Then Sir Palomides and Sir Safere, the one set his back to the other,
and gave many great strokes, and took many great strokes; and thus they
fought with a twenty knights and forty gentlemen and yeomen nigh two
hours. But at the last though they were loath, Sir Palomides and Sir
Safere were taken and yolden, and put in a strong prison; and within
three days twelve knights passed upon them, and they found Sir
Palomides guilty, and Sir Safere not guilty, of their lord’s death. And
when Sir Safere should be delivered there was great dole betwixt Sir
Palomides and him, and many piteous complaints that Sir Safere made at
his departing, there is no maker can rehearse the tenth part. Fair
brother, said Palomides, let be thy dolour and thy sorrow. And if I be
ordained to die a shameful death, welcome be it; but an I had wist of
this death that I am deemed unto, I should never have been yolden. So
Sir Safere departed from his brother with the greatest dolour and
sorrow that ever made knight.
And on the morn they of the castle ordained twelve knights to ride with
Sir Palomides unto the father of the same knight that Sir Palomides
slew; and so they bound his legs under an old steed’s belly. And then
they rode with Sir Palomides unto a castle by the seaside, that hight
Pelownes, and there Sir Palomides should have justice. Thus was their
ordinance; and so they rode with Sir Palomides fast by the castle of
Joyous Gard. And as they passed by that castle there came riding out of
that castle by them one that knew Sir Palomides. And when that knight
saw Sir Palomides bounden upon a crooked courser, the knight asked Sir
Palomides for what cause he was led so. Ah, my fair fellow and knight,
said Palomides, I ride toward my death for the slaying of a knight at a
tournament of Lonazep; and if I had not departed from my lord Sir
Tristram, as I ought not to have done, now might I have been sure to
have had my life saved; but I pray you, sir knight, recommend me unto
my lord, Sir Tristram, and unto my lady, Queen Isoud, and say to them
if ever I trespassed to them I ask them forgiveness. And also I beseech
you recommend me unto my lord, King Arthur, and to all the fellowship
of the Round Table, unto my power. Then that knight wept for pity of
Sir Palomides; and therewithal he rode unto Joyous Gard as fast as his
horse might run, and lightly that knight descended down off his horse
and went unto Sir Tristram, and there he told him all as ye have heard,
and ever the knight wept as he had been mad.
CHAPTER LXXXV. How Sir Tristram made him ready to rescue Sir Palomides,
but Sir Launcelot rescued him or he came.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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