[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum lxxiiii

THenne there was a crye vnto all knyghtes that when they herd an horne blowe they shold make Iustes as they dyd the fyrst day / And lyke as the bretheren sire

Edward and sir Sadok beganne the Iustes the fyrst daye / sir Vwayne the kynges sone Vreyn and sir lucanere de buttelere beganne the Iustes the second day / And at the fyrst encountre syr Vwayne smote doune the kynges sone of S••ottes / and syr Lucanere ranne ageynste the kynge of walys / and they brake their speres alle to pyeces / and they were soo fyers bothe / that they hurtled to gyders that bothe felle to the erthe / ¶ Thenne they of Dorkeney horsed ageyne syr Lucanere / And thenne came in syr Tristram de Lyones / and thenne syr Tristram smo¦te doune syr Vwayne / and syre Lucanere and syre Palomy∣des smote doune other two Knyghtes / and syre Gareth smote doune other two Knyghtes / Thenne said syre arthu•• vnto syr Launcelot / see yonder thre knyghtes doo passyngly wel / & na∣mely the fyrst that Iusted / Sir said launcelot that Knyghte beganne not yet / but ye shalle see hym this day doo merueyl∣lously / and thenne came in to the place the dukes sone of Or∣keney / and thenne they beganne to do many dedes of armes / ¶Whan syre Tristram sawe them soo begynne / he said to Pa∣lomydes / how fele ye your self / maye ye doo this daye as ye dyd yesterday / Nay said Palomydes I fele my self soo wery and soo sore brysed of the dedes of yesterday that I maye not endu∣re as I dyd yesterday / That me repenteth said syre Tristram / for I shall lacke yow this day / Sire Palomydes saide truste not to me / for I maye not doo as I dyd / alle these wordes said Palomydes for to begyle syr Tristram / Syr said syr Tristram vnto syr Gareth thenne muste I truste vpon yow wherfor I praye yow be not ferre from me to rescowe me / and nede be sa∣id Gareth I shalle not fayle yow in alle that I maye doo ¶Thenne syr Palomydes rode by hym self / and thenne in des¦pyte of syr Tristram he putte hym self in the thyckest prees a¦monge them of Dorkeney / and there he dyd soo merueyllous dedes of armes that alle men had wonder of hym / for there myghte none s••ande hym a st••oke / whanne syre Tristram sawe syre Palomydes doo suche dedes / he merueylled and sayd to hym self / he is wery of my company / Soo syr Tristram beheld hym a grete whyle and dyd but lytel els / for the noyse and crye was soo huge / and grete / that syre Tristram merueylled / from w••ens came the strengthe that sire Palomydes had there

in the felde / Syr said sire Gareth vnto syr Tristram / remembre ye not of the wordes that syr Dynadan sayd to yow yesterday when he called yow coward / for sothe sir he said it for none yf for ye are the man in the world that he moost loueth / and alle that he sayd was for your worship / And therfore said sir Ga∣reth to sir Tristram lete me knowe this daye what ye be / & won∣dre ye not soo vpon sire Palomydes / for he enforceth hym self to wynne alle the worship and honour from yow / I maye well byleue it said sir Tristram / And sythen I vnderstande his euyl wylle and his enuy / ye shalle see / yf that I enforce my selfe / that the noyse shalle be lefte that now is vpon hym /

Thenne sire Tristram rode in to the thyckest of the prees / & then∣ne he dyd soo merueyllously wel / and dyd soo grete dedes of armes that alle men sayd that sire Tristram dyd double so mo¦che dedes of armes as syre Palomydes had done afore hand / And thenne the noyse wente playne from sire Palomydes / and alle the peple cryed vpon sir Tristram / O Ihesu said the peple see how sire Tristram smyteth doune with his spere soo many knyghtes / And see saide they all how many knyghtes he smy¦teth doune with his suerd / and of how many knyghtes he ras∣shed of their helmes and their sheldes / and soo he bete them al of Orkeney afore hym / How now said sir launcelot vnto ky∣nge Arthur / I told yow that this daye there wold a knyʒt playe his pagent / yonder rydeth a knyʒt ye may see he doth kny¦ghtely / for he hath strengthe and wynde So god me help said Arthur to Launcelot ye saye sothe / for I sawe neuer a better knyghte / for he passeth fer sire Palomydes / Syre wete ye well sayd launcelot hit muste be soo of ryghte / for hit is hym selfe that noble knyght syr Tristram / I maye ryght wel byleue it said Arthur / But whan sire Palomydes herd the noyse and the crye was torned from hym / he rode oute on a parte / and be∣held sir Tristram / And whanne sire Palomydes sawe sir Tris¦tram do so merueyllously wel / he wepte passyngly sore for des¦pyte / for he wiste wel / he shold no worship wynne that daye / for wel knewe sire Palomydes whanne sire Tristram wold put forth his strengthe and his manhode he shold gete but ly∣tyl worship that daye