第 二百九十二 章 · Of Sir Palomides, and how he met with Sir Bleoberis and

. Of Sir Palomides, and how he met with Sir Bleoberis and

with Sir Ector, and of Sir Pervivale.

Right so as they stood thus there came Sir Palomides, and when he saw

the shield of Bleoberis lie on the earth, then said Palomides: He that

oweth that shield let him dress him to me, for he smote me down here

fast by at a fountain, and therefore I will fight for him on foot. I am

ready, said Bleoberis, here to answer thee, for wit thou well, sir

knight, it was I, and my name is Bleoberis de Ganis. Well art thou met,

said Palomides, and wit thou well my name is Palomides the Saracen; and

either of them hated other to the death. Sir Palomides, said Ector, wit

thou well there is neither thou nor none knight that beareth the life

that slayeth any of our blood but he shall die for it; therefore an

thou list to fight go seek Sir Launcelot or Sir Tristram, and there

shall ye find your match. With them have I met, said Palomides, but I

had never no worship of them. Was there never no manner of knight, said

Sir Ector, but they that ever matched with you? Yes, said Palomides,

there was the third, a good knight as any of them, and of his age he

was the best that ever I found; for an he might have lived till he had

been an hardier man there liveth no knight now such, and his name was

Sir Lamorak de Galis. And as he had jousted at a tournament there he

overthrew me and thirty knights more, and there he won the degree. And

at his departing there met him Sir Gawaine and his brethren, and with

great pain they slew him feloniously, unto all good knights’ great

damage. Anon as Sir Percivale heard that his brother was dead, Sir

Lamorak, he fell over his horse’s mane swooning, and there he made the

greatest dole that ever made knight. And when Sir Percivale arose he

said: Alas, my good and noble brother Sir Lamorak, now shall we never

meet, and I trow in all the wide world a man may not find such a knight

as he was of his age; and it is too much to suffer the death of our

father King Pellinore, and now the death of our good brother Sir

Lamorak.

Then in the meanwhile there came a varlet from the court of King

Arthur, and told them of the great tournament that should be at

Lonazep, and how these lands, Cornwall and Northgalis, should be

against all them that would come.