Kabanata Kabanata 220 · How Sir Tristram and Sir Gawaine rode to have foughten

. How Sir Tristram and Sir Gawaine rode to have foughten

with the thirty knights, but they durst not come out.

Sir, said Sir Gawaine, will ye stand with me, and we will see the

malice of these thirty knights. Sir, said Sir Tristram, go ye to them,

an it please you, and ye shall see I will not fail you, for it is not

long ago since I and a fellow met with thirty knights of that queen’s

fellowship; and God speed us so that we may win worship. So then Sir

Gawaine and Sir Tristram rode toward the castle where Morgan le Fay

was, and ever Sir Gawaine deemed well that he was Sir Tristram de

Liones, because he heard that two knights had slain and beaten thirty

knights. And when they came afore the castle Sir Gawaine spake on high

and said: Queen Morgan le Fay, send out your knights that ye have laid

in a watch for Sir Launcelot and for Sir Tristram. Now, said Sir

Gawaine, I know your false treason, and through all places where that I

ride men shall know of your false treason; and now let see, said Sir

Gawaine, whether ye dare come out of your castle, ye thirty knights.

Then the queen spake and all the thirty knights at once, and said: Sir

Gawaine, full well wottest thou what thou dost and sayest; for by God

we know thee passing well, but all that thou speakest and dost, thou

sayest it upon pride of that good knight that is there with thee. For

there be some of us that know full well the hands of that knight over

all well. And wit thou well, Sir Gawaine, it is more for his sake than

for thine that we will not come out of this castle. For wit ye well,

Sir Gawaine, the knight that beareth the arms of Cornwall, we know him

and what he is.

Then Sir Gawaine and Sir Tristram departed and rode on their ways a day

or two together; and there by adventure, they met with Sir Kay and Sir

Sagramore le Desirous. And then they were glad of Sir Gawaine, and he

of them, but they wist not what he was with the shield of Cornwall, but

by deeming. And thus they rode together a day or two. And then they

were ware of Sir Breuse Saunce Pité chasing a lady for to have slain

her, for he had slain her paramour afore. Hold you all still, said Sir

Gawaine, and show none of you forth, and ye shall see me reward yonder

false knight; for an he espy you he is so well horsed that he will

escape away. And then Sir Gawaine rode betwixt Sir Breuse and the lady,

and said: False knight, leave her, and have ado with me. When Sir

Breuse saw no more but Sir Gawaine he feutred his spear, and Sir

Gawaine against him; and there Sir Breuse overthrew Sir Gawaine, and

then he rode over him, and overthwart him twenty times to have

destroyed him; and when Sir Tristram saw him do so villainous a deed,

he hurled out against him. And when Sir Breuse saw him with the shield

of Cornwall he knew him well that it was Sir Tristram, and then he

fled, and Sir Tristram followed after him; and Sir Breuse Saunce Pité

was so horsed that he went his way quite, and Sir Tristram followed him

long, for he would fain have been avenged upon him. And so when he had

long chased him, he saw a fair well, and thither he rode to repose him,

and tied his horse till a tree.