Sir Tristram.
God defend me, said Dinadan, from thy fellowship, for Sir Tristram were
mickle the worse an he were in thy company; and then they departed.
Sir, said Sir Tristram, yet it may happen I shall meet with you in other
places.
So rode Sir Tristram unto Joyous Gard, and there he heard in that town
great noise and cry. What is this noise? said Sir Tristram. Sir, said
they, here is a knight of this castle that hath been long among us, and
right now he is slain with two knights, and for none other cause but
that our knight said that Sir Launcelot were a better knight than Sir
Gawaine. That was a simple cause, said Sir Tristram, for to slay a good
knight for to say well by his master. That is little remedy to us, said
the men of the town. For an Sir Launcelot had been here soon we should
have been revenged upon the false knights.
When Sir Tristram heard them say so he sent for his shield and for his
spear, and lightly within a while he had overtaken them, and bade them
turn and amend that they had misdone. What amends wouldst thou have?
said the one knight. And therewith they took their course, and either
met other so hard that Sir Tristram smote down that knight over his
horse's tail. Then the other knight dressed him to Sir Tristram, and in
the same wise he served the other knight. And then they gat off their
horses as well as they might, and dressed their shields and swords to do
their battle to the utterance. Knights, said Sir Tristram, ye shall tell
me of whence ye are, and what be your names, for such men ye might be ye
should hard escape my hands; and ye might be such men of such a country
that for all your evil deeds ye should pass quit. Wit thou well, sir
knight, said they, we fear not to tell thee our names, for my name is
Sir Agravaine, and my name is Gaheris, brethren unto the good knight Sir
Gawaine, and we be nephews unto King Arthur. Well, said Sir Tristram,
for King Arthur's sake I shall let you pass as at this time. But it is
shame, said Sir Tristram, that Sir Gawaine and ye be come of so great a
blood that ye four brethren are so named as ye be, for ye be called the
greatest destroyers and murderers of good knights that be now in this
realm; for it is but as I heard say that Sir Gawaine and ye slew among
you a better knight than ever ye were, that was the noble knight Sir
Lamorak de Galis. An it had pleased God, said Sir Tristram, I would I
had been by Sir Lamorak at his death. Then shouldst thou
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