[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xvij

SYr Palomydes said Dynadan here is a Castell that I knowe wel / and therin duelleth Quene Morgan le fay Kynge Arthurs syster / And kynge Arthur gafe her this Castel / the whiche he hath repented hym sythen a thousand ty¦mes / for sythen kynge Arthur and she haue ben at debate and stryfe / but this castel coude he neuer gete nor wynne of her by no maner of engyne / And euer as she myght she made werre on kynge Arthur / And alle daungerous knyghtes she with∣holdeth with her for to destroye alle these knyghtes that Kynge Arthur loueth / And there shalle noo Knyghte passe this way but he muste Iuste with one knyght or with two or with thre And yf hit happe that Kyng Arthurs knyght be beten / he shal lefe his hors and his harneis / and alle that he hath / and hard yf that he escape / but that he shalle be prysoner /

¶Soo god me helpe said Palomydes this is a shameful cus∣tomme and a vylaynous vsaunce for a Quene to vse / And namely to make suche werre vpon her owne lord / that is cal∣led the floure of chyualry that is Crysten or hethen / and with alle my hert I wold destroye that shameful customme / And I wille that alle the world wete she shalle haue no seruyse of me / And yf she sende oute ony knyghtes / as I suppose she wil for to Iuste they shalle haue bothe their handes ful /

And I shalle not fayle you said sir Dynadan vnto my pu∣yssaunce vpon my lyf / Soo as they stode on horsbak afore the Castel / there came a Knyght with a reed sheld and ij squye∣rs after hym / And he came streyght vnto syre Palomydes the good Knyghte / and sayd to hym / Fayre and gentyl Knyʒt

erraunt I requyre the for the loue thou owest vnto knyghthode that ye wille not haue adone here with these men of thys Cas∣tell / for this was sire Lamorack that thus said / For I came hydder to seke this dede / and hit is my request / And therfor I biseche you knyght lete me dele / and yf I be beten / reuenge me / In the name of god said Palomydes / lete see how ye wil spede / and we shalle behold you / ¶ Thenne anone came forth a knyght of the Castel and profered to Iuste with the knyʒte with the reed sheld / Anone they encountred to gyders / and he with the reed shelde smote hym soo hard that he bare hym ouer to the erthe / There with anone came another Knyght of the cas¦tel / and he was smyten so sore that he auoyded his sadel / And forth with alle came the thyrd knyghte / and the knyght with the reed shelde smote hym to the erthe / Thenne came sir Palo∣mydes and besought hym that he myght helpe hym to Iuste Faire knyght said he vnto hym suffre me as at this tyme to ha¦ue my wylle / For and they were twenty knyghtes I shalle not doubte them / And euer there were vpon the wallys of the castel many lordes and ladyes that cryed and said wel haue ye Iusted knyght with the reed shelde / ¶But as soone as the Knyght had smyten hem doune / his squyer toke their horses / & auoyded their sadels and brydels of the horses / and tourned them in to the forest / and made the knyghtes / to be kepte to the ende of the Iustes / Ryght soo came oute of the castel the fourth Knyght / and fresshly proferd to Iuste with the knyghte with the reed shelde / and he was redy / and he smote hym soo hard / that hors and man felle to the erthe / & the knyghtes bak brak with the falle and his neck also / O Ihesu said syr Palomydes that yonder is a passyng good knyʒt / and the best Iustar that euer I sawe / By my hede said sir Dynadan he is as good as euer was sir launcelot or sir Tristram what knyghte someuer he be /