shield bended
with black and with white. And anon the Knight with the Red Shield and
he encountered so hard that he smote the knight of the castle through
the bended shield and through the body, and brake the horse's back. Fair
knight, said Sir Palomides, ye have overmuch on hand, therefore I pray
you let me joust, for ye had need to be reposed. Why sir, said the
knight, seem ye that I am weak and feeble? and sir, methinketh ye
proffer me wrong, and to me shame, when I do well enough. I tell you now
as I told you erst; for an they were twenty knights I shall beat them,
and if I be beaten or slain then may ye revenge me. And if ye think that
I be weary, and ye have an appetite to joust with me, I shall find you
jousting enough. Sir, said Palomides, I said it not because I would
joust with you, but meseemeth that ye have overmuch on hand. And
therefore, an ye were gentle, said the Knight with the Red Shield, ye
should not proffer me shame; therefore I require you to joust with me,
and ye shall find that I am not weary. Sith ye require me, said Sir
Palomides, take keep to yourself. Then they two knights came together as
fast as their horses might run, and the knight smote Sir Palomides sore
on the shield that the spear went into his side a great wound, and a
perilous. And therewithal Sir Palomides avoided his saddle. And that
knight turned unto Sir Dinadan; and when he saw him coming he cried
aloud, and said: Sir, I will not have ado with you; but for that he let
it not, but came straight upon him. So Sir Dinadan for shame put forth
his spear and all to-shivered it upon the knight. But he smote Sir
Dinadan again so hard that he smote him clean from his saddle; but their
horses he would not suffer his squires to meddle with, and because they
were knights-errant.

Then he dressed him again to the castle, and jousted with seven knights
more, and there was none of them might withstand him, but he bare him to
the earth. And of these twelve knights he slew in plain jousts four.
And the eight knights he made them to swear on the cross of a sword that
they should never use the evil customs of the castle. And when he had
made them to swear that oath he let them pass. And ever stood the lords
and the ladies on the castle walls crying and saying: Knight with the
Red Shield, ye have marvellously well done as ever we saw knight do. And
therewith came a knight out of the castle unarmed, and said: Knight with
the Red Shield, overmuch dam