[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxiiij /

THēne sir Tristram & sir Dynadan rode forth theire weye tyl they came to the sheepherdes & to the herde men / & the∣re

they asked hem yf they knewe ony lodgynge or herberough there nyghe hand / ¶ Forsothe syrs sayde the herde men / here by is good lodgynge in a castel / But there is suche a customme that there shalle no knyghte be herberowed but yf he Iuste with two knyghtes / and yf he be but one knyghte / he must Iuste with two / And as ye be therin soone shalle ye be matched / There is shrewde herberowe said syre Dynadan / lodge where ye will / for I wille not lodge there / Fy for shame sayd sir Tristram are ye not a knyghte of the table round / wherfore ye may not with your worship refuse your lodgynge / Not soo said the herd men / for and ye be beten / and haue the wers ye shalle not be lodged there / and yf ye bete them ye shalle be wel herberowed A said syr Dynadan they are two sure knyghtes / Thenne sire Dynadan wold not lodge there in no manere / but as sire Tristram requyred hym of his knygthode / and so they rode thyder / and to make shorte tale syr Tristram and sir Dy∣nadan smote hem doune bothe / and soo they entred in to the cas¦tel and had good chere / as they coude thynke or deuyse / And whanne they were vnarmed and thought to be mery and in good rest / there came in at the yates syre Palomydes and syre Gaherys requyrynge to haue the customme of the castel / what aray is this said sire Dynadan / I wold haue my rest / that may not be said sir Tristram / Now must we nedes defende the cus∣tomme of this castel / in soo moche as we haue the better of the lordes of this castel / and therfore saide sire Tristram / nedes muste ye make you redy / In the deuyls name said sir Dyna∣dan came I in to your company / and so they made them redy And sir Gaherys encountred with sire Tristram / and syr Ga∣herys had a falle / and sir Palamydes encountred with sir Dy¦nadan / and sir Dynadan had a falle / thenne was hit fall for falle / Soo thenne muste they fyghte on foote / that wold not syr Dynadan / for he was so sore brysed of the falle that syre Palomydes gaf hym / Thenne sir Tristram vnlaced syre Dy∣nadans helme / and praid hym to helpe hym / I wille not sayde syr Dynadan for I am sore wounded of the thyrtty knyghtes that we hadde but late agoo to doo with alle ¶But ye fa∣re said sire Dynadan vnto syr Tristram as a madde man and as a man y^t is oute of his mynde y^t wold cast hym self awey

and I may curse the tyme that euer I sawe you / For in al the world are not two suche knyghtes that ben so wode as is sire launcelot and ye syr Tristram / for ones I felle in the felauship of syr launcelot as I haue done now with you and he set me a werke that a quarter of a yere I kepte my bedde / Ihesu de∣fende me said syr Dynadan from suche two knyghtes / and spe¦cially from your felauship / Thenne said syre Tristram I will fyghte with hem both / Thenne syr Tristram badde hem come fo∣rth both / for I wille fyghte with you / thenne syr Palomydes and syr Gaherys dressid them / and smote at hem bothe / thenne Dynadan smote at syr Gaherys a stroke or two / and torned from hym / nay said sir Palomydes / it is to moche shame for vs two knyghtes to fyghte with one / And thenne he dyd byd syr Gaherys stande a syde with that knyght that hath no lyste to fyghte / Thenne they rode to gyders and fought longe / and atte¦last syr Tristram doubled his strokes / and drofe syre Palomy∣des a bak / more than thre strydes / And thenne by one assente syre Gaherys and syr Dynadan wente betwixe them / and de∣parted them in sonder / And thenne by assent of syr Tristram they wold haue lodged to gyders / But syre Dynadan wold not lodge in that castel / And thenne he cursed the tyme that e∣uer he came in their feauship / and soo he took his hors / and his harneis / and departed / thenne sir Tristram prayd the lor∣des of that castel to lene hym a man to brynge hym to a lodg∣ynge / and soo they dyd / and ouertoke sir Dynadan / and rode to their lodgynge two myle thens with a good man in a pry¦ory / and there they were wel at ease / And that same nyght sir Bors and sire Bleoberys and sir Ector and syre Dryaunt / abode stylle in the same place there as sire Tristram fouʒt with the thyrtty knyghtes / and there they mette with syr Launcelot the same nyght / and had made promyse to lodge with syr Col¦greuaunce the same nyght /