[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum quartum

ANd thenne he sente his man that hyght Gouernaile / & commaunded hym to goo to a Cyte there by to fetche hym newe harneis / for hit was long tyme afore that / that syre Tristram had ben refresshed / his harneis was brysed & broken And whanne Gouernaile his seruaunt was come with his ap¦parail / he toke his leue at the wydowe / and mounted vpon his hors / and rode his way erly on the morne / And by sodeyn ad¦uenture syr Tristram mette with sir Sagramore le desyrus / & with sir Dodynas le saueage / And these two knyghtes mette with syre Tristram and questyoned with hym / and asked hym yf he wold Iuste with hem / Faire knyghtes said sir Tristram with a good wylle I wold Iuste with you / But I haue promysed at a day sette nere hand to do bataille with a strong knyght / And therfore I am lothe to haue adoo with you / for and hit mysfortuned me here to be hurte I shold not be able to doo my bataille / whiche I promysed / As for that said Sa∣gramor maulgre your hede ye shalle Iuste with vs / or ye passe from vs / well said syr Tristram / yf ye enforce me therto I must doo what I may / And thenne they dressid their sheldes / and came rennynge to gyder with grete yre / But thurgh syr Trist∣rams grete force he strake syr Sagramor from his hors / Then¦ne he hurled his hors ferther / and said to sir Dodynas / knyʒte make the redy / and soo thorou fyne force syre Tristram strake Dodynas from his hors / And whanne he sawe hem lye on the erthe / he took his brydel / and rode forth on his way and his man Gouernaile with hym / Anone as sir Tristram was paste syr Sagramore and sir Dodynas gate ageyne their horses / & mounted vp lyghtely and folowed after sir Tristram / And whan syre Tristram sawe them come soo fast after hym / he retor¦ned with his hors to them / and asked them what they wold Hit is not longe ago sythen I smote you to the erthe at your owne request / and desyre / I wold haue ryden by you / but ye wold not suffre me / and now me semeth ye wold doo more ba¦taille with me / That is trouthe said sire Sagramore and syre

Dodynas / for we wille be reuengyd of the despyte ye haue do¦ne to vs / Faire knyghtes said sir Tristram that shall lytyl ne¦de you / for all that I dyd to you / ye caused hit / wherfore I re∣quyre you of your knygthode leue me as at this tyme / for I am sure and I doo bataille with you I shalle not escape with oute grete hurtes / and as I suppose ye shalle not escape alle lotles / And this is the cause why I am soo loth to haue ado with you / For I must fyghte within these thre dayes with a good knyght and as valyaunt as ony is now lyuynge / and yf I be hurte I shalle not be able to doo bataille with hym / What Knyght is that said sir Sagramor that ye shalle fyghte with alle / Syrs said he it is a good knyght called sir Palo∣mydes / By my hede said sir Sagramor and sire Dodynas ye haue cause to drede hym / for ye shall fynde hym a passyng go∣od knyght / and a valyaunt / And by cause ye shalle haue ado with hym / we wille forbere you as at this tyme / and els ye shold not escape vs lyghtely / But fayr knyght said sir Sa∣gramour telle vs your name / Syr said he my name is sir Tris¦tram de lyones / A said Sagramor and sir Dodynas well be ye fonde / for moche worship haue we herd of you / And thenne ey¦ther took leue of other / and departed on their way /