¶Capitulum xxxv

THenne alle the estates and degrees hyhe and lowe sa∣yd of syr launcelot grete worship / for the honour that he dyd vnto syr Tristram / and for that honour doyng to sir Tristram he was at that tyme more preysed and renou∣med than and he had ouerthrowen v C knyghtes / and all the peple holy for this gentylnes / fyrst the estates bothe hyhe and lowe / and after the comynalte cryed at ones syre Launcelot hath wonne the felde who soo euer saye nay / Thenne was syre Launcelot wroth and ashamed / and soo there with alle he ro∣de to kynge Arthur / Allas said the kynge we are alle dys∣mayed that syr Tristram is thus departed from vs / By god said kynge Arthur he is one of the noblest knyʒtes that euer I sawe hold spere or swerd in hand / and the moost curteyst knyght in his fyghtyng / for ful hard I sawe hym sayd kyng Arthur whanne he smote syr Palomydes vpon the helme thry¦es / that he abasshed his helme with his strokes / and also he sa¦id / here is a stroke for syr Tristram / and thus thryes he sayd / Thenne kynge Arthur / syr launcelot / and sire Dodynas le sa∣ueage took their horses to seke sir Tristram / and by the menes Page  [unnumbered] of syr Persydes / he had told kyng Arthur where syr Tristram was in his pauelione / but whanne they came there / syr Trist∣ram and sir Dynadan were gone / thenne kynge Arthur and syr launcelot were heny / and retorned ageyne to the castel of maydens makyng grete d•le for the hurte of syre Trystram / & his sodeyne departynge / Soo god me helpe said kyng Arthur I am more heuy that I can not mete with hym / thenne for al the hurtes that alle my knyghtes haue had at the turnement Ryght soo came sir Gaherys and told kynge Arthur how syr Tristram had smyten doune syr Palomydes / and it was atte syr Palomydes owne request / Allas said Kyng Arthur that was grete dishonoure to syre Palomydes in as moche as syre Tristram was sore wounded / and now may we alle kynges and knyʒtes and men of worship saye that syre Tristram may be called a noble knyght and one of the best Knyghtes that e∣uer I sawe the dayes of my lyf / For I wille that ye al kyn∣ges and Knyghtes knowe said Kynge Arthur that I neuer sawe Knyghte doo so merueyllously as he hath done these thre dayes / for he was the first that began and that lengest▪ held on sauf this last day / And though he was hurte it was a manly aduenture of two noble Knyghtes / and whan two noble men encountre nedes must the one haue the werse lyke as god wil suffre at that tyme / ¶As for me said sir launcelot for alle the landes that euer my fader lefte me I wold not haue hurte sir Tristram and I had knowen hym at that tyme / that I hurt hym was for I sawe not his sheld / For and I had sene his black sheld / I wold not haue medled with hym for many causes / for late he dyd as moche for me as euer dyd Knyght and that is wel knowen that he had adoo with thyrtty Knyʒ∣tes / and no helpe saue syr Dynadan / And one thynge shalle I promyse said syr launcelot / syr Palomydes shalle repente it as in his vnkyndely delynge for to folowe that noble knyght that I by myshap hurted thus / Syr launcelot sayd alle the worship that myght be said by sir Tristram / Thenne kyng Ar¦thur made a grete feest to alle that wold come / And thus we lete passe Kynge Arthur / and a lytyl we wille torne vnto sir Palomydes that after he had a falle of sire Tristram / he was nyghe hand araged oute of his wyt for despyte of sir Tristram Page  [unnumbered] And soo he folowed hym by aduenture / And as he came by a ryuer in his woodenes / he wold haue made his hors to haue lepte ouer / and the hors fayled footynge / and felle in the Ry∣uer / wherfore syre palomydes was adrad lest he shold haue ben drouned / and thenne he auoyded his hors / and swamme to the land / and lete his hors goo doune by aduenture /