Thennthemeanwhletherecameadamoseltothehautprnce,andcomplanedthattherewasaknghtthathghtGoneresthatwthheldherallherlands。Thentheknghtwastherepresent,andcasthsglovetoherortoanythatwouldfghtnhername。Sothedamoseltookupthegloveallheavlyfordefaultofachampon。Thentherecameavarlettoherandsad:Damosel,wllyedoafterme?Fullfan,sadthedamosel。Thengoyouuntosuchaknghtthatlethherebesdenanhermtage,andthatfolloweththeQuestngBeast,andprayhmtotakethebattleuponhm,andanonwotwellhewllgrantyou。
Soanonshetookherpalfrey,andwthnawhleshefoundthatknght,thatwasSrPalomdes。Andwhensherequredhmhearmedhmandrodewthher,andmadehertogotothehautprnce,andtoaskleaveforherknghttodobattle。wllwell,sadthehautprnce。
Thentheknghtswerereadynthefeldtojoustonhorseback;andethergataspearntherhands,andmetsofercelytogetherthattherspearsallto-shvered。
Thentheyflangoutswords,andSrPalomdessmoteSrGoneresdowntotheearth。Andthenheracedoffhshelmandsmoteoffhshead。Thentheywenttosupper,andthedamosellovedPalomdesasparamour,butthebooksathshewasofhskn。SothenPalomdesdsgusedhmselfnthsmanner,nhssheldhebaretheQuestngBeast,andnallhstrappngs。Andwhenhewasthusready,hesenttothehautprncetogvehmleavetojoustwthotherknghts,buthewasadoubtedofSrLauncelot。Thehautprncesenthmwordaganthatheshouldbewelcome,andthatSrLauncelotshouldnotjoustwthhm。ThenSrGalahalt,thehautprnce,letcrywhatknghtsomeverhewerethatsmotedownSrPalomdesshouldhavehsdamoseltohmself。
XL
HowSrGalahaltandPalomdesfoughttogether,andofSrDnadanandSrGalahalt。
HEREbegnneththesecondday。AnonasSrPalomdescamentothefeld,SrGalahalt,thehautprnce,wasattherangeend,andmetwthSrPalomdes,andhewthhm,wthgreatspears。Andthentheycamesohardtogetherthattherspearsallto-shvered,butSrGalahaltsmotehmsohardthathebarehmbackwardoverhshorse,butyethelostnothsstrrups。Thentheydrewtherswordsandlashedtogethermanysadstrokes,thatmanyworshpfulknghtslefttherbusnesstobeholdthem。
ButatthelastSrGalahalt,thehautprnce,smoteastrokeofmghtuntoPalomdes,soreuponthehelm;butthehelmwassohardthattheswordmghtnotbte,butslppedandsmoteofftheheadofthehorseofSrPalomdes。Whenthehautprncewstandsawthegoodknghtfalluntotheearthhewasashamedofthatstroke。
Andtherewthhealghteddownoffhsownhorse,andprayedthegoodknght,Palomdes,totakethathorseofhsgft,andtoforgvehmthatdeed。Sr,sadPalomdes,thankyouofyourgreatgoodness,foreverofamanofworshpaknghtshallneverhavedsworshp;andsohemounteduponthathorse,andthehautprncehadanotheranon。Now,sadthehautprnce,releasetoyouthatmaden,foryehavewonher。Ah,sadPalomdes,thedamoselandbeatyourcommandment。
Sotheydeparted,andSrGalahaltddgreatdeedsofarms。AndrghtsocameDnadanandencounteredwthSrGalahalt,andethercametoothersofastwththerspearsthattherspearsbraketotherhands。ButDnadanhadweenedthehautprncehadbeenmorewearythanhewas。Andthenhesmotemanysadstrokesatthehautprnce;butwhenDnadansawhemghtnotgethmtotheearthhesad:Mylord,prayyouleaveme,andtakeanother。ThehautprnceknewnotDnadan,andleftgoodlyforhsfarwords。Andsotheydeparted;
