"Well," said Sir Tristram, "I know that knight full 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, "and 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 Sir 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 the other." "Sir," said Epinegris, "is it 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? me seemeth the lover hath right well sped." "Fie upon thee, coward," said Sir Dinadan, "and if thou be any good knight, now revenge my shame." "Nay," said Sir Tristram, "I will not joust as at this time, but take your horse and let us go from hence." "God defend me," said Sir Dinadan, "from thy fellowship, for I never sped well sith 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 Sir Dinadan, "from thy fellowship, for Sir Tristram were much the worse and he were in thy company." And then they departed. "Sir," said Sir Tristram, "yet it may happen that I shall meet with you in other places." And so Sir Tristram rode unto Joyous Gard, and there heard in that town great noise and cry. "What meaneth this noise?" said Sir Tristram. "Sir," said they, "here is a knight of this castle which 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 was a better knight than was Sir Gawaine." "That was but a simple cause," said Sir Tristram, "to slay a good knight because he said well by his master." "That is but a little remedy unto us," said the men of the town; "for if Sir Launcelot had been here, soon we should have been revenged upon those false knights." When Sir Tristram heard them say so, incontinent he sent for his shield and for his spear, and lightly within a little while he had overtaken them, and bade them turn and amend that they had misdone. "What amends wouldst thou have?" said that one knight.