Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory

by Thomas Malory

  Awake!’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘for ye ought to be ashamed so to slepe whan knyghtes have ado in the fylde.’

  Than sir Dynadan arose lyghtly and sayde, ‘Sir, what wyll ye do?’

  ‘Make you redy,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘to ryde wyth me into the fylde.’

  So whan sir Dynadan was armed he loked uppon sir Trystrames helme and on hys shylde, and whan he saw so many strokys uppon his helme and uppon hys shylde he seyde, ‘In good tyme was I thus aslepe, for had I bene wyth you I muste nedys for shame have folowed wyth you, more for shame than for any proues that ys in me, for I se well now be thy strokys that I sholde have bene truly beatyn as I was yestirday.’

  ‘Leve youre japys,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and com of, that we were in the fylde agayne.’

  ‘What?’ sayde sir Dynadan, ‘ys youre harte up now? Yestirday ye fared as ye had dremed.’

  So than sir Trystram was arayed all in blacke harneys.

  ‘A, Jesu!’ seyde sir Dynadan, ‘what ayleth you thys day? Mesemyth that ye be more wyldar than ye were yestirday.’

  Than smyled sir Trystram and seyde to sir Dynadan, ‘Awayte well uppon me: yf ye se me ovirmacched, and loke that ever ye be byhynde me, and I shall make you redy way, by Goddys grace!’

  So they toke there horsys.

  And all thys aspyed sir Palomydes, bothe the goynge and the comynge, and so ded La Beall Isode, for she knew sir Trystram pass[76] ynge well. Than sir Palomydes sawe that sir Trystram was disgysed, and thought to shame hym. And so he rode unto a knyght that was sore wounded, that sate undir a thorne a good way frome the fylde.

  ‘Syr knyght,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘I pray you to lende me youre armour and youre shylde, for myne ys overwell knowyn in thys fylde, and that hath done me grete damayge. And ye shall have myne armour and my shylde that ys as sure as youres.’

  ‘I woll well,’ seyde the knyght, ‘that ye have myne armoure and also my shylde. If they may do you ony avayle, I am well pleased.’

  So sir Palomydes armed hym hastely in that knyghtes armour and hys shylde that shone lyke ony crystall or sylver, and so he cam rydynge into the fylde. And than there was nothir sir Trystram nothir none of hys party nothir of kynge Arthurs that knew sir Palomydes.

  And as sone as he was com into the fylde sir Trystram smote downe three knyghtes, evyn in the syght of sir Palomydes. And than he rode ayenste sir Trystram, and aythir mette othir wyth grete spearys, that they all to-braste to there hondis. And than they daysshed togedir wyth swerdys egirly.

  Than sir Trystram had mervayle what knyght he was that ded batayle so myghtyly wyth hym. Than was sir Trystram wrothe, for he felte hym passynge stronge, and he demed that he cowde nat have ado wyth the remenaunte of the knyghtes bycause of the strengthe of sir Palomydes.

  So they laysshed togydyrs and gaff many sad strokys togydyrs, and many knyghtys mervayled what knyght he was that so encountred wyth the blak knyght, sir Trystram. And full well knew La Beall Isode that hit was sir Palomydes that faught wyth sir Trystram, for she aspyed all in her wyndow where that she stood, how sir Palomydes chaunged hys harnes wyth the wounded knyght. And than she began to wepe so hertely for the dyspyte of sir Palomydes that well-nyghe there she sowned.

  Than cam in sir Launcelot wyth the knyghtes of Orkeney; and whan the todir party had aspyed sir Launcelot they cryed and seyde, ‘Returne, for here commyth sir Launcelot!’

  So there cam in a knyght unto sir Launcelot and seyde, ‘Sir, ye muste nedis fyght wyth yondyr knyght in the blak harneyes’ — whyche was sir Trystram— ‘for he hath allmoste overcom that good knyghte that fyghtyth wyth hym wyth the sylver shylde’ — whyche was sir Palomydes.

