SoSrLauncelotdeparteduntoKngArthur;andthenhetoldQueenGueneverhowhethatjoustedsowellatthelasttournamentwasSrTrstram。AndtherehetoldherhowhehadwthhmLaBealesoudmaugreKngMark,andsoQueenGuenevertoldallthsuntoKngArthur。WhenKngArthurwstthatSrTrstramwasescapedandcomefromKngMark,andhadbroughtLaBealesoudwthhm,thenwashepassngglad。SobecauseofSrTrstramKngArthurletmakeacry,thatonMayDayshouldbeajoustsbeforethecastleofLonazep;andthatcastlewasfastbyJoyousGard。AndthusArthurdevsed,thatalltheknghtsofthsland,andofCornwall,andofNorthWales,shouldjoustaganstallthesecountres,reland,Scotland,andtheremnantofWales,andthecountryofGore,andSurluse,andofLstnose,andtheyofNorthumberland,andalltheythatheldlandsofArthuronthshalfthesea。Whenthscrywasmademanyknghtsweregladandmanywereunglad。
Sr,sadLauncelotuntoArthur,bythscrythatyehavemadeyewllputusthatbeaboutyoungreatjeopardy,fortherebemanyknghtsthathavegreatenvytous;
thereforewhenweshallmeetatthedayofjouststherewllbehardshftamongus。Asforthat,sadArthur,carenot;thereshallweprovewhoshallbebestofhshands。SowhenSrLauncelotunderstoodwhereforeKngArthurmadethsjoustng,thenhemadesuchpurveyancethatLaBealesoudshouldbeholdthejoustsnasecretplacethatwashonestforherestate。
NowturnweuntoSrTrstramandtoLaBealesoud,howtheymadegreatjoydalytogetherwthallmannerofmrthsthattheycoulddevse;andeverydaySrTrstramwouldgordea-huntng,forSrTrstramwasthattmecalledthebestchaseroftheworld,andthenoblestblowerofanhornofallmannerofmeasures;forasbooksreport,ofSrTrstramcameallthegoodtermsofveneryandhuntng,andalltheszesandmeasuresofblowngofanhorn;andofhmwehadfrstallthetermsofhawkng,andwhchwerebeastsofchaseandbeastsofvenery,andwhchwerevermns,andalltheblaststhatlongtoallmannerofgames。Frsttotheuncouplng,totheseekng,totherechate,totheflght,tothedeath,andtostrake,andmanyotherblastsandterms,thatallmannerofgentlemenhavecausetotheworld’sendtopraseSrTrstram,andtoprayforhssoul。
HowbythecounselofLaBealesoudSrTrstramrodearmed,andhowhemetwthSrPalomdes。
SOonadayLaBealesoudsaduntoSrTrstram:
marvelmemuch,sadshe,thatyeremembernotyourself,howyebeherenastrangecountry,andherebemanyperlousknghts;andwellyewotthatKngMarksfulloftreason;andthatyewllrdethustochaseandtohuntunarmedyemghtbedestroyed。Myfarladyandmylove,cryyoumercy,wllnomoredoso。SothenSrTrstramrodedalya-huntngarmed,andhsmenbearnghssheldandhsspear。SoonadayalttleaforethemonthofMay,SrTrstramchasedanhartpassngeagerly,andsothehartpassedbyafarwell。AndthenSrTrstramalghtedandputoffhshelmtodrnkofthatbubblywater。RghtsoheheardandsawtheQuestngBeastcometothewell。WhenSrTrstramsawthatbeastheputonhshelm,forhedeemedheshouldhearofSrPalomdes,forthatbeastwashsquest。RghtsoSrTrstramsawwherecameaknghtarmed,uponanoblecourser,andhesalutedhm,andtheyspakeofmanythngs;andthsknght’snamewasBreuseSauncePt。
AndrghtsowthaltherecameuntothemthenobleknghtSrPalomdes,andethersalutedother,andspakefartoother。
Farknghts,sadSrPalomdes,cantellyoutdngs。
Whatsthat?sadthoseknghts。Srs,wtyewellthatKngMarksputnprsonbyhsownknghts,andallwasforloveofSrTrstram;forKngMarkhadputSrTrstramtwcenprson,andonceSrPercvaledelveredthenobleknghtSrTrstramoutofprson。AndatthelasttmeQueenLaBealesouddelveredhm,andwentclearlyawaywthhmntothsrealm;andallthswhleKngMark,thefalsetrator,snprson。sthstruth?
