HowSrBleobersandSrEctorreportedtoQueenGueneverofthebeautyofLaBealesoud。
SOatthesevennghts’endSrBleobersandSrEctordepartedfromSrTrstramandfromthequeen;andthesetwogoodknghtshadgreatgfts;andSrGarethandSrDnadanabodewthSrTrstram。AndwhenSrBleobersandSrEctorwerecomethereastheQueenGueneverwaslodged,nacastlebytheseasde,andthroughthegraceofGodthequeenwasrecoveredofhermalady,thensheaskedthetwoknghtsfromwhencetheycame。TheysadthattheycamefromSrTrstramandfromLaBealesoud。HowdothSrTrstram,sadthequeen,andLaBealesoud?Truly,sadthosetwoknghts,hedothasanobleknghtshoulddo;andasfortheQueensoud,shespeerlessofalllades;fortospeakofherbeauty,bount,andmrth,andofhergoodness,wesawneverhermatchasfaraswehaverddenandgone。OmercyJesu,sadQueenGuenever,sosathallthepeoplethathaveseenherandspokenwthher。Godwouldthathadpartofhercondtons;andtsmsfortunedmeofmyscknesswhlethattournamentendured。Andassupposeshallneverseenallmylfesuchanassemblyofknghtsandladesasyehavedone。
ThentheknghtstoldherhowPalomdeswonthedegreeatthefrstdaywthgreatnoblesse;andtheseconddaySrTrstramwonthedegree;andthethrddaySrLauncelotwonthedegree。Well,sadQueenGuenever,whoddbestallthesethreedays?SoGodmehelp,sadtheseknghts,SrLauncelotandSrTrstramhadleastdshonour。AndwtyewellSrPalomdesddpassngwellandmghtly;butheturnedaganstthepartythathecamenwthal,andthatcausedhmtoloseagreatpartofhsworshp,fortseemedthatSrPalomdesspassngenvous。Thenshallheneverwnworshp,sadQueenGuenever,foranthappethanenvousmanoncetownworshpheshallbedshonouredtwcetherefore;andforthscauseallmenofworshphateanenvousman,andwllshewhmnofavour,andhethatscourteous,andknd,andgentle,hathfavourneveryplace。
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HowEpnogrscomplanedbyawell,andhowSrPalomdescameandfoundhm,andoftherbothsorrowng。
NOWleaveweofthsmatterandspeakweofSrPalomdes,thatrodeandlodgedhmwththetwokngs,whereofthekngswereheavy。ThentheKngofrelandsentamanofhstoSrPalomdes,andgavehmagreatcourser,andtheKngofScotlandgavehmgreatgfts;
andfantheywouldhavehadSrPalomdestohaveabdenwththem,butnnowsehewouldabde;andsohedeparted,androdeasadventureswouldgudehm,tlltwasnghnoon。AndthennaforestbyawellSrPalomdessawwherelayafarwoundedknghtandhshorseboundenbyhm;andthatknghtmadethegreatestdolethateverheheardmanmake,foreverhewept,andtherewthhesghedasthoughhewouldde。
ThenSrPalomdesrodenearhmandsalutedhmmldlyandsad:Farknght,whywalyeso?letmeledownandwalwthyou,fordoubtnotammuchmoreheaverthanyeare;fordaresay,sadPalomdes,thatmysorrowsanhundredfoldmorethanyourss,andthereforeletuscomplanethertoother。Frst,sadthewoundedknght,requreyoutellmeyourname,foranthoubenoneofthenobleknghtsoftheRoundTablethoushaltneverknowmyname,whatsomevercomeofme。Farknght,sadPalomdes,suchasam,betbetterorbetworse,wtthouwellthatmynamesSrPalomdes,sonandheruntoKngAstlabor,andSrSafereandSrSegwardesaremytwobrethren;andwtthouwellasformyselfwasneverchrstened,butmytwobrethrenaretrulychrstened。Onobleknght,sadthatknght,wellsmethathavemetwthyou;andwtyewellmynamesEpnogrs,thekng’ssonofNorthumberland。Nowstdown,sadEpnogrs,andletusethercomplantoother。
ThenSrPalomdesbeganhscomplant。Nowshalltellyou,sadPalomdes,whatwoeendure。lovethefarestqueenandladythateverbarelfe,andwtyewellhernamesLaBealesoud,KngMark’swfeofCornwall。Thatsgreatfolly,sadEpnogrs,fortoloveQueensoud,foroneofthebestknghtsoftheworldlovethher,thatsSrTrstramdeLones。Thatstruth,sadPalomdes,fornomanknoweththatmatterbetterthando,forhavebeennSrTrstram’sfellowshpthsmonth,andwthLaBealesoudtogether;
