RghtsocamentothefeldSrLauncelotduLake,andsawandheardthenoseandcryandthegreatworshpthatSrPalomdeshad。HedressedhmaganstSrPalomdes,wthagreatmghtyspearandalong,andthoughttosmtehmdown。AndwhenSrPalomdessawSrLauncelotcomeuponhmsofast,heranuponSrLauncelotasfastwthhsswordashemght;andasSrLauncelotshouldhavestrckenhmhesmotehsspearasde,andsmoteta-twowthhssword。AndSrPalomdesrusheduntoSrLauncelot,andthoughttohaveputhmtoashame;andwthhsswordhesmotehshorse’sneckthatSrLauncelotrodeupon,andthenSrLauncelotfelltotheearth。Thenwasthecryhugeandgreat:SeehowSrPalomdestheSaracenhathsmttendownSrLauncelot’shorse。RghtthenweretheremanyknghtswrothwthSrPalomdesbecausehehaddonethatdeed;thereforemanyknghtsheldthereaganstthattwasunknghtlydonenatournamenttokllanhorsewlfully,butthatthadbeendonenplanbattle,lfeforlfe。
HowSrLauncelotsadtoSrPalomdes,andhowtheprzeofthatdaywasgvenuntoSrPalomdes。
WHENSrEctordeMarssawSrLauncelothsbrotherhavesuchadespte,andsosetonfoot,thenhegataspeareagerly,andranaganstSrPalomdes,andhesmotehmsohardthathebarehmqutefromhshorse。ThatsawSrTrstram,thatwasnredharness,andhesmotedownSrEctordeMarsqutefromhshorse。ThenSrLauncelotdressedhsshelduponhsshoulder,andwthhsswordnakednhshand,andsocamestraghtuponSrPalomdesfercelyandsad:Wtthouwellthouhastdonemethsdaythegreatestdesptethateveranyworshpfulknghtddtomentournamentornjousts,andthereforewllbeavengeduponthee,thereforetakekeeptoyourself。Ah,mercy,nobleknght,sadPalomdes,andforgvememneunkndlydeeds,forhavenopowernormghttowthstandyou,and
havedonesomuchthsdaythatwellwotddneversomuch,nornevershallnmylfe-days;andtherefore,mostnobleknght,requretheesparemeasatthsday,andpromseyoushalleverbeyourknghtwhlelve:anyeputmefrommyworshpnow,yeputmefromthegreatestworshpthateverhadorevershallhavenmylfe-days。Well,sadSrLauncelot,see,fortosaytheesooth,yehavedonemarvellouslywellthsday;andunderstandapartforwhoseloveyedot,andwellwotthatlovesagreatmstress。Andfmyladywerehereasshensnot,wtyouwell,sadSrLauncelot,yeshouldnotbearawaytheworshp。Butbewareyourlovebenotdscovered,foranSrTrstrammayknowtyewllrepentt;andsthenmyquarrelsnothere,yeshallhavethsdaytheworshpasforme;
consderngthegreattravalandpanthatyehavehadthsday,twerenoworshpformetoputyoufromt。
AndtherewthalSrLauncelotsufferedSrPalomdestodepart。
ThenSrLauncelotbygreatforceandmghtgathsownhorsemaugretwentyknghts。SowhenSrLauncelotwashorsedheddmanymarvels,andsoddSrTrstram,andSrPalomdesnlkewse。ThenSrLauncelotsmotedownwthaspearSrDnadan,andtheKngofScotland,andtheKngofWales,andtheKngofNorthumberland,andtheKngofLstnose。SothenSrLauncelotandhsfellowssmotedownwellafortyknghts。ThencametheKngofrelandandtheKngoftheStraghtMarchestorescueSrTrstramandSrPalomdes。Therebeganagreatmedley,andmanyknghtsweresmttendownonbothpartes;andalwaysSrLauncelotsparedSrTrstram,andhesparedhm。AndSrPalomdeswouldnotmeddlewthSrLauncelot,andsotherewashurtlnghereandthere。AndthenKngArthursentoutmanyknghtsoftheTableRound;andSrPalomdeswaseverntheforemostfront,andSrTrstramddsostronglywellthatthekngandallotherhadmarvel。Andthenthekngletblowtolodgng;
andbecauseSrPalomdesbeganfrst,andneverhewentnorrodeoutofthefeldtorepose,buteverhewasdongmarvellouslywelletheronfootoronhorseback,andlongestdurng,KngArthurandallthekngsgaveSrPalomdesthehonourandthegreeasforthatday。