sadPalomdes;thenshallwehastlyhearofSrTrstram。
AndasfortosaythatloveLaBealesoudparamours,daremakegoodthatdo,andthatshehathmyservceaboveallotherlades,andshallhavethetermofmylfe。
Andrghtsoastheystoodtalkngtheysawaforethemwherecameaknghtallarmed,onagreathorse,andoneofhsmenbarehssheld,andtheotherhsspear。Andanonasthatknghtespedthemhegathssheldandhsspearanddressedhmtojoust。Farfellows,sadSrTrstram,yondersaknghtwlljoustwthus,letseewhchofusshallencounterwthhm,forseewellhesofthecourtofKngArthur。tshallnotbelongorhebemetwthal,sadSrPalomdes,forfoundnevernoknghtnmyquestofthsglastngbeast,butanhewouldjoustneverrefusedhm。Aswellmay,sadBreuseSauncePt,followthatbeastasye。Thenshallyedobattlewthme,sadPalomdes。
SoSrPalomdesdressedhmuntothatotherknght,SrBleobers,thatwasafullnobleknght,nghknuntoSrLauncelot。AndsotheymetsohardthatSrPalomdesfelltotheearth,horseandall。ThenSrBleoberscredaloudandsadthus:Maketheereadythoufalsetratorknght,BreuseSauncePt,forwtthoucertanlywllhaveadowththeetotheutteranceforthenobleknghtsandladesthatthouhastfalselybetrayed。Whenthsfalseknghtandtrator,BreuseSauncePt,heardhmsayso,hetookhshorsebythebrdleandfledhswayasfastaseverhshorsemghtrun,forsorehewasofhmafeard。WhenSrBleoberssawhmfleehefollowedfastafter,throughthckandthroughthn。AndbyfortuneasSrBreusefled,hesawevenaforehmthreeknghtsoftheTableRound,ofthewhchtheonehghtSrEctordeMars,theotherhghtSrPercvaledeGals,thethrdhghtSrHarryleFseLake,agoodknghtandanhardy。AndasforSrPercvale,hewascalledthattmeofhstmeoneofthebestknghtsoftheworld,andthebestassured。WhenBreusesawtheseknghtsherodestraghtuntothem,andcreduntothemandprayedthemofrescues。Whatneedhaveye?sadSrEctor。
Ah,farknghts,sadSrBreuse,herefollowethmethemosttratorknght,andmostcoward,andmostofvllany;
hsnamesBreuseSauncePt,andfhemaygetmehewllslaymewthoutmercyandpty。Abdewthus,sadSrPercvale,andweshallwarrantyou。
ThenweretheywareofSrBleobersthatcamerdngallthathemght。ThenSrEctorputhmselfforthtojoustaforethemall。WhenSrBleoberssawthattheywerefourknghtsandhebuthmself,hestoodnadoubtwhetherhewouldturnorholdhsway。Thenhesadtohmself:amaknghtoftheTableRound,andratherthanshouldshamemneoathandmybloodwllholdmywaywhatsoeverfallthereof。AndthenSrEctordressedhsspear,andsmoteetherotherpassngsore,butSrEctorfelltotheearth。ThatsawSrPercvale,andhedressedhshorsetowardhmallthathemghtdrve,butSrPercvalehadsuchastrokethathorseandmanfelltotheearth。WhenSrHarrysawthattheywerebothtotheearththenhesadtohmself:NeverwasBreuseofsuchprowess。SoSrHarrydressedhshorse,andtheymettogethersostronglythatboththehorsesandknghtsfelltotheearth,butSrBleobers’horsebegantorecoveragan。ThatsawBreuseandhecamehurtlng,andsmotehmoverandover,andwouldhaveslanhmashelayontheground。ThenSrHarryleFseLakearoselghtly,andtookthebrdleofSrBreuse’shorse,andsad:
Feforshame!strkeneveraknghtwhenhesattheearth,forthsknghtmaybecallednoshamefulknghtofhsdeeds,foryetasmenmayseethereashelethonthegroundhehathdoneworshpfully,andputtotheworsepassnggoodknghts。Thereforewllnotlet,sadSrBreuse。Thoushaltnotchoose,sadSrHarry,asatthstme。ThenwhenSrBreusesawthathemghtnotchoosenorhavehswllhespakefar。ThenSrHarrylethmgo。AndthenanonhemadehshorsetorunoverSrBleobers,andrashedhmtotheearthlkefhewouldhaveslanhm。WhenSrHarrysawhmdosovllanouslyhecred:Tratorknght,leaveoffforshame。AndasSrHarrywouldhavetakenhshorsetofghtwthSrBreuse,thenSrBreuseranuponhmashewashalfuponhshorse,andsmotehmdown,horseandman,totheearth,andhadnearslanSrHarry,thegoodknght。
