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 lxxvij

THenne they blewe vnto lodgynge / and Quene Isoud was ledde vnto her pauelions / but wete yow wel she was wrothe oute of mesure with syr Palomydes / for she sawe alle this treason from the begynnynge to the endynge / And all this whyle neyther syr Tristram neyther sir Gareth nor Dynadan knewe not of the treason of sir Palomydes / but afterward ye shalle here that there befelle the grettest debate betwixe syre Tristram and sire Palomydes that myghte be / So whanne the turnement was done / sir Tristram Gareth and Dynadan rode with la Beale Isoud to these pauelions / And euer sire Palomydes rode with them in theyr company desguysed as he was But whanne sir Tristram had aspyed hym that he was the same knyghte with the sheld of syluer / that helde hym soo hote that day / Sir knyghte said sire Tristram wete yow wel here is none that hath nede of youre felauship / and therfore I praye yow departe from vs /

¶ Sire Palomydes ansuerd ageyne as though he had not knowen sir Tristram / wete yow wel sir knyhte from this felaushuip wille I neuer departe / for one of the best knyghtes of the world commaunded me to be in this company / and tyl he discharge me of my seruyse I wille not be discharged / by that sir Tristram knewe that it was sir palomydes A sir palomydes sayd the noble knyghte sire Tristram ar ye suche a knyghte ye haue ben named wronge / For ye haue longe

[leaf 275v] ben called a gentil knyȝt / And as this daye ye haue shewed me grete vngentilnes / For ye hadde al mooste broughte me vnto my dethe / But as for yow I suppose I shold haue done wel ynough / but sir launcelot with yow was ouer moche / for I knowe no knyght lyuynge but sire launcelot is ouer good for hym and he wylle doo his vttermestt / Allas said sir Palomydes ar ye my lord sir Tristram / ye sir and that ye knowe wel ynough / by my knyghthode said Palomydes vntyl now I knewe yow not I wende that ye had ben the Kynge of Irland / for wel I wote ye bare his armes / His armes I bare said syre Tristram / and that wille I stand by / For I wanne them ones in a felde of a ful noble knyghte / his name was sir Marhaus and with grete payne I wanne that knyghte / for there was none other recouer but sir Marhaus dyed thorugh fals leches / & yet was he neuer yolden to me / Sir said Palomydes I wend ye had ben torned vpon sir Launcelots party / and that caused me to torne / ye say wel said sir Tristram/ and so I take you & I forgye yow / Soo thenne they rode in to their pauelions / and whan they were alyȝt they vnarmed them and wasshe theyre faces and handes / and soo yode vnto mete and were sette atte their table / But whanne Isoud sawe sir Palomydes she chaūged thenne her colours & for wrath she myght not speke / Anon sir Tristram aspyed her countenaunce and said Madame / for what cause make ye vs suche chere / we haue ben sore trauailed this day / Myn owne lord said la Beale Isoud for goddes sake be ye not dyspleasyd with me / for I maye none other wyse doo / for I sawe thys day how ye were bitrayed and nyghe broughte to your dethe / Truly syre I sawe euery dele how and in what wyse and therfor syr how shold I suffre in your presence suche a felon and traytour as sir Palomydes / For I sawe hym with myn eyen / how he beheld yow whan ye wente oute of the felde / for euer he houed stylle vpon his hors til he sawe yow come in ageynward / And thēne forth with al I sawe hym ryde to the hurte knyghte and chaunged harneis with hym / And thenne streyghte I sawe hym how he rode in to the felde /

¶ And anone as he had foūde yow / he encountred with yow / and thus wilfully sir Palomydes dyd bataille with yow / & as for hym sir I was not gretely aferd but I dred fore laūcelot

[leaf 276r] that knew yow not / Madame said Palomydes ye maye saye what so ye wyll / I maye not contrary yow but by my knyghthode I knewe not sir Tristram /

¶ Sir Palomydes said sir Tristram I wille take your excuse / but wel I wote ye spared me but lytel / but alle is pardonned on my party / Thenne la beale Isoud held doune her heed and said no more at that tyme /