ThenSrTrstramcommandedSrDnadantofetchthequeenLaBealesoud,andbrnghertohstwopavlonsthatstoodbythewell。AndsoDnadanddashewascommanded。ButwhenSrPalomdesunderstoodandwstthatSrTrstramwasntheredarmour,andonaredhorse,wtyewellthathewasglad,andsowasSrGarethandSrDnadan,fortheyallweenedthatSrTrstramhadbeentakenprsoner。Andtheneveryknghtdrewtohsnn。AndthenKngArthurandeveryknghtspakeofthoseknghts;butaboveallmentheygaveSrPalomdestheprze,andallknghtsthatknewSrPalomdeshadwonderofhsdeeds。Sr,sadSrLauncelotuntoArthur,asforSrPalomdesanhebethegreenknghtdaresayasforthsdayhesbestworthytohavethedegree,forhereposedhmnever,norneverchangedhsweeds,andhebeganfrstandlongestheldon。
Andyet,wellwot,sadSrLauncelot,thattherewasabetterknghtthanhe,andthatshallbeprovedorwedepart,uponpanofmylfe。Thustheytalkedonetherparty;andsoSrDnadanraledwthSrTrstramandsad:Whatthedevlsupontheethsday?forSrPalomdes’strengthfeebledneverthsday,buteverhedoubledhsstrength。
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HowSrDnadanprovokedSrTrstramtodowell。
ANDthou,SrTrstram,farestallthsdayasthoughthouhadstbeenasleep,andthereforecalltheecoward。Well,Dnadan,sadSrTrstram,wasnevercalledcowardornowofnoearthlyknghtnmylfe;andwtthouwell,sr,callmyselfneverthemorecowardthoughSrLauncelotgavemeafall,foroutcepthmofallknghts。
AnddoubtyenotSrDnadan,anSrLauncelothaveaquarrelgood,hestooovergoodforanyknghtthatnowslvng;andyetofhssufferance,largess,bounty,andcourtesy,callhmknghtpeerless:andsoSrTrstramwasnmannerwrothwthSrDnadan。ButallthslanguageSrDnadansadbecausehewouldangerSrTrstram,fortocausehmtoawakehssprtsandtobewroth;forwellknewSrDnadanthatanSrTrstramwerethoroughlywrothSrPalomdesshouldnotgettheprzeuponthemorn。AndforthsntentSrDnadansadallthsralngandlanguageaganstSrTrstram。
Truly,sadSrPalomdes,asforSrLauncelot,ofhsnobleknghthood,courtesy,andprowess,andgentleness,knownothspeer;forthsday,sadSrPalomdes,
ddfulluncourteouslyuntoSrLauncelot,andfullunknghtly,andfullknghtlyandcourteouslyheddtomeagan;foranhehadbeenasungentletomeaswastohm,thsdayhadwonnoworshp。Andtherefore,sadPalomdes,shallbeSrLauncelot’sknghtwhlemylfelasteth。Thstalkngwasnthehousesofkngs。Butallkngs,lords,andknghts,sad,ofclearknghthood,andofpurestrength,ofbounty,ofcourtesy,SrLauncelotandSrTrstrambaretheprzeaboveallknghtsthateverwerenArthur’sdays。AndtherewereneverknghtsnArthur’sdaysddhalfsomanydeedsastheydd;asthebooksath,notenknghtsddnothalfthedeedsthattheydd,andtherewasneverknghtntherdaysthatrequredSrLauncelotorSrTrstramofanyquest,sotwerenottothershame,buttheyperformedtherdesre。
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HowKngArthurandSrLancelotcametoseeLaBealesoud,andhowPalomdessmotedownKngArthur。
SOonthemornSrLauncelotdeparted,andSrTrstramwasready,andLaBealesoudwthSrPalomdesandSrGareth。Andsotheyrodeallngreenfullfreshlybeseenuntotheforest。AndSrTrstramleftSrDnadansleepngnhsbed。AndsoastheyrodethappedthekngandLauncelotstoodnawndow,andsawSrTrstramrdeandsoud。Sr,sadLauncelot,yonderrdeththefarestladyoftheworldexceptyourqueen,DameGuenever。Whosthat?sadSrArthur。Sr,sadhe,tsQueensoudthat,out-takenmyladyyourqueen,shesmakeless。Takeyourhorse,sadArthur,andarrayyouatallrghtsaswlldo,andpromseyou,sadthekng,wllseeher。Thenanontheywerearmedandhorsed,andethertookaspearandrodeuntotheforest。Sr,sadLauncelot,tsnotgoodthatyegotoonghthem,forwtyewelltherearetwoasgoodknghtsasnowarelvng,andtherefore,sr,prayyoubenottoohasty。Forperadventuretherewllbesomeknghtsbedspleasedanwecomesuddenlyuponthem。Asforthat,sadArthur,wllseeher,fortakenoforcewhomgreve。Sr,sadLauncelot,yeputyourselfngreatjeopardy。Asforthat,sadthekng,wewlltaketheadventure。Rghtsoanonthekngrodeeventoher,andsalutedher,andsad:Godyousave。Sr,sadshe,yearewelcome。Thenthekngbeheldher,andlkedherwonderlywell。
