[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum lv

NOw torne we vnto sir Tristram that as he rode on hun¦tynge / he mette with sire Dynadan that was comen in¦to that countrey to seke syre Tristram / Thenne sire Dy∣nadan told sire Tristram his name / but sire Tristram wold not telle hym his name / wherfore syr Dynadan was wrothe / For suche a foolysshe knyghte as ye are said sire Dynadan I sawe but late this day lyenge by a welle / and he fared as he slepte / and there he lay lyke a foole grymmynge and wold not speke / and his shelde lay by hym / and his hors stode by hym / and wel I wote he was a louer / A fayr syr said syre Tristram are ye not a louer / mary fy on that crafte said sir dy¦nadan / that is euylle said said sire Tristram / for a knyʒt maye neuer be of prowesse / but yf he be a louer / it is wel said said sir Dynadan / Now telle me your name syth ye be a louer / or els I shalle doo bataille with yow / As for that said sir Tristram hit is no reason to fyghte with me / but I telle yow my name And as for that my name shalle ye not wete as at this tyme Fy for shame said Dynadan arte thow a knyghte and darste not telle thy name to me / therfore I wil fyghte with the / As for that said sir Tristram I wylle be aduysed / for I wil not doo batail / but yf me lyst / And yf I doo batail said sire Trist∣ram ye are not able to withstande me / Fy on the coward sayd syre Dynadan / and thus as they houed styl they sawe a kn∣yght came rydyng ageynst them / Lo said sir Tristram see whe∣re cometh a knyght rydynge wyll Iuste with you / Anon as sir Dynadan beheld hym he said that is the same doted knyʒt that I sawe lye by the welle neither slepyng ne wakyng / wel sa∣yde sire Tristram I knowe that knyght wel with the couerd shelde of asure / he is the kynges sone of Northumberland / his name is Epynegrys / and he is as grete a louer as I knowe / and he loueth the kynges doughter of walys a ful fayre lady And now I suppose said sire Tristram / and ye requyre hym / he wille Iuste with yow / and thenne shalle ye preue whether a lo¦uer be a better knyghte or ye that wylle not loue no lady / wel said Dynadan now shalt thou see what I shall do / There with alle sire Dynadan spake on hyghe and said sir knyghte make the redy to Iuste with me / for it is the custome of erraūt knyʒ∣tes one to Iuste with other / Sir said Epynegrys is y^t the rule

of yow arraunt knyghtes for to make a knyght to Iuste will he or nyll / / As for that sayd Dynadan make the redy / for here is for me / And there with al they spored theyr horses & mett to gyders soo hard that Epynegrys smote doune sir Dynadan Thenne sir Tristram rode to sire Dynadan and sayd how now me semeth the louer hath wel spedde / Fy on the Coward sayd syre Dynadan / and yf thow be a good Knyghte reuenge me / Nay said syr Tristram I wylle not Iuste as at this tyme / but take your hors and lete vs goo hens / God defende me sa∣yd syre Dynadan from thy felaushyp / For I neuer sped wel syn I mette with the / and soo they departed / wel sayd sir tris¦tram / peraduenture I coude telle yow tydynges of sir tristram God defende me said Dynadan from thy felaushyp / for sir tris¦tram were mykel the werse / and he were in thy company / and thenne they departed / Syre said sir Tristram yet it may hap∣pen I shal mete with you in other places / so rode syr Tristram vnto Ioyous gard / and there he herd in that toune grete no∣yse and crye / what is this noyse said sire Tristram / Syre sayd they here is a knyght of this castel that hath ben longe among vs / and ryght now he is slayne with two knyghtes / And for none other cause / but that oure knyghte sayd that sir Laū¦celot were a better Knyght than syre Gawayne / that was a symple cause said sir Tristram for to slee a good knyght for to saye wel by his mayster / That is lytel remedy to vs sayde the men of the toune / For and sire Launcelot had ben here / soone we shold haue ben reuenged vpon the fals knyghtes / whan syre Tristram herd them saye soo / he sente for his shelde / & for his spere / and lyghtly within a whyle he had ouertake them / and badde them torne and amende that they had mysdone / What amendes woldest thow haue sayd the one Knyghte / & therwith they tooke theyr cours / and eyther mette other so hard that syr Tristram smote doune that knyghte ouer his hors ta∣yle / Thenne the other knyght dressid hym to syr Tristram / and in the same wyse he serued the other knyghte / ¶And thenne they gate of their horses as wel as they myghte and dressyd their sheldes and swerdes to do their bataile to the vtteraunce Knyghtes said sire Tristram ye shalle telle me of whens ye ar and what be youre names / for suche men ye myʒte be ye shold

hard escape my handes / and ye myghte be suche men of suche a countre / that for alle your euylle dedes ye shold passe quyte / wete thow wel syre Knyghte sayde they we feare not to telle the oure names / for my name is syr Agrauayne / and my na¦me is Gaherys bretheren vnto the good Knyghte sire Gawa∣yne / and we be neuewes vnto kyng Arthur / wel sayd sir tris¦tram for Kynge Arthurs sake I shalle lete yow passe as att this tyme / But hit is shame said sire Tristram that sire Ga∣wayne and ye be comen of soo grete a blood that ye foure bre∣theren are soo named as ye be / For ye be called the grettest des¦troyers and murtherers of good Knyghtes that ben now in this reame / for it is but as I herde saye that syr Gawayne & ye slewe amonge yow a better knyght than euer ye were / that was the noble knyghte syre Lamorak de galys / and hit hadde pleased god sayd syre Tristram I wold I had ben by syre Lamorak at his deth / thenne sholdest thou haue gone the same way said sir Gaherys / Fayre knyghte said syre Tristram ther must haue ben many moo knyghtes than ye are / And there with alle sire Tristram departed fro them toward Ioyous gard And whanne he was departed / they took theyre horses / and the one said to the other / we wylle ouertake hym and be reuen¦ged vpon hym in the despyte of sire Lamorak