And thus as they hoved still, they saw a knight come riding against
them. Lo, said Sir Tristram, see where cometh a knight riding will
joust with you. Anon, as Sir Dinadan beheld him he said: That is the
same doted knight that I saw lie by the well, neither sleeping nor
waking. Well, said Sir Tristram, I know that knight well with the
covered shield of azure, he is the king’s son of Northumberland, his
name is Epinegris; and he is as great a lover as I know, and he loveth
the king’s daughter of Wales, a full fair lady. And now I suppose, said
Sir Tristram, an ye require him he will joust with you, and then shall
ye prove whether a lover be a better knight, or ye that will not love
no lady. Well, said Dinadan, now shalt thou see what I shall do.
Therewithal Sir Dinadan spake on high and said: Sir knight, make thee
ready to joust with me, for it is the custom of errant knights one to
joust with other. Sir, said Epinegris, is that the rule of you errant
knights for to make a knight to joust, will he or nill? As for that,
said Dinadan, make thee ready, for here is for me. And therewithal they
spurred their horses and met together so hard that Epinegris smote down
Sir Dinadan. Then Sir Tristram rode to Sir Dinadan and said: How now,
meseemeth the lover hath well sped. Fie on thee, coward, said Sir
Dinadan, and if thou be a good knight revenge me. Nay, said Sir
Tristram, I will not joust as at this time, but take your horse and let
us go hence. God defend me, said Sir Dinadan, from thy fellowship, for
I never sped well since I met with thee: and so they departed. Well,
said Sir Tristram, peradventure I could tell you tidings of Sir
Tristram. God defend me, said Dinadan, from thy fellowship, for Sir
Tristram were mickle the worse an he were in thy company; and then they
departed. Sir, said Sir Tristram, yet it may happen I shall meet with
you in other places.
So rode Sir Tristram unto Joyous Gard, and there he heard in that town
great noise and cry. What is this noise? said Sir Tristram. Sir, said
they, here is a knight of this castle that hath been long among us, and
right now he is slain with two knights, and for none other cause but
that our knight said that Sir Launcelot were a better knight than Sir
Gawaine. That was a simple cause, said Sir Tristram, for to slay a good
knight for to say well by his master. That is little remedy to us, said
the men of the town. For an Sir Launcelot had been here soon we should
have been revenged upon the false knights.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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