Then they avoided their horses, and lashed together eagerly with
swords, and mightily, now tracing and traversing on the right hand and
on the left hand more than two hours. And sometime they rushed together
with such a might that they lay both grovelling on the ground. Then Sir
Bleoberis de Ganis stert aback, and said thus: Now, gentle good knight,
a while hold your hands, and let us speak together. Say what ye will,
said Tristram, and I will answer you. Sir, said Bleoberis, I would wit
of whence ye be, and of whom ye be come, and what is your name? So God
me help, said Sir Tristram, I fear not to tell you my name. Wit ye well
I am King Meliodas’ son, and my mother is King Mark’s sister, and my
name is Sir Tristram de Liones, and King Mark is mine uncle. Truly,
said Bleoberis, I am right glad of you, for ye are he that slew Marhaus
the knight, hand for hand in an island, for the truage of Cornwall;
also ye overcame Sir Palamides the good knight, at a tournament in an
island, where ye beat Sir Gawaine and his nine fellows. So God me help,
said Sir Tristram, wit ye well that I am the same knight; now I have
told you my name, tell me yours with good will. Wit ye well that my
name is Sir Bleoberis de Ganis, and my brother hight Sir Blamore de
Ganis, that is called a good knight, and we be sister’s children unto
my lord Sir Launcelot du Lake, that we call one of the best knights of
the world. That is truth, said Sir Tristram, Sir Launcelot is called
peerless of courtesy and of knighthood; and for his sake, said Sir
Tristram, I will not with my good will fight no more with you, for the
great love I have to Sir Launcelot du Lake. In good faith, said
Bleoberis, as for me I will be loath to fight with you; but sithen ye
follow me here to have this lady, I shall proffer you kindness,
courtesy, and gentleness right here upon this ground. This lady shall
be betwixt us both, and to whom that she will go, let him have her in
peace. I will well, said Tristram, for, as I deem, she will leave you
and come to me. Ye shall prove it anon, said Bleoberis.
CHAPTER XVIII. How the lady forsook Sir Tristram and abode with Sir
Bleoberis, and how she desired to go to her husband.
So when she was set betwixt them both she said these words unto Sir
Tristram: Wit ye well, Sir Tristram de Liones, that but late thou wast
the man in the world that I most loved and trusted, and I weened thou
hadst loved me again above all ladies; but when thou sawest this knight
lead me away thou madest no cheer to rescue me, but suffered my lord
Segwarides ride after me; but until that time I weened thou haddest
loved me, and therefore now I will leave thee, and never love thee
more. And therewithal she went unto Sir Bleoberis.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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