[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxj

THe knyghte torned his hors / and he made hym redy to fyghte / And thenne sir Trystram smote hym with a swerd suche a buffet / that he tombled to the erthe / And thenne he yelded hym vnto sir Tristram / thenne come thy waye sayd sire Trystram and brynge the child to the lady ageyne / Soo he took his hors wekely and rode with sir Trystram / and thenne by the waye syr Trystram asked hym his name / Then¦ne he said my name is Breunis saunte pyte / Soo whanne he hadde delyuerd that child to the lady / he said / sir as in this the child is wel remedyed / Thenne sir Trystram lete hym goo a∣geyne that sore reyentyd hym after / for he was a grete ••oo vn¦to many good knyghtes of kynge arthurs courte / ¶Thenne whan sir Tristram was in his pauelione / Gouernaile his man cam / and told hym how that kynge anguysshe of Irland was come thyder / and he was putte in grete distresse / and there go¦uernaile told sir Trystram / how kynge anguysshe was somo∣ned and appealed of murther / Soo god me help said sir Tris∣tram these ben the best tydynges that euer cam to me this vij ye¦re / for now shalle the kynge of Irland haue nede of my helpe for I dare saye there is no knyght in this countrey that is not of arthurs courte dare doo bataille with syre Blamore de ga∣nys / and for to wynne the loue of the kyng of Irland I wil take the batail vpon me / and therfor gouernaile brynge me I charge the to the kyng / Thenne Gouernaile wente vnto kynge anguysshe of Irland and sal wed hym fayre / the kynge wel∣comed hym / and asked hym what he wolde / Syr saide Gouer∣naile / here is a knyghte nere hande that desyreth to speke with you / he badde me saye he wolde doo you seruyse / what Knyght is he saide the Kynge / syr he said hit is sir Tristram du ••yonas that for your good grace ye shewed hym in your landes wyll rewarde you in these countreyes / Come on felawe said the ky∣nge with me anone / and shewe me vnto sir Trystram / soo the Kyng took a lytel hackney and but fewe felauship with him vntyl he came vnto sir Trystrams pauelione / and whanne syre Trystram sawe the Kynge / he ranne vnto hym and wold haue holden his styrope / But the kynge lepte from his hors lyght∣ly / and eyther hal••ed other in armes / my gracious Lord sayde sire Trystram gramercy of your grete goodnesses shewed vn¦to

me in your marches and landes / And at that tyme I pro¦mysed you to doo my seruyse / and euer it laye in my power / & gentyl knyght said the kynge vnto sir Tristram / now haue I grete nede of you / neuer had I soo grete nede of no knyghtes helpe / How soo my good lord said sire Trystram / I shalle telle you said the kynge I am assomoned and appeled fro my co∣untrey for the deth of a knyght that was kyn vnto the good knyght sir Launcelot / wherfor sir Blamor de ganys broder to sir Bleoberys hath appeled me to fyghte with hym / outher to fynde a knyght in my stede / And wel I wote said the kyng these that are come of kynge Bans blood as sir Launcelot & these other are passynge good knyghtes and hard •• men for to wynne in bataille as ony that I knowe now lyuynge / Syre said sir Trystram / for the good lordship ye shewed me in Ir¦land and for my lady youre doughters sake / La Beale I∣soud I wille take the bataille for you vpon this condycyon / that ye shalle graūte me two thynges / that one is that ye shal swere to me that ye are in the ryght that ye were neuer consen¦tynge to the knyʒtes dethe / Syr thenne said sir Tristram when that I haue done this bataille yf god yeue me grace that I spede that ye shalle gyue me a reward what thynge resonable that I wille aske of you / Soo god me help said the kyng ye shal haue what someuer ye will aske / It is wel said / said sir Trystram