Bab Bab 310 · How Sir Dinadan provoked Sir Tristram to do well.

. How Sir Dinadan provoked Sir Tristram to do well.

And thou, Sir Tristram, farest all this day as though thou hadst been

asleep, and therefore I call thee coward. Well, Dinadan, said Sir

Tristram, I was never called coward or now of no earthly knight in my

life; and wit thou well, sir, I call myself never the more coward

though Sir Launcelot gave me a fall, for I outcept him of all knights.

And doubt ye not Sir Dinadan, an Sir Launcelot have a quarrel good, he

is too over good for any knight that now is living; and yet of his

sufferance, largess, bounty, and courtesy, I call him knight peerless:

and so Sir Tristram was in manner wroth with Sir Dinadan. But all this

language Sir Dinadan said because he would anger Sir Tristram, for to

cause him to awake his spirits and to be wroth; for well knew Sir

Dinadan that an Sir Tristram were thoroughly wroth Sir Palomides should

not get the prize upon the morn. And for this intent Sir Dinadan said

all this railing and language against Sir Tristram. Truly, said Sir

Palomides, as for Sir Launcelot, of his noble knighthood, courtesy, and

prowess, and gentleness, I know not his peer; for this day, said Sir

Palomides, I did full uncourteously unto Sir Launcelot, and full

unknightly, and full knightly and courteously he did to me again; for

an he had been as ungentle to me as I was to him, this day I had won no

worship. And therefore, said Palomides, I shall be Sir Launcelot’s

knight while my life lasteth. This talking was in the houses of kings.

But all kings, lords, and knights, said, of clear knighthood, and of

pure strength, of bounty, of courtesy, Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram

bare the prize above all knights that ever were in Arthur’s days. And

there were never knights in Arthur’s days did half so many deeds as

they did; as the book saith, no ten knights did not half the deeds that

they did, and there was never knight in their days that required Sir

Launcelot or Sir Tristram of any quest, so it were not to their shame,

but they performed their desire.