[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxxvj /

ANd whanne he came to the land he took of his harne∣is / and satte rorynge and cryenge as a man oute of his mynde / Ryght so came a damoysel euen by syr Palomydes that was sente fro syr Gawayne and his broder vnto sir mor∣dred that lay seke in the same place with that old knyʒt whe∣re syr Tristram was / For as the Frensshe book saith syr Per¦sydes hurte soo syr Mordred a ten dayes afore / and had not ben for the loue of sir Gawayne and his broder / syr Persydes had slayne sir Mordred / and soo this damoysel came by sir pa¦lomydes / and s̄he and he had langage to gyder / the whiche ple¦asyd neyther of them / and soo the damoysel rode her Wayes tyl she came to the old knyghtes place / & there she told that old knyght how she mette with the woodest knyght by aduenture that euer she mette with all / what bare he in his sheld said sir Tristram / hit was endented with whyte and black saide the damoysel / A said sir Tristram that was sir palomydes / the go∣od knyght / For wel I knowe hym said sir Tristram for one of the best knyghtes lyuynge in this realme / Thenne that old knyght took a lytel hackney and rode for syre palomydes / and brought hym vnto his owne manoyr / and ful wel knewe sire Tristram syr Palomydes / but he said but lytel / for at that ty∣me syr Tristram was walkyng vpon his feet / and wel amen¦ded of his hurtes / and alweyes whan sire Palomydes sawe syr Tristram / he wold behold hym ful merueillously / And euer hym s••med that he hadde sene hym / Thenne wold he saye vnto syre Dynadan and euer I may mete with syre Tristram he shal not escape myn handes / I merueile said sir Dynadan y^t

ye booste behynde syr Tristram / for it is but late that he was in youre handes / and ye in his handes / why wold ye not holde hym whanne ye hadde hym / for I sawe my self twyes or thry∣es that ye gat but lytel worship of sir Tristram / thenne was syr Palomydes ashamed / Soo leue we them a lytyl whyle in the old castel / with the old knyght sir Darras / ¶ Now shall we speke of Kynge Arthur / that said to sir Launcelot had not ye ben / we had not lost syre Tristram / for he was here dayly vn¦to the tyme ye mette with hym / and in an euylle tyme sayd Arthur ye encountred with hym / My lord Arthur said Laun¦celot ye putte vpon me that I shold ben cause of his departy∣cyon / god knoweth hit was ageynste my wille / But whan men ben hote in dedes of armes ofte they hurte their frendes as wel as their foes / And my lord said sir launcelot ye shal vn¦derstande that sir Tristram is a man that I am loth to offende for he hath done for me more than euer I dyd for hym as yet / But thenne sir Launcelot made brynge forth a book and thē∣ne sir launcelot said / here we are ten Knyghtes that wil swe∣re vpon a book neuer to reste one nyght where we rest another this twelue moneth vn tyl that we fynde syr Tristram / And as for me said syre Launcelot I promyse you vpon this book that and I may mete with hym / outher with fayrenes or foul¦nesse I shalle brynge hym to this courte / or els I shalle dye therfore / And the names of these ten knyghtes that hadde vn¦dertake this quest were these folowynge / Fyrst was sir Laun¦celot / syr Ector de Marys / syr Bors de ganys and Bleoberis and syre Blamor de ganys / and Lucan the botteler / syr Vwa¦yne / syr Galyhud / Lyonel and Galyodyn / Soo these x noble knyghtes departed from the courte of kynge Arthur / and soo they rode vpon their quest to gyders vntyl they came to a cro∣sse where departed four wayes / and there departed the felau∣ship in four to seke syr Tristram / And as syr launcelot rode by aduenture he mette with dame Brangwayn that was sent in to that countrey to seke sir Tristram / and she fled as faste as her palfrey myght goo / Soo sire Launcelot mette with her and asked her why she fledde / ¶A fayre knyghte said dame Brangwayne I flee for drede of my lyf / for here foloweth me syr Breuse saunce pyte to slee me / Hold you nyghe me sayd

sir launcelot / Thenne whanne sire Launcelot sawe sir Breuse saunce pyte / syr launcelot cryed vnto hym / and said / fals kn∣yght destroyer of ladyes and damoysels / now thy last dayes be come / whanne sire Breuse saunce pyte sawe sire launcelots sheld he knewe hit wel / for at that tyme he bare not the armes of Cornewaile / but he bare his owne shelde / And thenne syre Breuse fled / and syr Tristram folowed after hym / But sir Breuse was soo wel horsed that whan hym lyst to flee he my∣ght wel flee / and also abyde whan hym lyst / And thenne sire launcelot retorned vnto dame Brangwayne and she thanked hym of his grete labour /