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 I
 tell 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 I
 will 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.
 
 When Sir Tristram heard them say so he sent for his
 shield and for his spear, and lightly within a while he had
 overtaken them, and bade them turn and amend that they
 had misdone.  What amends wouldst 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's 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 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 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.  An it
 had pleased God, said Sir Tristram, I would I had been by
 Sir Lamorak at his death.  Then shouldst 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.