  Than sir Launcelot rode betwyxte them, and sir Launcelot seyde unto sir Palomydes, ‘Sir knyghte, let me have this batayle, for ye have nede to be reposed.’

  Sir Palomydes knew well sir Launcelot, and so ded sir Trystram, but bycause sir Launcelot was farre hardyer knyght and bygger than sir Palomydes, he was ryght glad to suffir sir Launcelot to fyght wyth sir Trystram. For well wyste he that sir Launcelot knew nat sir Trystram, and therefore he hoped that sir Launcelot sholde beate other shame sir Trystram, and thereof sir Palomydes was full fayne.

  And so sir Launcelot laysshed at sir Trystram many sad strokys. But sir Launcelot knew nat sir Trystram, but sir Trystram knew well sir Launcelot. And thus they faught longe togydyrs, whyche made La Beall Isode well-nyghe oute of her mynde for sorow.

  Than sir Dynadan tolde sir Gareth how that knyght in the blak harneys was there lorde sir Trystram, ‘and that othir ys sir Launcelot that fyghtyth wyth hym, that muste nedys have the bettyr of hym, for sir Trystram hath had overmuche travayle this day.’

  ‘Than lat us smyte hym downe,’ seyde sir Gareth.

  ‘So hit is beste that we do,’ seyde sir Dynadan, rathir than sir Trystrams sholde be shamed, for yondir hovyth the straunge knyghte wyth the sylver shylde to falle uppon sir Trystram yf nede be.’

  And so furthwythall sir Gareth russhed uppon sir Launcelot and gaff hym a grete stroke uppon the helme, that he was astoned. And than cam in sir Dynadan wyth hys speare, and he smote sir Launcelot suche a buffet that horse and man yode to the erthe and had a grete falle.

  ‘Now, fye for shame!’ seyde sir Trystram unto sir Gareth and sir Dynadan, ‘why ded ye so to-smyte adowne soo good a knyght as he ys, and namely whan I had ado wyth hym? A, Jesu! ye do youreselff grete shame and hym no disworshyp, for I hylde hym resonabely hote, though ye had nat holpyn me.’

  Than cam sir Palomydes whyche was disgysed, and smote downe sir Dynadan frome hys horse. Than sir Launcelot, bycause sir Dynadan had smyttyn hym downe aforehonde, therefore he assayled sir Dynadan passynge sore. And sir Dynadan deffended hym myghtyly, but well undirstood sir Trystram that sir Dynadan myght nat endure ayenste sir Launcelot, wherefore sir Trystram was sory.

  Than cam sir Palomydes freysshe uppon sir Trystram. And whan he saw sir Palomydes com so freyshly he thought to delyver hym at onys, bycause that he wolde helpe sir Dynadan that stoode in perell wyth sir Launcelot. Than sir Trystram hurteled unto sir Palomydes and gaff hym a grete buffet, and than sir Trystram gate sir Palomydes and pulled hym downe undirnethe his horse feete.

  And than sir Trystram lyghtly lepe up and leffte sir Palomydes and wente betwyxte sir Launcelot and sir Dynadan, and than they began to do batayle togydyrs. And ryght so sir Dynadan gate sir Trystrams horse and seyde on hyght, that sir Launcelot myght hyre: ‘My lorde sir Trystram take youre horse!’

  And whan sir Launcelot harde hym name sir Trystram, ‘A, Jesu! what have I done?’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘for now am I dishonoured,’ and seyde, ‘A, my lorde sir Trystram, why were ye now disgysed? Ye have put youreselff this day in grete perell. But I pray you to pardon me, for and I had knowyn you we had nat done this batayle.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Trystrams, ‘this is nat the fyrste kyndenes and goodnes that ye have shewed unto me.’

  And anone they were horsed bothe agayne. So all the peple on that one syde gaff sir Launcelot the honoure and the gre, and all the people on the othir syde gaff sir Trystram the honoure and the gre.