butsoontherecameanotherandtoldthehautprncethattwasDnadan。Forsooth,sadtheprnce,thereforeamheavythathessoescapedfromme,forwthhsmocksandjapesnowshallneverhavedonewthhm。
AndthenGalahaltrodefastafterhm,andbadehm:
Abde,Dnadan,forKngArthur’ssake。Nay,sadDnadan,soGodmehelp,wemeetnomoretogetherthsday。ThennthatwraththehautprncemetwthMelagaunce,andhesmotehmnthethroatthatanhehadfallenhsneckhadbroken;andwththesamespearhesmotedownanotherknght。ThencamentheyofNorthgalsandmanystrangers,andwerelketohaveputthemofSurlusetotheworse,forSrGalahalt,thehautprnce,hadevermuchnhand。Sotherecamethegoodknght,SemoundtheValant,wthfortyknghts,andhebeatthemallaback。ThentheQueenGueneverandSrLauncelotletblowtolodgng,andeveryknghtunarmedhm,anddressedhmtothefeast。
HowSrArchadeappealedSrPalomdesoftreason,andhowSrPalomdesslewhm。
WHENPalomdeswasunarmedheaskedlodgngforhmselfandthedamosel。Anonthehautprncecommandedthemtolodgng。AndhewasnotsosoonnhslodgngbuttherecameaknghtthathghtArchade,hewasbrotheruntoGoneresthatPalomdesslewaforenthedamosel’squarrel。Andthsknght,Archade,calledSrPalomdestrator,andappealedhmforthedeathofhsbrother。Bytheleaveofthehautprnce,sadPalomdes,shallanswerthee。WhenSrGalahaltunderstoodtherquarrelhebadethemgotodnner:Andassoonasyehavednedlookthatetherknghtbereadynthefeld。Sowhentheyhaddnedtheywerearmedboth,andtooktherhorses,andthequeen,andtheprnce,andSrLauncelot,weresettobeholdthem;andsotheyletruntherhorses,andthereSrPalomdesbareArchadeonhsspearoverhshorse’stal。AndthenPalomdesalghtedanddrewhssword,butSrArchademghtnotarse;andthereSrPalomdesracedoffhshelm,andsmoteoffhshead。ThenthehautprnceandQueenGueneverwentuntosupper。ThenKngBagdemagussentawayhssonMelagauncebecauseSrLauncelotshouldnotmeetwthhm,forhehatedSrLauncelot,andthatknewhenot。
XLV
Ofthethrdday,andhowSrPalomdesjoustedwthSrLamorak,andotherthngs。
NOWbegnneththethrddayofjoustng;andatthatdayKngBagdemagusmadehmready;andtherecameagansthmKngMarsl,thathadngftanslandofSrGalahaltthehautprnce;andthsslandhadthenamePomtan。ThentbefellthatKngBagdemagusandKngMarslofPomtanmettogetherwthspears,andKngMarslhadsuchabuffetthathefelloverhshorse’scroup。ThencametherenaknghtofKngMarsltorevengehslord,andKngBagdemagussmotehmdown,horseandman,totheearth。SotherecameanearlthathghtArrouse,andSrBreuse,andanhundredknghtswththemofPomtan,andtheKngofNorthgalswaswththem;andallthesewereaganstthemofSurluse。
Andthentherebegangreatbattle,andmanyknghtswerecastunderhorses’feet。AndeverKngBagdemagusddbest,forhefrstbegan,andeverheheldon。Gahers,Gawane’sbrother,smoteeveratthefaceofKngBagdemagus;
andatthelastKngBagdemagushurtleddownGahers,horseandman。
ThenbyadventureSrPalomdes,thegoodknght,metwthSrBlamoredeGans,SrBleobers’brother。
Andethersmoteotherwthgreatspears,thatboththerhorsesandknghtsfelltotheearth。ButSrBlamorehadsuchafallthathehadalmostbrokenhsneck,forthebloodbrastoutatnose,mouth,andhsears,butatthelastherecoveredwellbygoodsurgeons。ThentherecamentheDukeChalensofClarance;andnhsgovernancetherecameaknghtthathghtElslaNore;
