in good faith I
shall hold you company till that we come to Camelot; and there shall ye
have great worship now at this great tournament; for there shall be
the Queen Guenever, and La Beale Isoud of Cornwall. Wit you well, sir
knight, for the love of La Beale Isoud I will be there, and else not,
but I will not have ado in King Arthur's court. Sir, said Dinadan, I
shall ride with you and do you service, so you will tell me your name.
Sir, ye shall understand my name is Sir Palomides, brother to Safere,
the good and noble knight. And Sir Segwarides and I, we be Saracens
born, of father and mother. Sir, said Sir Dinadan, I thank you much for
the telling of your name. For I am glad of that I know your name, and
I promise you by the faith of my body, ye shall not be hurt by me by my
will, but rather be advanced. And thereto will I help you with all my
power, I promise you, doubt ye not. And certainly on my life ye shall
win great worship in the court of King Arthur, and be right welcome. So
then they dressed on their helms and put on their shields, and mounted
upon their horses, and took the broad way towards Camelot. And then were
they ware of a castle that was fair and rich, and also passing strong as
any was within this realm.

CHAPTER XVII. How Sir Lamorak jousted with divers knights of the castle
wherein was Morgan le Fay.

SIR PALOMIDES, said Dinadan, here is a castle that I know well, and
therein dwelleth Queen Morgan le Fay, King Arthur's sister; and King
Arthur gave her this castle, the which he hath repented him sithen a
thousand times, for sithen King Arthur and she have been at debate and
strife; but this castle could he never get nor win of her by no manner
of engine; and ever as she might she made war on King Arthur. And all
dangerous knights she withholdeth with her, for to destroy all these
knights that King Arthur loveth. And there shall no knight pass this way
but he must joust with one knight, or with two, or with three. And if it
hap that King Arthur's knight be beaten, he shall lose his horse and his
harness and all that he hath, and hard, if that he escape, but that he
shall be prisoner. So God me help, said Palomides, this is a shameful
custom, and a villainous usance for a queen to use, and namely to make
such war upon her own lord, that is called the Flower of Chivalry that
is christian or heathen; and with all my heart I would destroy that
shameful custom. And I will that all the world wit sh