ll be hard to overcome, for all those of King Ban's kin are passing
good fighters beyond all others. It is Sir Blamor de Ganis, a great
warrior.'

'Sir,' said Sir Tristram, 'for the great goodness that ye showed to me
in Ireland and for your daughter's sake, La Belle Isoude, I will take
the battle in hand for you. But ye must first swear that ye never
caused or consented to the death of the knight of which you are
charged, and if I avail in your battle I will crave a boon of you which
you shall grant me.'

'I swear to Heaven,' replied the king, 'that I did neither cause nor
consent to the death of the knight; and as to the boon that ye shall
ask, I grant it you already.'

Then King Anguish departed to the judges and cried unto them the name
of his champion, and all the knights of the Round Table that were
there, and the common people, were all agog to see Sir Tristram. The
fame of his fight with Sir Marhaus, and his renown as a harpist and a
lover of hunting, were well known unto all; but never yet had he come
to the court of King Arthur.

Sir Blamor and Sir Tristram went to each end of the lists and dressed
their harness and their shields. Sir Bleobaris, that was brother to Sir
Blamor, went to him and said:

'Brother, now remember of what kin ye be, and what manner of man is our
lord, Sir Lancelot, and see that ye suffer not shame. For never would
Sir Lancelot bear it, and he would sooner suffer death.'

'Have no doubt of me,' said Sir Blamor, 'I shall never shame Sir
Lancelot nor any of our high blood; nevertheless, this Sir Tristram is
a passing good fighter, and if by ill hap he strike me down, then he
shall slay me and so end my shame.'

'God speed you well,' said Sir Bleobaris, 'but he may not be so great a
warrior as fame saith. For fame grows false as she goes further.'

When the knights were ready, the herald of the court of Arthur stood
with his trumpet and recited the cause of the quarrel and the names of
the knights about to do battle. Then, lifting his tabard, he bade both
knights make ready; and when his tabard fell to the ground, the knights
lowered their lances in the rests, set spurs to their horses, and
thundered down the lists. With a clang and a crash they met midway, and
then men marvelled as they saw how suddenly Sir Blamor's horse reared
in mid-career, turned right round, and upsetting its rider over its
back, fell to the ground. Sir Blamor, however, was unhurt, and quickly
rising to his