Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LXXIII

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 CHAPTER LXXIII
 
 How King Arthur and Sir Lancelot came to see La Beale
 Isoud, and how Palomides smote down King Arthur.
 
 
 SO on the morn Sir Launcelot departed, and Sir Tristram
 was ready, and La Beale Isoud with Sir Palomides and Sir
 Gareth.  And so they rode all in green full freshly beseen
 unto the forest.  And Sir Tristram left Sir Dinadan
 sleeping in his bed.  And so as they rode it happed the
 king and Launcelot stood in a window, and saw Sir
 Tristram ride and Isoud.  Sir, said Launcelot, yonder
 rideth the fairest lady of the world except your queen,
 Dame Guenever.  Who is that? said Sir Arthur.  Sir,
 said he, it is Queen Isoud that, out-taken my lady your
 queen, she is makeless.  Take your horse, said Arthur,
 and array you at all rights as I will do, and I promise you,
 said the king, I will see her.  Then anon they were armed
 and horsed, and either took a spear and rode unto the
 forest.  Sir, said Launcelot, it is not good that ye go too
 nigh them, for wit ye well there are two as good knights
 as now are living, and therefore, sir, I pray you be not
 too hasty.  For peradventure there will be some knights
 be displeased an we come suddenly upon them.  As for
 that, said Arthur, I will see her, for I take no force whom
 I grieve.  Sir, said Launcelot, ye put yourself in great
 jeopardy.  As for that, said the king, we will take the
 adventure.  Right so anon the king rode even to her,
 and saluted her, and said: God you save.  Sir, said she,
 ye are welcome.  Then the king beheld her, and liked her
 wonderly well.
 
 With that came Sir Palomides unto Arthur, and said:
 Uncourteous knight, what seekest thou here? thou art
 uncourteous to come upon a lady thus suddenly, therefore
 withdraw thee.  Sir Arthur took none heed of Sir Palomides'
 words, but ever he looked still upon Queen Isoud
 Then was Sir Palomides wroth, and therewith he took a
 spear, and came hurtling upon King Arthur, and smote
 him down with a spear.  When Sir Launcelot saw that
 despite of Sir Palomides, he said to himself:  I am loath
 to have ado with yonder knight, and not for his own sake
 but for Sir Tristram.  And one thing I am sure of, if I
 smite down Sir Palomides I must have ado with Sir Tristram,
 and that were overmuch for me to match them both,
 for they are two noble knights; notwithstanding, whether
 I live or I die, needs must I revenge my lord, and so will
 I, whatsomever befall of me.  And therewith Sir Launcelot
 cried to Sir Palomides:  Keep thee from me.  And then
 Sir Launcelot and Sir Palomides rushed together with two
 spears strongly, but Sir Launcelot smote Sir Palomides so
 hard that he went quite out of his saddle, and had a great
 fall.  When Sir Tristram saw Sir Palomides have that
 fall, he said to Sir Launcelot:  Sir knight, keep thee, for
 I must joust with thee.  As for to joust with me, said
 Sir Launcelot, I will not fail you, for no dread I have of
 you; but I am loath to have ado with you an I might
 choose, for I will that ye wit that I must revenge my
 special lord that was unhorsed unwarly and unknightly.
 And therefore, though I revenged that fall, take ye no
 displeasure therein, for he is to me such a friend that I
 may not see him shamed.
 
 Anon Sir Tristram understood by his person and by
 his knightly words that it was Sir Launcelot du Lake, and
 verily Sir Tristram deemed that it was King Arthur, he
 that Sir Palomides had smitten down.  And then Sir
 Tristram put his spear from him, and put Sir Palomides
 again on horseback, and Sir Launcelot put King Arthur
 on horseback and so departed.  So God me help, said Sir
 Tristram unto Palomides, ye did not worshipfully when
 ye smote down that knight so suddenly as ye did.  And
 wit ye well ye did yourself great shame, for the knights
 came hither of their gentleness to see a fair lady; and
 that is every good knight's part, to behold a fair lady;
 and ye had not ado to play such masteries afore my lady.
 Wit thou well it will turn to anger, for he that ye smote
 down was King Arthur, and that other was the good
 knight Sir Launcelot.  But I shall not forget the words
 of Sir Launcelot when that he called him a man of great
 worship, thereby I wist that it was King Arthur.  And as
 for Sir Launcelot, an there had been five hundred knights
 in the meadow, he would not have refused them, and yet
 he said he would refuse me.  By that again I wist that it
 was Sir Launcelot, for ever he forbeareth me in every
 place, and showeth me great kindness; and of all knights,
 I out-take none, say what men will say, he beareth the
 flower of all chivalry, say it him whosomever will.  An
 he be well angered, and that him list to do his utterance
 without any favour, I know him not alive but Sir
 Launcelot is over hard for him, be it on horseback or on
 foot.  I may never believe, said Palomides, that King
 Arthur will ride so privily as a poor errant knight.  Ah,
 said Sir Tristram, ye know not my lord Arthur, for all
 knights may learn to be a knight of him.  And therefore
 ye may be sorry, said Sir Tristram, of your unkindly
 deeds to so noble a king.  And a thing that is done may
 not be undone, said Palomides.  Then Sir Tristram sent
 Queen Isoud unto her lodging in the priory, there to
 behold all the tournament.