andalas,sadPalomdes,unhappymanthatam,nowhavelostthefellowshpofSrTrstramforever,andtheloveofLaBealesoudforever,andamneverlketoseehermore,andSrTrstramandbeethertoothermortalenemes。Well,sadEpnogrs,sththatyelovedLaBealesoud,lovedsheyoueveraganbyanythngthatyecouldthnkorwt,orelseddyerejoceherevernanypleasure?Nay,bymyknghthood,sadPalomdes,neverespedthatevershelovedmemorethanalltheworld,norneverhadpleasurewthher,butthelastdayshegavemethegreatestrebukethateverhad,thewhchshallnevergofrommyheart。
Andyetwelldeservedthatrebuke,forddnotknghtly,andthereforehavelosttheloveofherandofSrTrstramforever;andhavemanytmesenforcedmyselftodomanydeedsforLaBealesoud’ssake,andshewasthecauserofmyworshp-wnnng。Alas,sadSrPalomdes,nowhavelostalltheworshpthatever
won,fornevershallmebefallsuchprowessashadnthefellowshpofSrTrstram。
HowSrPalomdesbroughtSrEpnogrshslady;andhowSrPalomdesandSrSaferewereassaled。
NAY,nay,sadEpnogrs,yoursorrowsbutjapestomysorrow;forrejocedmyladyandwonherwthmyhands,andlostheragan:alasthatday!Thusfrst
wonher,sadEpnogrs;myladywasanearl’sdaughter,andastheearlandtwoknghtscamefromthetournamentofLonazep,forhersakesetuponthsearlandonhstwoknghts,myladytherebengpresent;andsobyfortunethereslewtheearlandoneoftheknghts,andtheotherknghtfled,andsothatnghthadmylady。Andonthemornassheandreposedusatthswell-sdetherecametheretomeanerrantknght,hsnamewasSrHelorlePreuse,anhardyknght,andthsSrHelorchallengedmetofghtformylady。Andthenwewenttobattlefrstuponhorseandafteronfoot,butatthelastSrHelorwoundedmesothatheleftmefordead,andsohetookmyladywthhm;andthusmysorrowsmorethanyours,forhaverejocedandyerejocednever。Thatstruth,sadPalomdes,butsthcanneverrecovermyselfshallpromseyoufcanmeetwthSrHelorshallgetyouyourladyagan,orelseheshallbeatme。
ThenSrPalomdesmadeSrEpnogrstotakehshorse,andsotheyrodetoanhermtage,andthereSrEpnogrsrestedhm。AndnthemeanwhleSrPalomdeswalkedprvlyouttoresthmundertheleaves,andtherebesdehesawaknghtcomerdngwthasheldthathehadseenSrEctordeMarsbearbeforehand;andtherecameafterhmatenknghts,andsothesetenknghtshovedundertheleavesforheat。Andanonaftertherecameaknghtwthagreensheldandtherenawhtelon,leadngaladyuponapalfrey。Thenthsknghtwththegreensheldthatseemedtobemasterofthetenknghts,herodefercelyafterSrHelor,fortwashethathurtSrEpnogrs。AndwhenhecamenghSrHelorhebadehmdefendhslady。wlldefendher,sadHelor,untomypower。Andsotheyrantogethersomghtlythatetheroftheseknghtssmoteotherdown,horseandall,totheearth;andthentheywonuplghtlyanddrewtherswordsandthershelds,andlashedtogethermghtlymorethananhour。AllthsSrPalomdessawandbeheld,buteveratthelasttheknghtwthSrEctor’ssheldwasbgger,andatthelastthsknghtsmoteSrHelordown,andthenthatknghtunlacedhshelmtohavestrckenoffhshead。Andthenhecredmercy,andprayedhmtosavehslfe,andbadehmtakehslady。ThenSrPalomdesdressedhmup,becausehewstwellthatthatsameladywasEpnogrs’lady,andhepromsedhmtohelphm。
ThenSrPalomdeswentstraghttothatlady,andtookherbythehand,andaskedherwhethersheknewaknghtthathghtEpnogrs。Alas,shesad,thateverheknewmeorhm,forhaveforhssakelostmyworshp,andalsohslfegrevethmemostofall。Notso,lady,sadPalomdes,comeonwthme,forheresEpnogrsnthshermtage。Ah!wellsme,sadthelady,anhebealve。Whtherwltthouwththatlady?
