第 二百九十三 章 · How Sir Tristram met with Sir Dinadan, and of their

. How Sir Tristram met with Sir Dinadan, and of their

devices, and what he said to Sir Gawaine’s brethren.

Now turn we unto Sir Tristram, that as he rode a-hunting he met with

Sir Dinadan, that was come into that country to seek Sir Tristram. Then

Sir Dinadan told Sir Tristram his name, but Sir Tristram would not tell

him his name, wherefore Sir Dinadan was wroth. For such a foolish

knight as ye are, said Sir Dinadan, I saw but late this day lying by a

well, and he fared as he slept; and there he lay like a fool grinning,

and would not speak, and his shield lay by him, and his horse stood by

him; and well I wot he was a lover. Ah, fair sir, said Sir Tristram are

ye not a lover? Mary, fie on that craft! said Sir Dinadan. That is evil

said, said Sir Tristram, for a knight may never be of prowess but if he

be a lover. It is well said, said Sir Dinadan; now tell me your name,

sith ye be a lover, or else I shall do battle with you. As for that,

said Sir Tristram, it is no reason to fight with me but I tell you my

name; and as for that my name shall ye not wit as at this time. Fie for

shame, said Dinadan, art thou a knight and durst not tell thy name to

me? therefore I will fight with thee. As for that, said Sir Tristram, I

will be advised, for I will not do battle but if me list. And if I do

battle, said Sir Tristram, ye are not able to withstand me. Fie on

thee, coward, said Sir Dinadan.

And thus as they hoved still, they saw a knight come riding against

them. Lo, said Sir Tristram, see where cometh a knight riding will

joust with you. Anon, as Sir Dinadan beheld him he said: That is the

same doted knight that I saw lie by the well, neither sleeping nor

waking. Well, said Sir Tristram, I know that knight well with the

covered shield of azure, he is the king’s son of Northumberland, his

name is Epinegris; and he is as great a lover as I know, and he loveth

the king’s daughter of Wales, a full fair lady. And now I suppose, said

Sir Tristram, an ye require him he will joust with you, and then shall

ye prove whether a lover be a better knight, or ye that will not love

no lady. Well, said Dinadan, now shalt thou see what I shall do.

Therewithal Sir Dinadan spake on high and said: Sir knight, make thee

ready to joust with me, for it is the custom of errant knights one to

joust with other. Sir, said Epinegris, is that the rule of you errant

knights for to make a knight to joust, will he or nill? As for that,

said Dinadan, make thee ready, for here is for me. And therewithal they

spurred their horses and met together so hard that Epinegris smote down

Sir Dinadan. Then Sir Tristram rode to Sir Dinadan and said: How now,

meseemeth the lover hath well sped. Fie on thee, coward, said Sir

Dinadan, and if thou be a good knight revenge me. Nay, said Sir

Tristram, I will not joust as at this time, but take your horse and let

us go hence. God defend me, said Sir Dinadan, from thy fellowship, for

I never sped well since I met with thee: and so they departed. Well,

said Sir Tristram, peradventure I could tell you tidings of Sir

Tristram. God defend me, said Dinadan, from thy fellowship, for Sir

Tristram were mickle the worse an he were in thy company; and then they

departed. Sir, said Sir Tristram, yet it may happen I shall meet with

you in other places.

So rode Sir Tristram unto Joyous Gard, and there he heard in that town

great noise and cry. What is this noise? said Sir Tristram. Sir, said

they, here is a knight of this castle that hath been long among us, and

right now he is slain with two knights, and for none other cause but

that our knight said that Sir Launcelot were a better knight than Sir

Gawaine. That was a simple cause, said Sir Tristram, for to slay a good

knight for to say well by his master. That is little remedy to us, said

the men of the town. For an Sir Launcelot had been here soon we should

have been revenged upon the false knights.

When Sir Tristram heard them say so he sent for his shield and for his

spear, and lightly within a while he had overtaken them, and bade them

turn and amend that they had misdone. What amends wouldst thou have?

said the one knight. And therewith they took their course, and either

met other so hard that Sir Tristram smote down that knight over his

horse’s tail. Then the other knight dressed him to Sir Tristram, and in

the same wise he served the other knight. And then they gat off their

horses as well as they might, and dressed their shields and swords to

do their battle to the utterance. Knights, said Sir Tristram, ye shall

tell me of whence ye are, and what be your names, for such men ye might

be ye should hard escape my hands; and ye might be such men of such a

country that for all your evil deeds ye should pass quit. Wit thou

well, sir knight, said they, we fear not to tell thee our names, for my

name is Sir Agravaine, and my name is Gaheris, brethren unto the good

knight Sir Gawaine, and we be nephews unto King Arthur. Well, said Sir

Tristram, for King Arthur’s sake I shall let you pass as at this time.

But it is shame, said Sir Tristram, that Sir Gawaine and ye be come of

so great a blood that ye four brethren are so named as ye be, for ye be

called the greatest destroyers and murderers of good knights that be

now in this realm; for it is but as I heard say that Sir Gawaine and ye

slew among you a better knight than ever ye were, that was the noble

knight Sir Lamorak de Galis. An it had pleased God, said Sir Tristram,

I would I had been by Sir Lamorak at his death. Then shouldst thou have

gone the same way, said Sir Gaheris. Fair knight, said Sir Tristram,

there must have been many more knights than ye are. And therewithal Sir

Tristram departed from them toward Joyous Gard. And when he was

departed they took their horses, and the one said to the other: We will

overtake him and be revenged upon him in the despite of Sir Lamorak.