WththatcameSrPalomdesuntoArthur,andsad:
Uncourteousknght,whatseekestthouhere?thouartuncourteoustocomeuponaladythussuddenly,thereforewthdrawthee。SrArthurtooknoneheedofSrPalomdes’
words,buteverhelookedstlluponQueensoudThenwasSrPalomdeswroth,andtherewthhetookaspear,andcamehurtlnguponKngArthur,andsmotehmdownwthaspear。WhenSrLauncelotsawthatdespteofSrPalomdes,hesadtohmself:amloathtohaveadowthyonderknght,andnotforhsownsakebutforSrTrstram。Andonethngamsureof,f
smtedownSrPalomdesmusthaveadowthSrTrstram,andthatwereovermuchformetomatchthemboth,fortheyaretwonobleknghts;notwthstandng,whetherlveorde,needsmustrevengemylord,andsowll,whatsomeverbefallofme。AndtherewthSrLauncelotcredtoSrPalomdes:Keeptheefromme。AndthenSrLauncelotandSrPalomdesrushedtogetherwthtwospearsstrongly,butSrLauncelotsmoteSrPalomdessohardthathewentquteoutofhssaddle,andhadagreatfall。WhenSrTrstramsawSrPalomdeshavethatfall,hesadtoSrLauncelot:Srknght,keepthee,formustjoustwththee。Asfortojoustwthme,sadSrLauncelot,wllnotfalyou,fornodreadhaveofyou;butamloathtohaveadowthyouanmghtchoose,forwllthatyewtthatmustrevengemyspecallordthatwasunhorsedunwarlyandunknghtly。
Andtherefore,thoughrevengedthatfall,takeyenodspleasuretheren,forhestomesuchafrendthat
maynotseehmshamed。
AnonSrTrstramunderstoodbyhspersonandbyhsknghtlywordsthattwasSrLauncelotduLake,andverlySrTrstramdeemedthattwasKngArthur,hethatSrPalomdeshadsmttendown。AndthenSrTrstramputhsspearfromhm,andputSrPalomdesaganonhorseback,andSrLauncelotputKngArthuronhorsebackandsodeparted。SoGodmehelp,sadSrTrstramuntoPalomdes,yeddnotworshpfullywhenyesmotedownthatknghtsosuddenlyasyedd。Andwtyewellyeddyourselfgreatshame,fortheknghtscamehtherofthergentlenesstoseeafarlady;andthatseverygoodknght’spart,tobeholdafarlady;
andyehadnotadotoplaysuchmasteresaforemylady。
Wtthouwelltwllturntoanger,forhethatyesmotedownwasKngArthur,andthatotherwasthegoodknghtSrLauncelot。ButshallnotforgetthewordsofSrLauncelotwhenthathecalledhmamanofgreatworshp,therebywstthattwasKngArthur。AndasforSrLauncelot,antherehadbeenfvehundredknghtsnthemeadow,hewouldnothaverefusedthem,andyethesadhewouldrefuseme。BythataganwstthattwasSrLauncelot,foreverheforbearethmeneveryplace,andshowethmegreatkndness;andofallknghts,out-takenone,saywhatmenwllsay,hebeareththeflowerofallchvalry,saythmwhosomeverwll。Anhebewellangered,andthathmlsttodohsutterancewthoutanyfavour,knowhmnotalvebutSrLauncelotsoverhardforhm,betonhorsebackoronfoot。mayneverbeleve,sadPalomdes,thatKngArthurwllrdesoprvlyasapoorerrantknght。Ah,sadSrTrstram,yeknownotmylordArthur,forallknghtsmaylearntobeaknghtofhm。Andthereforeyemaybesorry,sadSrTrstram,ofyourunkndlydeedstosonobleakng。Andathngthatsdonemaynotbeundone,sadPalomdes。ThenSrTrstramsentQueensouduntoherlodgngntheprory,theretobeholdallthetournament。
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HowtheseconddayPalomdesforsookSrTrstram,andwenttothecontrarypartagansthm。
THENtherewasacryuntoallknghts,thatwhentheyheardanhornblowtheyshouldmakejoustsastheyddthefrstday。AndlkeasthebrethrenSrEdwardandSrSadokbeganthejouststhefrstday,SrUwanethekng’ssonUrenandSrLucaneredeButtelerebeganthejouststhesecondday。AndatthefrstencounterSrUwanesmotedowntheKng’ssonofScots;andSrLucanereranagansttheKngofWales,andtheybraketherspearsalltopeces;andtheyweresoferceboth,thattheyhurtledtogetherthatbothfelltotheearth。ThentheyofOrkneyhorsedaganSrLucanere。
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