  But sir Launcelot seyde nay thereto: ‘For I am nat worthy to have this honoure, for I woll reporte me to all knyghtes that sir Trystram hath bene lenger in the fylde than I, and he hath smyttyn downe many me knyghtes this day than I have done. And therefore I woll gyff sir Trystram my voyse and my name, and so I pray all my lordys and felowys so to do.’

  Than there was the hole voyse of kyngys, deukes and erlys, barons and knyghtes that sir Trystram de Lyones ‘thys day ys preved the [77] beste knyght’.

  Than they blewe unto lodgynge. And quene Isode was lad unto her pavelons; but wyte you well she was wrothe oute of mesure wyth sir Palomydes, for she saw all his treson frome the begynnynge to the endynge. And all thys whyle neythir sir Trystram, sir Gareth, nothir sir Dynadan knew nat of the treson of sir Palomydes. But aftirward ye shall hyre how there befelle the grettyst debate betwyxte sir Trystram and sir Palomydes that myght be.


  So whan the turnemente was done sir Trystram, sir Gareth and sir Dynadan rode wyth La Beall Isode to his pavelons, and ever sir Palomydes rode wyth them in there company, disgysed as he was.

  But whan sir Trystram had aspyed hym that he was the same knyght wyth the shyld of sylver that hylde hym so hote that day, than seyde Trystram, ‘Sir knyght, wyte thou well here ys none that hath nede of youre felyshyp. And therefore I pray you departe frome us.’

  Than sir Palomydes answered agayne, as though he had nat known sir Trystram, ‘Wyte you well, sir knyght, that frome this felyshyp woll I nat departe, for one of the beste knyghtys of the worlde commaunded me to be in this company, and tyll that he discharge me of my servyse I woll nat be discharged.’

  So by his langayge sir Trystram knew that hit was sir Palomydes, and seyde, ‘A, sir, ar ye such a knyght? Ye have be named wronge! For ye have ben called ever a jantyll knyght, and as this day ye have shewed me grete unjantylnes, for ye had allmoste brought me to my dethe. But as for you, I suppose I sholde have done well inowghe, but sir Launcelot with you was overmuche, for I know no knyght lyvynge but sir Launcelot ys to over good for hym and he woll do hys utteryst.’

  ‘Alas,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘ar ye my lorde sir Trystram?’

  ‘Yee, sir, and that know you well inow.’

  ‘Be my knyghthod,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘untyll now I knew you nat, for I wente that ye had bene the kynge off Irelonde, for well I wote that ye bare his armys.’

  ‘I bare his armys,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and that woll I abyde bye, for I wanne them onys in a fylde of a full noble knyght whos name was sir Marhalte. And wyth grete payne I wan that knyght, for there was none othir recover. But sir Marhalte dyed thorow false lechis, and yet was he never yoldyn to me.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘I wente that ye had bene turned uppon sir Launcelottys party, and that caused me to turne.’

  ‘ Ye sey well,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and so I take you and forgyff you.’ So than they rode to there pavelons. And whan they were alyght they unarmed them and wysshe there facis and there hondys, and so yode unto mete and were set at there table. But whan La Beall Isode saw sir Palomydes she chaunged than her coloures; for wrathe she myght nat speake. Anone sir Trystram aspyed her countenaunce and seyde, ‘Madame, for what cause make ye us such chere? We have bene sore travayled all thys day.’

  ‘Myne owne lorde,’ seyde La Beall Isode, ‘for Goddys sake, be ye nat displeased wyth me, for I may none othirwyse do. I saw thys day how ye were betrayed and nyghe brought unto youre dethe. Truly, sir, I sawe every dele, how and in what wyse. And therefore, sir, how sholde I suffir in youre presence suche a f elonne and traytoure as ys sir Palomydes? For I saw hym wyth myne yen, how he behylde you whan ye wente oute of the fylde. For ever he hoved stylle uppon his horse tyll that he saw you com agaynewarde; and than furthwythall I saw hym ryde to the hurte knyght, and chaunged hys harneys with hym, and than streyte I sawe hym how he sought you all the fylde, and anone as he had founde you he encountred wyth you, and wylfully sir Palomydes ded batayle wyth you. And as for hym, sir, I was nat gretly aferde, but I drad sore sir Launcelot whyche knew nat you.’

