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

[leaf 277r]

¶ Capitulum lxxix

THenne sir Tristram lete calle sir Palomydes / and bad hym make hym redy / for it was tyme to go to the felde whan they were redy they were armed and clothed al in reed bothe Isoud and alle they / and soo they lad her passynge fresshely thurgh the feld in to the pryory where was her lodgynge / and thenne they herd thre blastes blowe / and euery kynge and knyghte dressid hym vnto the felde / and the fyrste that was redy to Iuste was sir Palomydes and sir Kaynus le straunge a knyghte of the table round / And soo they two encountred to gyders / but sire Palomydes smote sir Kaynus soo hard that he smote hym quyte ouer his hors croupe / and forth with alle sir Palomydes smote doune another knyght and brake thenne his spere & pulled oute his swerd and did wonderly wel / And thenne the noyse beganne gretely vpon sir palomydes / loo said Kynge Arthur yonder palomydes begynneth to play his pagent / So god me help said Arthur he is a passynge good knyght / And ryght as they stood talkyng thus in came sir Tristram as thonder / and he encountred with syre Kay the Seneschall / and there he smote hym doune quyte from his hors / and with that same spere sir Tristram smote doune thre knyghtes moo / and thenne he pulled oute his swerd and dyd merueyllously / Thenne the noyse and crye chaunged from syr Palomydes and torned to sir Tristram and alle the peple cryed O Tristram O Tristram / And thenne was sir Palomydes clene forgeten / How now said Launcelot vnto Arthur / yonder rydeth a knyght that playeth his pagents / So god me help said Arthur to launcelot ye shalle see this daye that yonder two knyghtes shalle here doo this day wonders / Syr said Launcelot the one knyght wayteth vpon the other / and enforceth hym self thurgh enuy to passe the noble knyght sire Tristram / and he knoweth not of the pryuy enuy / the whiche syre Palomydes hath to hym / For all that the noble syre Tristram dothe is thorou clene knygthode / And thenne sire Gareth and Dynadan dyd wonderly grete dedes of armes as two noble knyghtes soo that Kyng Arthur spak of them grete honour &

[leaf 277v] worship / and the kynges and knyghtes of sir Tristrams syde did passyngly wel / and helde them truly to gyders / Thenne sir Arthur and sir Launceloot took their horses and dressid them and gete in to the thyckest of the prees / And there syr Tristram vnknowyng smote doune kyng Arthur / and thenne syre launcelot wold haue rescowed hym / but there were soo many vpon sir launcelot that they pulled hym doune from his hors / And thenne the kynge of Irland and the kynge of Scottes with their Knyghtes dyd their payne to take kynge Arthur/ and sir launcelot prysoner / Whanne syr Launcelot herd hem say soo he ferd as hit had ben an hongry lyon / for he ferd so that no knyghte durste nyghe hym / Thenne came sir Ector de maris and he bare a spere ageynst sire Palomydes / and brast it vpon hym alle to sheuers / And thenne syr Ector came ageyne and gaf sire Palomydes suche a dasshe with a swerd that he stouped doune vpon his sadel bowe / And forth with alle syre Ector pulled doune sir Palomydes vnder his feete / And thenne syr Ector de marys gate sir launcelot du lake an hors / and brought hit to hym / and badde hym mounte vpon hym / But sir Palomydes lepte afore and gatte the hors by the brydel / & lepte in to the sadel / Soo god me helpe said launcelot ye are better worthy to haue that hors than I / Thenne sir Ector broughte syr launcelot an other hors / gramercy sayd launcelot vnto his broder /

¶ And so when he was horsed ageyne/ with one spere he smote doune four knyghtes / And thenne sir Launcelot broughte to kynge Arthur one of the best of the iiij horses / Thenne syr launcelot with kynge Arthur and a fewe of his Knyghtes of sire Launcelots kynne dyd merueyllous dedes / for that tyme as the booke recordeth syr launcelot smote doune and pulled doune thyrtty knyghtes / Not withstandyng the other parte held them soo fast to gyders that kyng arthur and his knyghtes were ouermatched / And whanne sir Trisram sawe that what labour Kyng Arthur and his knyghtes and in especyal the noble dedes that syre launcelot dyd with his owne handes he merueylled gretely