The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
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The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
And therewith they took their course, and either met other so hard,
that Sir Tristram smote down that knight over his horse's crupper. Then
the other knight dressed him unto Sir Tristram, and in the same wise as
he served the first knight, so he served him. And then they gat them
upon their feet as well as they might, and dressed their shields and
their swords to do their battle unto the uttermost.
"Knights," said Sir Tristram, "ye shall tell me of whence ye are and
what be your names."
"Wit thou well, sir knight," said they, "we fear us not to tell thee
our names, for my name is Sir Agravaine, and my name is Gaheris,
brethren unto the good knight Sir Gawaine, and we be nephews unto King
Arthur."
"Well," said Sir Tristram, "for King Arthur's sake I shall let you pass
as at this time. But it is shame," said Sir Tristram, "that Sir Gawaine
and ye that be come of so great a blood, that ye four brethren are so
named as ye be. For ye be called the greatest destroyers and murderers
of good knights that be now in this realm; for it is but as I heard
say, that Sir Gawaine and ye slew among you a better knight than ever
ye were, that was the noble knight Sir Lamorak de Galis; and it had
pleased God," said Sir Tristram, "I would I had been by Sir Lamorak at
his death."
"Then shouldest thou have gone the same way," said Sir Gaheris.
"Fair knight," said Sir Tristram, "there must have been many more
knights than ye are."
And therewithal Sir Tristram departed from them towards Joyous Gard.
And when he was departed they took their horses, and the one said
to the other, "We will overtake him and be revenged upon him in the
despite of Sir Lamorak."
* * * * *
So when they had overtaken Sir Tristram, Sir Agravaine bade him, "Turn,
traitor knight."
"That is evil said," said Sir Tristram; and therewith he pulled out
his sword, and smote Sir Agravaine such a buffet upon the helm that he
tumbled down off his horse in a swoon, and he had a grievous wound. And
then he turned to Gaheris, and Sir Tristram smote his sword and his
helm together with such a might that Gaheris fell out of his saddle;
and so Sir Tristram rode unto Joyous Gard, and there he alighted and
unarmed him. So Sir Tristram told la Belle Isolde of all his adventure
as ye have heard tofore. And when she heard him tell of Sir Dinadan,
"Sir," she said, "is not that he that made the song by King Mark?"
"That same is he," said Sir Tristram, "for he is the best joker and
jester, and a noble knight of his hands, and the best fellow that I
know, and all good knights love his fellowship."
"Alas, sir," said she, "why brought ye not him with you?"
"Have ye no care," said Sir Tristram, "for he rideth to seek me in this
country, and therefore he will not away till he have met with me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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