[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum lxxxv

WHen sir Tristram herd how sir palomydes went to his deth / he was heuy to here that / and said how be it that I am wroth with sir palomydes / yet wil not I suffre hym to dye so shameful a deth for he is a ful noble knyʒt / & thenne anon sir Tristram was armed & toke his hors & two squyers wyth hym / & rode a grete paas towarde the castel of pelownes where sir palomydes was Iuged to deth / & these twelue knyytes that led sir palomydes passed by a welle where as sir laūcelot was whiche was alyghte there & had teyed his hors to a tree & ta∣ken of his helme to drynke of that welle / & whan he saw these

knyghtes / syr launcelot putte on his helme / and suffred them to passe by hym / And thenne was he ware of sire Palomydes bounden and ledde shamefully to his dethe / O Ihesu said laun¦celot what mysauenture is befalle hym that he is thus ledde to¦ward his dethe / Forsoth said launcelot it were shame to me / to suffre this noble knyght soo to dye and I myʒte helpe hym therfor I wille helpe hym what someuer come of hit / or els I shal dye for syr Palomydes sake / ¶And thenne sir launcelot mounted vpon his hors and gate his spere in his hand / and rode after the twelue knyghtes that ledde sir Palomydes / Fair knyghtes said sir Launcelot whyder lede ye that knyʒt / it bysemeth hym ful ylle to ryde bounden / Thenye these twelue Knyghtes sodenly torned their horses / and said to sir launce∣lot / syr Knyghte we counceille the not to medle with this kn∣yght / for he hath deserued deth / and vnto dethe he is juged / that me repenteth said launcelot that I may not borowe hym with fayrenesse / for he is ouer good a knyghte to dye suche a shame¦ful dethe / And therfor fayre knyghtes said syr launcelot kepe yow as wel as ye can / for I will rescowe that knyght or dye for it / Thenne they beganne to dresse their speres / and sir laun¦celot smote the formest doune hors and man / and so he serued thre moo with one spere / and thenne that spere brast / and there with al sir launcelot drewe his swerd / and thenne he smote on the ryght hand and on the lyfte hand / thenne within a why∣le he lefte none of tho twelue knyghtes / but he had leyd them to the erthe / and the moost party of hem were sore wounded / & thenne syr Launcelot took the best hors that he fonde and lou∣sed sire Palomydes / and sette hym vpon that hors / and so they retorned ageyne vnto Ioyous gard / & thenne was sir Palo∣mydes ware of sir Tristram how he came rydynge / And whan sir Launcelot sawe hym / he knewe hym wel / but sir Tristram knewe not hym by cause syre Launcelot had on his sholder a golden shelde / Soo syr launcelot made hym redy to juste with syr Tristram / that sire Tristram sholde not wene that he were syre Launcelot / Thenne sir Palomydes cryed on lowde to syr Tristram O my lorde I requyre yow juste not with this kny∣ght / for this goode knyght hath saued me from my dethe / whan syre Tristram herde hym saye so / he came a softe trottyng

paas toward them / And thenne syre Palomydes sayd / My lord syr Tristram moche am I beholdynge vnto yow of youre grete goodenes that wold profer youre noble body to rescowe me vndeserued / for I haue gretely offended yow / Not with∣standynge said sire Palomydes here mette we with this noble knyghte that worshipfully and manly rescowed me from xij knyghtes / and smote them doune alle and wounded them sore