[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xl

NOw leue we of this tale / and speke we of syr dynas hat had within the castel a peramour / and she loued another knyghte better than hym / And so whanne syr Dynas wente oute on huntynge / she slypped doune by a tuell / And took with her two brackets / and soo she yede to the kny∣ght that she loued / and he her ageyne / ¶And whanne sir

Dynas come home / and myst his peramour and his brachets thenne was he the more wrother for his Brachets than for the lady / Soo thenne he rode after the knyght that had his per¦amour and badde hym torne and Iuste / So syr Dynas smo∣te hym doune that with the falle he brake his legge and his ar¦me / And thenne his lady and peramour cryed sire Dynas mercy / and said she wold loue hym better than euer she dyd / Nay said sir Dynas I shalle neuer truste them that ones by∣trayed me / and therfor as ye haue begonne so ende / for I wyll neuer medle with you / And so sir Dynas departed and tooke his brachets with hym / and soo rode to his castel / Now wil we torne vnto sir launcelot that was ryght heuy that he coude ne∣uer here no tydynges of sir Tristram / for al this whyle he was in pryson with sir Darras / Palomydes / & Dynadan / Thenne dame Brangwayne took her leue to goo in to Cornewaile and syr launcelot / syr kay / & syr Gaherys rode to seke sir Tristram in the countrey of Surleuse / Now speketh this tale of sir tris¦tram and of his two felawes / for euery daye syre Palomydes brauled and sayd langage ageynst syr Tristram / I merueyle said sir Dynadan of the syr Palomydes / and thou haddest syre Tristram here / thou woldest do hym no harme / / For and a wolf and a shepe were to gyders in a pryson / the wolf wold suffre the sheep to be in pees / and wete thou wel said sire Dynadan this same is sire Tristram at a word / and now maist thou doo thy best with hym / & lete see now yf ye can skyfte it with your handes / thenne was sire Palomydes abasshed and said lytyl / syr Palomydes thenne said syr Tristram / I haue herd moche of your maugre ageynst me / but I wille not medle with you as at this tyme by my wille / by cause I drede the lord of this place that hath vs in gouernaunce / for and I dredde hym not more than I doo the / soone hit shold be skyfte / soo they peaced them self / Ryght soo came in a damoysel and said knyghtes be of good chere for ye are sure of your lyues / and that I herd say my lord syre Darras / Thenne were they gladde alle thre / For dayly they wende they shold haue dyed / ¶Thenne soone after this syr Tristram fylle seke that he wende to haue dyed / thenne syr Dynadan wepte / and soo dyd sire Palomydes vnder them bothe makyng grete sorou / ¶ Soo a damoysel

came in to them and fonde them mornynge / Thenne she wente vnto sire Darras / and told hym how that myghty knyghte that bare the black shelde was lykely to dye / That shake not be sayd sir Darras / for god defende whanne Knyghtes come to me for socour that I shold suffre hem to dye within my pry¦son / Therfor said sir Darras to the damoysel / fetche that knyʒt and his felawes afore me / And thenne anone sir Darras sa∣we sir Tristram brought afore hym / he said sire Knyghte me repenteth of thy sekenesse / for thou arte called a ful noble kn∣yght / and soo hit semeth by the / And wete ye wel it shall ne∣uer be said that syr Darras shalle destroye suche a noble kny∣ght as thou arte in pryson / how be hit / that thou hast slayn / iij of my sones / where by I was gretely agreued / But now shalt thou goo and thy felawes / and youre harneis & horses haue ben fayre and clene kepte / and ye shall goo where hit lyketh you vpon this couenaunt / that thou Knyght wilt promyse me to be good frende to my sones two that ben now on lyue / and also that thou telle me thy name / Syr said he as for me my na¦me is sir Tristram de Lyones / and in Cornewaile was I born and neuewe I am vnto Kynge Marke / And as for the deth of your sones I myght not doo with alle / For and they had ben the next kyn y^t I haue / I myʒt haue done none other wyse / And yf I had slayne hem by treason or trechery I hadde ben worthy to haue dyed / Alle this I consyder said syr Darras / that alle that ye dyd was by force of knyghthode / and that was the cause I wold not putte you to deth / But sythe ye be syr Tristram the good knyght I pray you hertely to be my good frend and to my sones / Syr said sire Tristram I promyse yow by the feithe of my body euer whyle I lyue I wille do yow ser¦uyse / for ye haue done to vs but as a naturel Knyghte ought to doo / Thenne sir Tristram reposed hym there tyl that he was amended of his sekenesse / And whanne he was bygge and stronge / they took their leue / and euery knyght took their hor∣ses and soo departed and rode to gyders tyl they came to a crosse way / Now felawes said syr Tristram here wylle we de∣parte in sondry wayes / and by cause sire Dynadan hadde the fyrst aduenture of hym I wille begynne