Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XII

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 CHAPTER XII
 
 How Sir Palomides followed the Questing Beast, and smote
 down Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak with one spear.
 
 AND this meanwhile there came Sir Palomides, the good knight,
 following the Questing Beast that had in shape a head like a
 serpent's head, and a body like a leopard, buttocks like a lion,
 and footed like an hart; and in his body there was such a noise
 as it had been the noise of thirty couple of hounds questing, and
 such a noise that beast made wheresomever he went; and this beast
 ever more Sir Palomides followed, for it was called his quest. 
 And right so as he followed this beast it came by Sir Tristram,
 and soon after came Palomides.  And to brief this matter he smote
 down Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak both with one spear; and so he
 departed after the beast Galtisant, that was called the Questing
 Beast; wherefore these two knights were passing wroth that Sir
 Palomides would not fight on foot with them.  Here men may
 understand that be of worship, that he was never formed <371>that
 all times might stand, but sometime he was put to the worse by
 mal-fortune; and at sometime the worse knight put the better
 knight to a rebuke.
 
 Then Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak gat Sir Kehydius upon a shield
 betwixt them both, and led him to a forester's lodge, and there
 they gave him in charge to keep him well, and with him they abode
 three days.  Then the two knights took their horses and at the
 cross they departed.  And then said Sir Tristram to Sir Lamorak: 
 I require you if ye hap to meet with Sir Palomides, say him that
 he shall find me at the same well where I met him, and there I,
 Sir Tristram, shall prove whether he be better knight than I. 
 And so either departed from other a sundry way, and Sir Tristram
 rode nigh thereas was Sir Kehydius; and Sir Lamorak rode until he
 came to a chapel, and there he put his horse unto pasture.  And
 anon there came Sir Meliagaunce, that was King Bagdemagus' son,
 and he there put his horse to pasture, and was not ware of Sir
 Lamorak; and then this knight Sir Meliagaunce made his moan of
 the love that he had to Queen Guenever, and there he made a woful
 complaint.  All this heard Sir Lamorak, and on the morn Sir
 Lamorak took his horse and rode unto the forest, and there he met
 with two knights hoving under the wood-shaw.  Fair knights, said
 Sir Lamorak, what do ye hoving here and watching? and if ye be
 knights-errant that will joust, lo I am ready.  Nay, sir knight,
 they said, not so, we abide not here to joust with you, but we
 lie here in await of a knight that slew our brother.  What knight
 was that, said Sir Lamorak, that you would fain meet withal? 
 Sir, they said, it is Sir Launcelot that slew our brother, and if
 ever we may meet with him he shall not escape, but we shall slay
 him.  Ye take upon you a great charge, said Sir Lamorak, for Sir
 Launcelot is a noble proved knight.  As for that we doubt not,
 for there nis none of us but we are good enough for him.  I will
 not believe that, said Sir Lamorak, for I heard never yet of no
 knight the days of my life but Sir Launcelot was too big for him.
 
 
 
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