[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxv

THus as sire Trystram and la beale Isoud were in pry¦son / hit happed a knyght and a lady came vnto them / where they were to chere them / I haue merueille said Tristram vnto the knyʒt and the lady what is the cause the lord of this Castel holdeth vs in pryson / hit was neuer the custome of no place of worship that euer I came in / whan a knyghte and a lady asked herborugh / and they to receyue hem / & after to des∣troye them that ben his gestes / Syr said the knygʒt this is the old custome of this castel that whan a knyght cometh here / he must nedes fyghte with our lord / and he that is weyker muste lese his hede / And whan that is done yf his lady that he bryn∣geth / be fouler than our lordes wyf / she must lese her heede / And yf she be fayrer preued than is oure lady / thenne shal the la∣dy of this castel lese her heede / Soo god me help said sire Tris∣tram this is a fowle custome and a shameful / But one auaū∣tage haue I said sir Trystram I haue a lady is fayre ynouʒ fayrer sawe I neuer in alle my lyfe dayes / And I doubte

not for lack of beaute she shalle not lese her heed / and rather than I shold lese my heede I wille fyghte for hit on a fayre felde / ¶ Wherfore Syre knyght I pray you telle your lord that I wille be redy as to morne with my lady and my selfe to doo batail yf hit be so I maye haue my hors and myne armour / Syre said that knyght I vndertake that youre desyre shalle be spedde ryght wel /

And thenne he sayd take youre rest and loke that ye be vp by tymes and make you redy and your lady / for ye shall wan∣te no thynge that you behoueth / and ther with he departed and on the morne by tymes that same knyghte came to sire Trys∣tram and fetched hym oute and his lady & brouʒte hym hors and armour that was his owne / and badde hym make hym redy to the feld / for alle the estates and comyns of that lord∣ship were there redy to behold that bataille and Iugement /

¶ Thenne came syre Breunor the lord of that Castel wyth his lady in his hand muffeld / and asked syre Trystram whe¦re was his lady / for and thy lady be fayrer than myn wyth thy swerd smyte of my ladyes hede / and yf my lady be fayrer than myn / with my swerd I muste stryke of her heed / And yf I maye wynne the / yet shalle thy lady be myne / and thou shalt lese thy hede / ¶Syre said Trystram this is a fowle custome and horryble / and rather than my lady shold lese her heed / yet had I leuer lese my hede /

¶Nay nay said sire Breunor the ladyes shalle be fyrst she∣wed to gyder / and the one shalle haue her Iugement / Nay I wille not soo said sire Tristram / For here is none that wille gyue ryghteuous Iugement / But I doubte not said sir Tris∣tram my lady is fayrer than thyne / And that wille I preue and make good with my hand / And who someuer he be that wille saye the contrary I wille preue hit on his hede And there with sire Tristram shewed la beale Isoud / and torned her thryes aboute with his naked swerd in his hand And whanne syre Breunor sawe that he dyd the same wy∣se torne his lady / But whanne syre Breunor beheld la beale Isoud / hym thought he sawe neuer a fayrer lady / and then∣ne he dradde his ladyes hede shold be of / and soo al the peple

that were there present gaf Iugement that la beale Isoud was ••he fayrer lady and the better made / how now said sir Tristrā¦me semeth it were pyte that my lady shold lose her heed / but by cause thou and she of long tyme haue vsed this wycked cus¦tome / and by you bothe haue many good knyghtes and la∣dyes ben destroyed / for that cause it were no losse to destroye you bothe / Soo god me help said sir Breunor for to saye the so••he / thy lady is fayrer than myn / and that me sore repenteth And soo I here the peple pryuely saye / for of alle wymmen I sawe none soo fayre / and therfor and thou wilt slee my lady I doute not but I shal slee the and haue thy lady / ¶Thou shalt wynne her said sir Trystram as dere as euer knyʒt wan lady / And by cause of thyn owne Iugement as thou woldest haue done to my lady yf that she had ben fouler / and by cause of the euyl custome gyue me thy lady said Trystram / & there with alle sir Tristram strode vnto hym and toke his lady from hym / and with an auke stroke he smote of her hede clene / wel knyght said sir Breunor now hast thou done me a despyte /