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 lxxx

[leaf 278r]

THenne sir Tristram called vnto hym syr Palomydes/ syr Gareth and syr Dynadan / and sayd thus to them my fayre felawes wete ye wel that I will torne vnto kynge Arthurs party / for I sawe neuer soo fewe men doo soo wel / and hit wille be shame vnto vs knyghtes that ben of the round table to see our lord kynge Arthur and that noble knyght sire Launcelot to be dishonoured / It wille be wel do said sire Gareth / and syr Dynadan / do your best said palomydes / for I wille not chaunge my party that I came in with al That is for my sake said sir Tristram / god spede yow in your Iourneye / and soo departed syr Palomydes fro them / Thenne sir Tristram Gareth and Dynadan torned with sir launcelot And thenne syr launcelot smote doune the kynge of Irland quyte from his hors / and so syr launcelot smote doune the kynge of Scottes and the Kynge of walys / and thenne sir arthur ranne vnto syre Palomydes and smote hym quyte from his hors / and thenne syr Tristram bare doune alle that he mett Syr Gareth and sir Dynadan dyd there as noble knyghtes/ thenne al the partyes beganne to flee / Allas said Palomydes that euer I shold see this day / for now haue I lost al the worship that I wanne / and thēne sir palomydes wente his way waylynge / and soo withdrewe hym tyl he came to a welle and there he putte his hors from hym / and dyd of his armour and wayled and wepte lyke as he had ben a wood man / Thenne many Knyghtes gaf the pryce to syre Tristram / and there were many that gaf the pryce vnto syre Launcelot /

¶ Fair lordes said sir Tristram I thanke yow of the honour ye wold yeue me / but I pray yow hertely that ye wold gyue your voys to syr launcelot / for by my feythe said syre Trystram / I wille gyue sir launcelot my voys / but syre launcelot wold not haue hit / and so the pryce was gyuen betwix them bothe / Thenne euery man rode to his lodgynge and syr bleoberis and syr Ector rode with sir Tristram and la Beale Isoud vnto her pauelions / Thenne as syr Palomydes was atte well waylynge and wepynge / there came by hym fleyng the kyng of walys and of Scotland / and they sawe syre Palomydes in that arage / Allas said they that soo noble a man as ye be/ shold be in this araye / & thenne tho kynges gat sir palomydes

[leaf 278v] hors ageyne / and made hym to arme hym and mounte vpon his hors / and soo he rode with hem makyng grete dole /

¶ Soo whan sire Palomydes came nyghe the pauelions there as syre Tristram and La beale Isoud was in / thenne sire palomydes prayd the two kynges to abyde hym there the whyle that he spake with sir Tristram / And whanne he came to the porte of the pauelions / syre palomydes said on hyghe where arte thow syr Tristram de lyones / Syr said Dynadan that is palomydes What sir Palomydes wille ye not come in here amonge vs / Fy on the traytour sayd Palomydes / for wete yow wel and hit were day lyght as it is nyght I shold slee the myn owne handes / And yf I euer maye gete the said Palomydes thou shalt dye for this dayes dede / Sir Palomydes said sir Tristram ye wyte me with wronge / for had ye done as I dyd ye hadde wonne worship / But sythen ye gyue me soo large warnynge/ I shalle be wel ware of yow / Fy on the traitour saide Palomydes / and there with departed / Thenne on the morne sir Tristram / Bleoberis and sir Ector de marys / sir Gareth / syr Dynadan what by water and what by lond they brought la beale Isoud vnto Ioyous gard / and there reposed them a vij nyghte / and made alle the myrthes and disportes that they coude deuyse / and kyng Arthur and his knyghtes drewe vnto Camelot / and syre Palomydes rode with the two kynges / And euer he made the grettest dole that ony man coude thynke for he was not alle only soo dolorous for the departyng from la beale Isoud / but he was a parte as sorouful to departe from the felauship of sir Tristram / for sire Tristram was soo kynd and soo gentyl that whanne sire Palomydes remembrid hym therof he myghte neuer be mery