  ‘Madame,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ye may say what ye woll, I may nat contrary you, but, be my knyghthod, I knew nat my lorde sir Trystram.’

  ‘No forse,’ seyde sir Trystram unto sir Palomydes, ‘I woll take youre exscuse, but well I wote ye spared me but a lytyll. But no forse! All ys pardoned as on my party.’

  Than La Beall Isode hylde downe her hede and seyde no more at that tyme.

  And therewythall two knyghtes armed come unto the pavelon, [78] and there they alyght bothe and cam in armed at all pecis.

  ‘Fayre knyghtes,’ seyde sir Trystram, ye ar to blame to com thus armed at all pecis uppon me whyle we ar at oure mete. And yf ye wolde onythynge wyth us whan we were in the fylde, there myght ye have eased youre hertys.’

  ‘Not so, sir,’ seyde the tone of the knyghtes, ‘we com nat for that entente, but wyte you well, sir Trystram, we be com as youre frendys. And I am comyn hydir for to se you, and this knyght ys comyn for to se youre quene Isode.’

  Than seyde sir Trystram, ‘I requyre you, do of your helmys, that I may se you.’

  ‘Sir, that woll we do at youre desyre,’ seyde the knyghtes.

  And whan their helmys were of, sir Trystram thought that he sholde know them. Than spake sir Dynadan prevayly unto sir Trystram, ‘That is my lorde kynge Arthure, and that other that spake to you fyrst ys my lorde sir Launcelot.’

  ‘A, madame, I pray you aryse,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘for here ys my lorde, kynge Arthure.’

  Than the kynge and the quene kyssed, and sir Launcelot and sir Trystram enbraced aythir other in armys, and than there was joy wythoute mesure. And at the requeste of La Beall Isode the kynge and sir Launcelot were unarmed, and than there was myry talkynge.

  ‘Madame,’ seyde kynge Arthur, ‘hit is many a day ago sytthyn I desyred fyrst to se you, for ye have bene praysed so fayre a lady. And now I dare say ye ar the fayryste that ever I sawe, and sir Trystram ys as fayre and as good a knyght as ony that I know. And therefore mesemyth ye ar well besett togydir.’

  ‘Sir, God thanke you!’ seyde sir Trystram and la Beall Isode. ‘Of youre goodnes and of youre larges ye ar pyerles.’

  And thus they talked of many thyngys and of all the hole justes.

  ‘But for what cause,’ seyde kynge Arthure, ‘were ye, sir Trystram, ayenst us? And ye ar a knyght of the Table Rounde, and of ryght ye sholde have bene with us.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘here ys sir Dynadan and sir Gareth, youre owne nevew, caused me to be ayenst you.’

  “My lorde Arthure,’ seyde sir Gareth, ‘I may beare well Tthe blame”’, for my bak ys brode inowghe. But for sothe, hit was sir Trystrams awne dedis.’

  ‘Be God, that may I repente,’ seyde sir Dynadan, ‘for thys unhappy sir Trystram brought us to this turnemente, and many grete buffettys he hath caused us to have!’

  Than the kynge and sir Launcelot riowghe”, that unnethe they myght sytte.

  ‘But what knyght was that,’ seyde kynge Arthure, ‘that hylde you so shorte?’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘here he syttyth at this table.’

  ‘What?’ seyde kynge Arthure, ‘was hit sir Palomydes?’

  ‘Sir, wyte you well that hit was he,’ seyde La Beall Isode.

