الفصل الفصل 295 · How Sir Dinadan met with Sir Tristram, and with jousting

. How Sir Dinadan met with Sir Tristram, and with jousting

with Sir Palomides, Sir Dinadan knew him.

Then after that Sir Dinadan departed, and rode his way a great pace

until he had overtaken Sir Tristram. And when Sir Dinadan had overtaken

him he knew him anon, and he hated the fellowship of him above all

other knights. Ah, said Sir Dinadan, art thou that coward knight that I

met with yesterday? keep thee, for thou shalt joust with me maugre thy

head. Well, said Sir Tristram, and I am loath to joust. And so they let

their horses run, and Sir Tristram missed of him a-purpose, and Sir

Dinadan brake a spear upon Sir Tristram, and therewith Sir Dinadan

dressed him to draw out his sword. Not so, said Sir Tristram, why are

ye so wroth? I will not fight. Fie on thee, coward, said Dinadan, thou

shamest all knights. As for that, said Sir Tristram, I care not, for I

will wait upon you and be under your protection; for because ye are so

good a knight ye may save me. The devil deliver me of thee, said Sir

Dinadan, for thou art as goodly a man of arms and of thy person as ever

I saw, and the most coward that ever I saw. What wilt thou do with

those great spears that thou carriest with thee? I shall give them,

said Sir Tristram, to some good knight when I come to the tournament;

and if I see you do best, I shall give them to you.

So thus as they rode talking they saw where came an errant knight afore

them, that dressed him to joust. Lo, said Sir Tristram, yonder is one

will joust; now dress thee to him. Ah, shame betide thee, said Sir

Dinadan. Nay, not so, said Tristram, for that knight beseemeth a shrew.

Then shall I, said Sir Dinadan. And so they dressed their shields and

their spears, and they met together so hard that the other knight smote

down Sir Dinadan from his horse. Lo, said Sir Tristram, it had been

better ye had left. Fie on thee, coward, said Sir Dinadan. Then Sir

Dinadan started up and gat his sword in his hand, and proffered to do

battle on foot. Whether in love or in wrath? said the other knight. Let

us do battle in love, said Sir Dinadan. What is your name, said that

knight, I pray you tell me. Wit ye well my name is Sir Dinadan. Ah,

Dinadan, said that knight, and my name is Gareth, the youngest brother

unto Sir Gawaine. Then either made of other great cheer, for this

Gareth was the best knight of all the brethren, and he proved a good

knight. Then they took their horses, and there they spake of Sir

Tristram, how such a coward he was; and every word Sir Tristram heard

and laughed them to scorn.

Then were they ware where came a knight afore them well horsed and well

armed, and he made him ready to joust. Fair knights, said Sir Tristram,

look betwixt you who shall joust with yonder knight, for I warn you I

will not have ado with him. Then shall I, said Sir Gareth. And so they

encountered together, and there that knight smote down Sir Gareth over

his horse’s croup. How now, said Sir Tristram unto Sir Dinadan, dress

thee now and revenge the good knight Gareth. That shall I not, said Sir

Dinadan, for he hath stricken down a much bigger knight than I am. Ah,

said Sir Tristram, now Sir Dinadan, I see and feel well your heart

faileth you, therefore now shall ye see what I shall do. And then Sir

Tristram hurtled unto that knight, and smote him quite from his horse.

And when Sir Dinadan saw that, he marvelled greatly; and then he deemed

that it was Sir Tristram.

Then this knight that was on foot pulled out his sword to do battle.

What is your name? said Sir Tristram. Wit ye well, said that knight, my

name is Sir Palomides. What knight hate ye most? said Sir Tristram. Sir

knight, said he, I hate Sir Tristram to the death, for an I may meet

with him the one of us shall die. Ye say well, said Sir Tristram, and

wit ye well that I am Sir Tristram de Liones, and now do your worst.

When Sir Palomides heard him say so he was astonied. And then he said

thus: I pray you, Sir Tristram, forgive me all mine evil will, and if I

live I shall do you service above all other knights that be living; and

whereas I have owed you evil will me sore repenteth. I wot not what

aileth me, for meseemeth that ye are a good knight, and none other

knight that named himself a good knight should not hate you; therefore

I require you, Sir Tristram, take no displeasure at mine unkind words.

Sir Palomides, said Sir Tristram, ye say well, and well I wot ye are a

good knight, for I have seen ye proved; and many great enterprises have

ye taken upon you, and well achieved them; therefore, said Sir

Tristram, an ye have any evil will to me, now may ye right it, for I am

ready at your hand. Not so, my lord Sir Tristram, I will do you

knightly service in all thing as ye will command. And right so I will

take you, said Sir Tristram. And so they rode forth on their ways

talking of many things. O my lord Sir Tristram, said Dinadan, foul have

ye mocked me, for God knoweth I came into this country for your sake,

and by the advice of my lord Sir Launcelot; and yet would not Sir

Launcelot tell me the certainty of you, where I should find you. Truly,

said Sir Tristram, Sir Launcelot wist well where I was, for I abode

within his own castle.