted him again. Sir knight, said Sir Tristram, I require you tell me
your right name. Sir, he said, my name is Sir Galleron of Galway, and
knight of the Table Round. Truly, said Sir Tristram, I am right heavy
of your hurts: but this is all, I must pray you to lend me all your
whole armour, for ye see I am unarmed, and I must do battle with this
knight. Sir, said the hurt knight, ye shall have it with a good will;
but ye must beware, for I warn you that knight is wight. Sir, said
Galleron, I pray you tell me your name, and what is that knight’s name
that hath beaten me. Sir, as for my name, it is Sir Tristram de Liones,
and as for the knight’s name that hath hurt you, it is Sir Palamides,
brother unto the good knight Sir Safere, and yet is Sir Palamides
unchristened. Alas, said Sir Galleron, that is pity that so good a
knight and so noble a man of arms should be unchristened. Truly, said
Sir Tristram, either he shall slay me, or I him, but that he shall be
christened or ever we depart in sunder. My lord Sir Tristram, said Sir
Galleron, your renown and worship is well known through many realms,
and God save you this day from shenship and shame. Then Sir Tristram
unarmed Galleron, the which was a noble knight and had done many deeds
of arms, and he was a large knight of flesh and bone. And when he was
unarmed he stood upon his feet, for he was bruised in the back with a
spear; yet, so as Sir Galleron might, he armed Sir Tristram. And then
Sir Tristram mounted upon his own horse, and in his hand he gat Sir
Galleron’s spear. And therewithal Sir Palamides was ready, and so they
came hurtling together, and either smote other in the midst of their
shields, and therewithal Sir Palamides’ spear brake, and Sir Tristram
smote down the horse; and then Sir Palamides, as soon as he might,
avoided his horse, and dressed his shield, and pulled out his sword.