ineherds roared with great laughter, ten times
louder than they had laughed when Sir Tristram had soused Sir Dagonet into
the well.

Then Sir Tristram beheld the sword of Sir Kay where it lay in the grass and
forthwith he ran to it and picked it up. And when he held it in his hands
he loved it with a great passion of love, wherefore he hugged it to his
bosom and kissed the pommel thereof.

But when the swineherds beheld the sword in Sir Tristram's hands, they
said, "That is no fit plaything for a madman to have," and they would have
taken it from him, but Sir Tristram would not permit them, for he would not
give them the sword, and no one dared to try to take it from him.

[Sidenote: Sir Tristram keeps the sword of Sir Kay] So thereafter he kept
that sword ever by him both by night and by day, and ever he loved it and
kissed it and fondled it; for, as aforesaid, it aroused his knightly spirit
to life within him, wherefore it was he loved it.

So it hath been told how Sir Tristram got him a sword, and now it shall be
told how well he used it.

Now there was at that time in the woodlands of that part of Cornwall a
gigantic knight hight Sir Tauleas, and he was the terror of all that
district. For not only was he a head and shoulders taller than the tallest
of Cornish men, but his strength and fierceness were great in the same
degree that he was big of frame. Many knights had undertaken to rid the
world of this Sir Tauleas, but no knight had ever yet encountered him
without meeting some mishap at his hands.

(Yet it is to be said that heretofore no such knight as Sir Launcelot or
Sir Lamorack had come against Sir Tauleas, but only the knights of Cornwall
and Wales, whose borders marched upon that district where Sir Tauleas
ranged afield.)

[Sidenote: Sir Daynant and his lady come to the forest] Now one day there
came riding through the forest a very noble, gallant young knight, hight
Sir Daynant, and with him rode his lady, a beautiful dame to whom he had
lately been wedded with a great deal of love. These wayfarers in their
travelling came to that part of the forest where the swineherds abode, and
where were the open glade of grass and the fair well of water aforespoken
of.

Hereunto coming, and the day being very warm, these two travellers
dismounted and besought refreshment of the swineherds who were there, and
those rude good fellows gladly gave them to eat and to drink of the best
they had.

[Sidenote: Sir D