[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xlij

SOo thenne sire Tristram took his leue of the Quene / and took the sheld with hym / Thenne came the knyʒte that helde Quene Morgan le fay / his name was syre Hymeson / and he made hym redy to folowe syre Tristram / fayr frende said Morgan ryde not after that knyght / for ye shalle not wynne no worship of hym / Fy on hym coward saide sire Hemyson / for I wyst neuer good knyghte come oute of Cor∣newaile / but yf hit were syr Tristram de Lyones / what & that be he said she / Nay nay said he / he is with la beale Isoud and this is but a daffyssh knyght / Allas my fair frende ye shalle fynde hym the best knyght that euer ye mette with alle / For I knowe hym better than ye doo / for your sake said sir Hemyson I shalle slee hym / A fayr frende said the Quene me repenteth that ye wylle folowe that knyght / for I fere me sore of youre ageyne comynge / with this / this knyghte rode his waye woode wrothe / and he rode after syr Tristram as fast as he hadde ben chaced with knyghtes / Whanne sir Tristram herd a knyghte come after hym soo fast / he retorned aboute / and sawe a knyʒt comynge ageynst hym / And whanne he came nyghe to sir Tris¦tram / he cryed on hyghe syr knyght kepe the from me / Thenne they rasshed to gyders as hit had ben thonder / and sir Hemy∣son brysed his spere vpon syr Tristram / but his harneis was soo good that he myght not hurte hym / And syre Trystram smote hym harder and bare hym thorou the body / and fylle ouer his hors croupe / Thenne sire Tristram torned to haue do∣ne more with his swerd / but he sawe soo moche blood go from hym that hym s••med he was lykely to deye / And so he depar∣ted from hym / and came to a fayre manoyre to an old knyʒt and there syre Tristram lodged

¶ Now leue to speke of sir Tristram / and speke we of the knyght that was wounded to the dethe / thenne his varlet aly∣ght and took of his helme / and thēne he asked his lord whether there were ony lyf in hym / there is in me lyf saide the knyghte but hit is but lytyl / and therfore lepe thou vp behynde me / whan thou hast holpen me vp / and holde me fast that I falle not / and brynge me to Quene Morgan le fay / for depe drauʒ∣tes of dethe drawen to my herte that I may not lyue / for I wold fayne speke with her or I dyed / For els my soule wyll

be in grete perylle and I dye / for with grete payne his varlet brought hym to the Castel / and there syr Hemyson fylle doun dede / whanne Morgan le fay sawe hym dede / she made grete so∣rou oute of reason / And thenne she lete despoylle hym vnto his shyrde / and soo she lete hym putte in to a tombe / And aboute the tombe she lete wryte / Here lyeth syr Hemyson slayne by the handes of sire Tristram de lyones / ¶ Now torne we vnto syre Tristram that asked the knyght his hoost yf he sawe late ony knyghtes aduenturous / Sir he said the last nyght here lodged with me Ector de marys and a damoysel with hym / and that damoysel told me that he was one of the best knyghtes of the world / that is not soo said sir Tristram / for I knowe four bet¦ter knyghtes of his owne blood / and the fyrst is syr launce∣lot du lake / calle hym the best knyght / and sir Bors de ganys Syr Bleoberys / syr Blamor de ganys and syr Gaheris / nay said his hoost / sir Gawayne is a better knyght than he / that is not soo said syr Tristram / for I haue mette with hem bothe / & I felte syr Gaherys for the better knyght and sir Lamorak I calle hym as good as ony of them / excepte sir launcelot / Why name ye not sir Tristram said his hoost / for I accompte hym as good as ony of them / I knowe not sire Tristram said tris¦tram / thus they talked and bourded as longe as them lyste / and thenne wente to reste / And on the morne sir Tristram de∣parted and took his leue of his hoost / and rode toward the roche deure / and none aduenture had sire Tristram but that / & soo he rested not tyl he came to the castel where he sawe fyue C¦tentys