ThatsawSrPercvale,andthenhecred:Tratorknghtwhatdostthou?AndwhenSrPercvalewasuponhshorseSrBreusetookhshorseandfledallthateverhemght,andSrPercvaleandSrHarryfollowedafterhmfast,buteverthelongertheychasedthefartherweretheybehnd。
ThentheyturnedaganandcametoSrEctordeMarsandtoSrBleobers。Ah,farknghts,sadBleobers,whyhaveyesuccouredthatfalseknghtandtrator?WhysadSrHarry,whatknghtshe?forwellwottsafalseknght,sadSrHarry,andacowardandafelonousknght。Sr,sadBleobers,hesthemostcowardknght,andadevourerofladesandadestroyerofgoodknghtsandespecallyofArthur’s。Whatsyourname?sadSrEctor。MynamesSrBleobersdeGans。Alas,farcousn,sadEctor,forgvetme,foramSrEctordeMars。ThenSrPercvaleandSrHarrymadegreatjoythattheymetwthBleobers,butalltheywereheavythatSrBreusewasescapedthem,whereoftheymadegreatdole。
LV
OfSrPalomdes,andhowhemetwthSrBleobersandwthSrEctor,andofSrPervvale。
RGHTsoastheystoodthustherecameSrPalomdes,andwhenhesawthesheldofBleobersleontheearth,thensadPalomdes:Hethatoweththatsheldlethmdresshmtome,forhesmotemedownherefastbyatafountan,andthereforewllfghtforhmonfoot。amready,sadBleobers,heretoanswerthee,forwtthouwell,srknght,twas,andmynamesBleobersdeGans。
Wellartthoumet,sadPalomdes,andwtthouwellmynamesPalomdestheSaracen;andetherofthemhatedothertothedeath。SrPalomdes,sadEctor,wtthouwelltheresnetherthounornoneknghtthatbeareththelfethatslayethanyofourbloodbutheshalldefort;
thereforeanthoulsttofghtgoseekSrLauncelotorSrTrstram,andthereshallyefndyourmatch。Wththemhavemet,sadPalomdes,buthadnevernoworshpofthem。Wastherenevernomannerofknght,sadSrEctor,buttheythatevermatchedwthyou?Yes,sadPalomdes,therewasthethrd,agoodknghtasanyofthem,andofhsagehewasthebestthateverfound;
foranhemghthavelvedtllhehadbeenanhardermantherelvethnoknghtnowsuch,andhsnamewasSrLamorakdeGals。Andashehadjoustedatatournamentthereheoverthrewmeandthrtyknghtsmore,andtherehewonthedegree。AndathsdepartngtheremethmSrGawaneandhsbrethren,andwthgreatpantheyslewhmfelonously,untoallgoodknghts’greatdamage。
AnonasSrPercvaleheardthathsbrotherwasdead,SrLamorak,hefelloverhshorse’smaneswoonng,andtherehemadethegreatestdolethatevermadeknght。AndwhenSrPercvalearosehesad:Alas,mygoodandnoblebrotherSrLamorak,nowshallwenevermeet,andtrownallthewdeworldamanmaynotfndsuchaknghtashewasofhsage;andtstoomuchtosufferthedeathofourfatherKngPellnore,andnowthedeathofourgoodbrotherSrLamorak。
ThennthemeanwhletherecameavarletfromthecourtofKngArthur,andtoldthemofthegreattournamentthatshouldbeatLonazep,andhowtheselands,CornwallandNorthgals,shouldbeaganstallthemthatwouldcome。
HowSrTrstrammetwthSrDnadan,andoftherdevces,andwhathesadtoSrGawane’sbrethren。
NOWturnweuntoSrTrstram,thatasherodea-huntnghemetwthSrDnadan,thatwascomentothatcountrytoseekSrTrstram。ThenSrDnadantoldSrTrstramhsname,butSrTrstramwouldnottellhmhsname,whereforeSrDnadanwaswroth。Forsuchafoolshknghtasyeare,sadSrDnadan,sawbutlatethsdaylyngbyawell,andhefaredasheslept;andtherehelaylkeafoolgrnnng,andwouldnotspeak,andhssheldlaybyhm,andhshorsestoodbyhm;andwellwothewasalover。Ah,farsr,sadSrTrstramareyenotalover?Mary,feonthatcraft!sadSrDnadan。Thatsevlsad,sadSrTrstram,foraknghtmayneverbeofprowessbutfhebealover。tswellsad,sadSrDnadan;nowtellmeyourname,sthyebealover,orelseshalldobattlewthyou。Asforthat,sadSrTrstram,tsnoreasontofghtwthmebut
tellyoumyname;andasforthatmynameshallyenotwtasatthstme。Feforshame,sadDnadan,artthouaknghtanddurstnottellthynametome?therefore