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde kynge Arthure, ‘that was unknyghtly done of you as of so good a knyght, for I have harde many people calle you a curtayse knyght.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘I knew nat sir Trystram, for he was so disgysed.’

  ‘So God helpe me,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘hit may well be, for I knew hym nat myselff.’

  ‘But I mervayled whye ye turned on oure party.’

  ‘Sir, hit was done for the same cause,’ seyde sir Launcelot.

  ‘Syr, as for that,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I have pardouned hym, and I wolde be ryght lothe to leve hys felyshyp, for I love ryght well hys company.’

  And so they leffte of and talked of other thynges. And in the evenynge kynge Arthure and sir Launcelot departed unto their lodgynge. But wyte you well sir Palomydes had grete envy hartely, for all that nyght he had never reste in his bed, but wayled and wepte oute of mesure.

  So on the morne sir Trystram, sir Gareth and sir Dynadan arose early and went unto sir Palomydes chambir, and there they founde hym faste aslepe, for he had all nyght wacched. And it was sene uppon his chekes that he had wepte full sore.

  ‘Say ye nothynge,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘for I am sure he hath takyn angir and sorow for the rebuke that I gaff hym and La Beall Isode.’ Than sir Trystram let calle sir Palomydes and bade hym make [79] redy, for hit was tyme to go to the fylde. And anon they armed them, and clothed them all in rede, bothe La Beall Isode and all the felyshyp, and so they lad her passynge freysshly thorow the fylde into the pryory where was hir lodgynge.

  And anone they harde three blastes bl
owe, and every kynge and knyght dressed hym to the fylde. And the fyrste that was redy to juste was sir Palomydes and sir Kaynes le Straunge, a knyght of the Table Rounde, and so they two encountyrd togydyrs. But sir Palomydes smote sir Kaynes so harde that he bare hym quyte over his horse croupe. And furthewithall sir Palomydes smote downe anothir knyght and brake his speare, and than pulled oute hys swerde and ded wondirly well. And than the noyse began gretly uppon sir Palomydes.

  ‘Lo,’ seyde kynge Arthure, ‘yondir sir Palomydes begynnyth to play his play. So God me helpe,’ seyde kynge Arthur, ‘he is a passynge goode knyght.’

  And ryght as they stood talkynge thus, in cam sir Trystram as thundir, and he encountird wyth sir Kay le Senesciall, and there he smote hym downe quyte frome his horse. And wyth that same speare he smote downe three knyghtes more. And than he pulled oute his swerde and ded mervaylously. Than the noyse and the cry chonged fro sir Palomydes and turned unto sir Trystram. And than all the people cryed, ‘A, Trystram! A, Trystram!’

  And than was sir Palomydes clene forgotyn.

  ‘How now?’ seyde sir Launcelot unto kynge Arthure, ‘yondyr rydyth a knyght that playyth his pageauntes.’

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde kynge Arthure, ye shall se this day that yondir two knyghtes shall do here wondirs.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Launcelot, ‘the tone knyghte waytyth uppon the tother and enforsyth hymselff thorow envy to passe sir Trystram, and he knowyth nat the prevy envy of sir Palomydes. For, sir, all that sir Trystram doth is thorow clene knyghthod.’

  And than sir Gareth and sir Dynadan ded ryght well that day, that kynge Arthure spake of them grete worshyp, and the kynges and the knyghtes on sir Trystrams syde ded passynge well and hylde them truly togydyrs.

  Than kynge Arthure and sir Launcelot toke their horsys and dressed them to the fylde amonge the thyckeste of the prees. And there sir Trystram unknowyng smote downe kynge Arthur, and than sir Launcelot wolde have rescowed hym, but there were so many uppon sir Launcelot that they pulled hym downe from his horse. And than the kynge of Irelonde and the kynge of Scottes with their knyghtes ded their payne to take kynge Arthure and sir Launcelot presoners. Whan sir Launcelot harde them sey so, he fared as hit had bene an hungry lyon, for he fared so that no knyght durst nyghe hym.