[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xij

ANd this meane whyle there came sire Palomydes the good knyght folowynge the questynge beest that hadde in shap a hede lyke a serpents hede / and a body lyke a lybard / buttocks lyke a lyon / and foted lyke an herte / and in his body there was suche a noyse as hit had ben the noyse of thyrtty coupel of hoūdes questyng / and suche a noyse that beest made where someuer he wente / & this beest euermore syr palo∣mydes folowed / for hit was called his quest / & ryʒt so as he fo¦lowed this beest / it came by syr Tristram / and soone after cam

Palamydes / and to breue this matere / he smote doune sir tris∣tram and sir Lamorak bothe with one spere / and soo he depar∣ted after the beste Glatysaunt / that was called the questynge beest / wherfore these two knyghtes were passynge Wrothe / that sir Palomydes wold not fyghte on foote with hem /

¶Here men may vnderstande / that ben of worship that he was neuer fourmed that alle tymes myght stande / but somtyme he was putte to the werse by male fortune / And at somme tyme the wers knyghte putte the better knyghte to a rebuke / Then∣ne sire Tristram and sire Lamorak gate sire kehydius vpon a sheld betwixe them bothe / and ledde hym to a fosters lodge / & there they gaf hym in charge to kepe hym well / and with hym they abode thre dayes / Thenne the two knyghtes toke their hor¦ses / and at the crosse they departed / And thenne said sir Tris¦tram to sire Lamorak I requyre you yf ye happe to mete wyth sir Palamydes / say hym that he shal fynde me atte same welle there I mette hym / and there I sire Tristram shalle preue whe∣ther he be better knyght than I / and soo eyther departed from other a sondry way / and sire tristram rode nyghe there as was sire kehydius / and sire Lamorak rode vntyl he came to a chap¦pel / and there he putte his hors vnto pasture / and anone there came sir Melyagaunce that was kynge Bagdemagus sone / & he there putte his hors to pasture / and was not ware of sir la¦morak / and thenne this knyght sire Melliagaunce maade his mone of the loue that he hadde to quene Gueneuer / and there he made a woful complaynte / All this herd sire Lamorak / and on the morne sir lamorak took his hors and rode vnto the fo∣rest / and there he mette with two knyghtes houynge vnder the wood shawe / Faire knyghtes said sire Lamorak what doo ye houynge here and watchynge / And yf ye be knyghtes arraunt that wille Iuste / loo I am redy / Nay sir knyght they said / not soo / we abyde not here for to Iuste with you / but we lye here in a wayte of a Knyghte that slewe our broder /

¶What knyght was that said sir Lamorak that ye wold fa∣yne mete with all / Syre they said / hit is sire launcelot that sle∣w•• oure broder / And yf euer we maye mete with hym / he shal not escape but we shalle slee hym / ¶ Ye take vpon you a

grete charge saide sire Lamorak / for sire launcelot is a noble proued knyʒt / As for that we doute not / for there nys none of vs but we are good ynough for hym I will not bileue that said sir Lamorak / For I herd neuer yet of no knyght the da¦yes of my lyf but sir launcelot was to bygge for hym