me is sir Tristram
at a word, and now must thou do thy best with him, and let see now if
ye can skift it with your hands. Then was sir Palomides abashed and said
little. Sir Palomides, then said sir Tristram, I have heard much of your
maugre against me, but I will not meddle with you as at this time by my
will, because I dread the lord of this place that hath us in governance;
for an I dread him not more than I do thee, soon it should be skift: so
they peaced themself. Right so came in a damosel and said: Knights, be
of good cheer, for ye are sure of your lives, and that I heard say my
lord, Sir Darras. Then were they glad all three, for daily they weened
they should have died.

Then soon after this Sir Tristram fell sick that he weened to have died;
then Sir Dinadan wept, and so did Sir Palomides under them both making
great sorrow. So a damosel came in to them and found them mourning. Then
she went unto Sir Darras, and told him how that mighty knight that bare
the black shield was likely to die. That shall not be, said Sir Darras,
for God defend when knights come to me for succour that I should suffer
them to die within my prison. Therefore, said Sir Darras to the damosel,
fetch that knight and his fellows afore me. And then anon Sir Darras saw
Sir Tristram brought afore him. He said: Sir knight, me repenteth of thy
sickness for thou art called a full noble knight, and so it seemeth
by thee; and wit ye well it shall never be said that Sir Darras shall
destroy such a noble knight as thou art in prison, howbeit that thou
hast slain three of my sons whereby I was greatly aggrieved. But now
shalt thou go and thy fellows, and your harness and horses have been
fair and clean kept, and ye shall go where it liketh you, upon this
covenant, that thou, knight, wilt promise me to be good friend to my
sons two that be now alive, and also that thou tell me thy name. Sir,
said he, as for me my name is Sir Tristram de Liones, and in Cornwall
was I born, and nephew I am unto King Mark. And as for the death of your
sons I might not do withal, for an they had been the next kin that
I have I might have done none otherwise. And if I had slain them
by treason or treachery I had been worthy to have died. All this
I consider, said Sir Darras, that all that ye did was by force of
knighthood, and that was the cause I would not put you to death. But
sith ye be Sir Tristram, the good knight, I pray you heartily to be my
good friend and to my son