Le Morte Darthur / by Syr Thomas Malory ; the original edition of William Caxton now reprinted and edited with an introduction and glossary by H. Oskar Sommer ; with an essay on Malory's prose style by Andrew Lang

¶ Capitulum lxxj

WHanne sir Ector de marys sawe sir launcelot his broder haue suche a despyte / & so set on foot / thenne he gat a spere egerly / & ran ageynst sir palomydes / & he smote hym so hard that he bare hym quyte from his hors / that sawe sir tristrā that was in reed harneis / & he smote doune syr Ector de marys quyte from his hors / thenne sir launcelot dressid his sheld vpon his sholder / & with his suerd naked in his hand / & so cam streȝt vpon sir palomydes fyersly & said wete thou wel thow hast done me this day the grettest despyte that euer ony worshipful knyȝt dyd to me in turnement or in Iustes / & therfore I will be auengid vpon the / therfor take kepe to your self /

¶ A mercy noble knyȝt said palomydes / & forgyue me myn vnkyndely dedes for I haue no power nor myȝt to withstande you / & I haue done soo moche this daye that wel I wote I dyd neuer so moche nor neuer shal in my lyf dayes / & therfore moost noble knyȝt I requyre the spare me as at this day / & I promyse you I shal euer be your knyȝt whyle I lyue / And ye putte me from my worship now / ye putte me from the grettest worship that euer I had or euer shalle haue in my lyf dayes / wel

[leaf 269v] sayd sire launcelot / I see for to say the sothe ye haue done merueyllously wel this day / and I vnderstande a parte for whos loue ye doo hit / and wel I wote that loue is a grete maystresse And yf my lady were here as she nys not / wete yow wel said sire Palomydes ye shold not bere awey the worship / But beware your loue be not discouerd / for and syr Tristram may knowe hit ye wille repente hit / And sythen my quarel is not here / ye shall haue this day the worshyp as for me consyderyng the grete trauaylle and payne that ye haue had this day / it were no worship for me to putte yow from hit / And there wyth all sir launcelot suffred sir Palomydes to departe /

¶ Thenne sir Launcelot by grete force and myghte gate his owne hors maulgre xx knyghtes / Soo whanne sire Launcelot was horsed/ he dyd many merueylles / and soo dyd sir Tristram / and syre palomydes in lyke wyse / Thenne sir laūcelot smote doune with a spere sir Dynadan / and the kynge of scotland / and the kynge of walys / and the kynge of Northumberland / and the kynge of Lystynes / Soo thenne sire laūcelot and his felawes smote doune wel a fourty knyghtes / Thenne came the kyng of Irland and the kynge of the stryete marches to rescowe syre Tristram and sire Palomydes / There beganne a grete medle / & many knyghtes were smyten doune on bothe partyes / and alweyes sir launcelot spared sir Tristram / and he spared hym / And sir Palomydes wold not medle with sir launcelot / and soo there was hurtelynge here and there / And thenne Kynge Arthur sente oute many knyghtes of the table round / and sir palomydes was euer in the formest fronte / and syre Trystram dyd soo strongly wel that the kynge and alle other had merueylle / And thenne the kynge lete blowe to lodgynge / and by cause sir Palomydes beganne fyrste / and neuer he went nor rode oute of the feld to repose / but euer was doynge merueyllously wel outher on foote or on horsbak / and lengest durynge Kynge Arthur and alle the kynges gaf sir Palomydes the honour and the gree as for that daye / Thenne syr Tristram commaunded sir Dynadan to fetche the Quene la Beale Isoud and brynge her to his two pauelions that stode by the welle / And soo Dynadan dyd as he was commaunded / But when sir Palomydes vnderstode and wyst that sire Tristram was in

[leaf 270r] the reed armour / and on the reed hors / wete ye wel that he was gladde and soo was sir Gareth and sire Dynadan / For they alle wende that syre Trystram had be taken prysoner And thenne euery knyghte drewe to his Inne / And thenne kynge Arthur and euery knyghte spake of tho knyghtes / but aboue alle men they gaf sire Palomydes the pryce / and alle knyghtes that knewe sire Palomydes had wonder of his dedes / Syre said sir Launcelot vnto Arthur as for sir Palomydes and he be the grene knyghte I dare say as for this daye he is best worthy to haue the degree / for he reposyd hym neuer / ne neuer chaunged his wedys / And he beganne fyrste and lengest held on / and yet wel I wote said sir Launcelot that ther was a better knyght than he / and that shalle be preued or we departe vpon payne of my lyf /

¶ Thus they talked on eyther party / and soo sire Dynadan rayled with sir Tristram & said what the deuyl is vpon the this day / for sir palamydes strength febled neuer this day but euer he doubled his strengthe