Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LVII

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 CHAPTER LVII
 
 How Sir Dinadan met with Sir Tristram, and with jousting
 with Sir Palomides, 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 joust with me maugre thy head.  Well, said Sir
 Tristram, and I am loath to joust.  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 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 joust.  Lo,
 said Sir Tristram, yonder is one will joust; now dress
 thee to him.  Ah, 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 came a knight afore them
 well horsed and well armed, and he made him ready to
 joust.  Fair knights, said Sir Tristram, look betwixt you
 who shall joust 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's 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 that knight, my name is
 Sir Palomides.  What knight hate ye most? said Sir
 Tristram.  Sir knight, said he, I hate Sir Tristram to the
 death, for an 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 Liones, and now do your worst.  When
 Sir Palomides heard him say so he was astonied.  And
 then he said thus:  I pray you, Sir Tristram, forgive me
 all mine evil will, and if I live I shall do you service
 above all other knights that be living; and whereas I
 have owed you evil will me sore repenteth.  I wot not
 what aileth me, for meseemeth that ye are a good knight,
 and none other knight that named himself a good knight
 should not hate you; therefore I require you, Sir Tristram,
 take no displeasure at mine unkind words.  Sir
 Palomides, said Sir Tristram, ye say well, and well I wot
 ye are a good knight, for I have seen ye proved; and
 many great enterprises have ye taken upon you, and well
 achieved them; therefore, said Sir Tristram, an ye have
 any evil will to me, now may ye right it, for I am ready
 at your hand.  Not so, my lord Sir Tristram, I will do
 you knightly service in all thing as ye will command.
 And right so I will take you, said Sir Tristram.  And so
 they rode forth on their ways talking of many things.
 O my lord Sir Tristram, said Dinadan, foul have ye
 mocked me, for God knoweth I came into this country for
 your sake, and by the advice of my lord Sir Launcelot;
 and yet would not Sir Launcelot tell me the certainty
 of you, where I should find you.  Truly, said Sir Tristram,
 Sir Launcelot wist well where I was, for I abode within
 his own castle.