andthereencounteredwthhmKngBagdemagus,andhesmoteElsthathemadehmtoavodhssaddle。SotheDukeChalensofClaranceddtheregreatdeedsofarms,andofsolateashecamenthethrddaytherewasnomanddsowellexceptKngBagdemagusandSrPalomdes,thattheprzewasgventhatdaytoKngBagdemagus。Andthentheyblewuntolodgng,andunarmedthem,andwenttothefeast。RghtsocameDnadan,andmockedandjapedwthKngBagdemagusthatallknghtslaughedathm,forhewasafnejaper,andwelllovngallgoodknghts。
Soanonastheyhaddnedtherecameavarletbearngfourspearsonhsback;andhecametoPalomdes,andsadthus:Heresaknghtbyhathsentyouthechoceoffourspears,andrequrethyouforyourlady’ssaketotakethatonehalfofthesespears,andjoustwthhmnthefeld。Tellhm,sadPalomdes,wllnotfalhm。
WhenSrGalahaltwstofths,hebadePalomdesmakehmready。SotheQueenGuenever,thehautprnce,andSrLauncelot,theyweresetuponscaffoldstogvethejudgmentofthesetwoknghts。ThenSrPalomdesandthestrangeknghtransoeagerlytogetherthattherspearsbraketotherhands。Anonwthaletherofthemtookagreatspearnhshandandallto-shveredthemnpeces。Andthenethertookagreaterspear,andthentheknghtsmotedownSrPalomdes,horseandman,totheearth。Andashewouldhavepassedoverhmthestrangeknght’shorsestumbledandfelldownuponPalomdes。Thentheydrewtherswordsandlashedtogetherwonderlysoreagreatwhle。
ThenthehautprnceandSrLauncelotsadtheysawnevertwoknghtsfghtbetterthantheydd;buteverthestrangeknghtdoubledhsstrokes,andputPalomdesaback;therewthalthehautprncecred:Ho:andthentheywenttolodgng。AndwhentheywereunarmedtheyknewtwasthenobleknghtSrLamorak。WhenSrLauncelotknewthattwasSrLamorakhemademuchofhm,foraboveallearthlymenhelovedhmbestexceptSrTrstram。ThenQueenGuenevercommendedhm,andsoddallothergoodknghtsmakemuchofhm,exceptSrGawane’sbrethren。ThenQueenGueneversaduntoSrLauncelot:Sr,requreyouthatanyejoustanymore,thatyejoustwthnoneofthebloodofmylordArthur。Sohepromsedhewouldnotasatthattme。
Ofthefourthday,andofmanygreatfeatsofarms。
HEREbegnneththefourthday。ThencamentothefeldtheKngwththeHundredKnghts,andalltheyofNorthgals,andtheDukeChalensofClarance,andKngMarslofPomtan,andtherecameSafere,Palomdes’
brother,andtherehetoldhmtdngsofhsmother。
AndhsnamewascalledtheEarl,andsoheappealedhmaforeKngArthur:Forhemadewaruponourfatherandmother,andthereslewhmnplanbattle。
Sotheywentntothefeld,andthedamoselwththem;
andtherecametoencounteraganthemSrBleobersdeGans,andSrEctordeMars。SrPalomdesencounteredwthSrBleobers,andethersmoteotherdown。AndnthesamewseddSrSafereandSrEctor,andthetwocouplesddbattleonfoot。ThencamenSrLamorak,andheencounteredwththeKngwththeHundredKnghts,andsmotehmquteoverhshorse’stal。AndnthesamewseheservedtheKngofNorthgals,andalsohesmotedownKngMarsl。Andsooreverhestnthesmotedownwthhsspearandwthhsswordthrtyknghts。WhenDukeChalenssawLamorakdosogreatprowesshewouldnotmeddlewthhmforshame;andthenhechargedallhsknghtsnpanofdeaththatnoneofyoutouchhm;fortwereshametoallgoodknghtsanthatknghtwereshamed。