sadtheknghtwthSrEctor’ssheld。wlldowthherwhatmelst,sadPalomdes。Wtyouwell,sadthatknght,thouspeakestoverlarge,thoughthouseemestmetohaveatadvantage,becausethousawestmedobattlebutlate。Thouweenest,srknght,tohavethatladyawayfrommesolghtly?nay,thnktnevernot;anthouwereasgoodaknghtassSrLauncelot,orassSrTrstram,orSrPalomdes,butthoushaltwnherdearerthaneverdd。Andsotheywentuntobattleuponfoot,andtheretheygavemanysadstrokes,andetherwoundedotherpassngsore,andthustheyfoughtstllmorethananhour。
ThenSrPalomdeshadmarvelwhatknghthemghtbethatwassostrongandsowellbreatheddurng,andthussadPalomdes:Knght,requretheetellmethyname。Wtthouwell,sadthatknght,daretelltheemyname,sothatthouwlttellmethyname。wll,sadPalomdes。Truly,sadthatknght,mynamesSafere,sonofKngAstlabor,andSrPalomdesandSrSegwardesaremybrethren。Now,andwtthouwell,mynamesSrPalomdes。ThenSrSaferekneeleddownuponhsknees,andprayedhmofmercy;andthentheyunlacedtherhelmsandetherkssedotherweepng。AndnthemeanwhleSrEpnogrsaroseoutofhsbed,andheardthembythestrokes,andsohearmedhmtohelpSrPalomdesfneedwere。
HowSrPalomdesandSrSafereconductedSrEpnogrstohscastle,andofotheradventures。
THENSrPalomdestooktheladybythehandandbroughthertoSrEpnogrs,andtherewasgreatjoybetwxtthem,foretherswoonedforjoy。Whentheyweremet:Farknghtandlady,sadSrSafere,twereptytodepartyou;Jesusendyoujoyetherofother。
Gramercy,gentleknght,sadEpnogrs;andmuchmorethanksbetomylordSrPalomdes,thatthushaththroughhsprowessmademetogetmylady。ThenSrEpnogrsrequredSrPalomdesandSrSafere,hsbrother,tordewththemuntohscastle,forthesafeguardofhsperson。Sr,sadPalomdes,wewllbereadytoconductyoubecausethatyearesorewounded;andsowasEpnogrsandhsladyhorsed,andhsladybehndhmuponasoftambler。Andthentheyrodeuntohscastle,wheretheyhadgreatcheerandjoy,asgreataseverSrPalomdesandSrSaferehadntherlfe-days。
SoonthemornSrSafereandSrPalomdesdeparted,dayuntlafternoon。Andatthelasttheyheardagreatweepngandagreatnosedownnamanor。Sr,sadthenSrSafere,letuswtwhatnosethss。wllwell,sadSrPalomdes。Andsotheyrodeforthtllthattheycametoafargateofamanor,andtheresatanoldmansaynghsprayersandbeads。ThenSrPalomdesandSrSaferealghtedandlefttherhorses,andwentwthnthegates,andtheretheysawfullmanygoodlymenweepng。Farsrs,sadPalomdes,whereforeweepyeandmakethssorrow?AnononeoftheknghtsofthecastlebeheldSrPalomdesandknewhm,andthenwenttohsfellowsandsad:Farfellows,wtyewellall,wehaventhscastlethesameknghtthatslewourlordatLonazep,forknowhmwell;tsSrPalomdes。Thentheywentuntoharness,allthatmghtbearharness,someonhorsebackandsomeonfoot,tothenumberofthreescore。
AndwhentheywerereadytheycamefreshlyuponSrPalomdesanduponSrSaferewthagreatnose,andsadthus:Keepthee,SrPalomdes,forthouartknown,andbyrghtthoumustbedead,forthouhastslanourlord;
andthereforewtyewellwewllslaythee,thereforedefendthee。
ThenSrPalomdesandSrSafere,theonesethsbacktotheother,andgavemanygreatstrokes,andtookmanygreatstrokes;andthustheyfoughtwthatwentyknghtsandfortygentlemenandyeomennghtwohours。Butatthelastthoughtheywereloath,SrPalomdesandSrSafereweretakenandyolden,andputnastrongprson;
andwthnthreedaystwelveknghtspasseduponthem,andtheyfoundSrPalomdesgulty,andSrSaferenotgulty,oftherlord’sdeath。AndwhenSrSafereshouldbedelveredtherewasgreatdolebetwxtSrPalomdesandhm,andmanypteouscomplantsthatSrSaferemadeathsdepartng,theresnomakercanrehearsethetenthpart。Farbrother,sadPalomdes,letbethydolourandthysorrow。Andfbeordanedtodeashamefuldeath,welcomebet;butanhadwstofthsdeaththatamdeemedunto,shouldneverhavebeenyolden。SoSrSaferedepartedfromhsbrotherwththegreatestdolourandsorrowthatevermadeknght。
AndonthemorntheyofthecastleordanedtwelveknghtstordewthSrPalomdesuntothefatherofthesameknghtthatSrPalomdesslew;andsotheyboundhslegsunderanoldsteed’sbelly。AndthentheyrodewthSrPalomdesuntoacastlebytheseasde,thathghtPelownes,andthereSrPalomdesshouldhavejustce。
第92章