Complete Works of Sir Thomas Malory

by Thomas Malory

  ‘Sir,’ seyde Ebell, ‘than take your shyppe agayne, and that shyppe muste brynge you unto the Delectable Ile, faste by the Rede Cité. And we in this castell shall pray for you and abyde youre agaynecommynge. For this same castell, and ye sped well, muste nedis be youres. For oure kynge Harmaunce lette make this castell for the love of the two traytoures, and so we kepte hit with stronge honde, and therefore full sore ar we thretened.’

  ‘Wote ye what ye shall do,’ seyde Palomydes. ‘Whatsomevir com of me, loke ye kepe well thys castell, for and hit myssefortune me so to be slayne in this queste, I am sure there woll com one of the beste knyghtis of the worlde for to revenge my dethe, and that is sir Trystram de Lyones, othir ellis sir Launcelot de Lake.’

  Than sir Palomydes departed frome that castell. And as he cam nyghe the shyppe, there cam oute of a shyppe a goodly knyght armed ayenste hym wyth his shylde on his shuldir, and his honde uppon his swerde. And anone as he cam nyghe unto sir Palomydes, he seyde, ‘Sir knyght, what seke you hyre? Leeve this queste, for hit is myne, and myne hit was or hit were youres, and therefore I woll have hit.’

  ‘Sir knyght,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘hit may well be that this queste was youres or hit was myne. But whan the lettir was takyn oute of the dede knyghtes honde, at that tyme by lyklyhode there was no knyght had undirtake to revenge the kynges dethe. And so at that tyme I promysed to avenge his dethe, and so I shall, other ellys I am shamed.’

  ‘Ye say well,’ seyde the knyght, ‘butte wyte you well, than woll I fyght wyth you, and whether of us be bettir knyght lat hym take the batayle on honde.’

  ‘I assente me,’ seyde sir Palomydes.

  And than they dressed their shyldis and pulled oute their swerdis, and laysshed togydyrs many sad strokys as men of myght. And this fyghtynge lasted more than an owre. But at the laste sir Palomydes waxed bygge and bettir-wynded, and than he smote that knyght suche a stroke that he kneled on his kneis. Than that knyght spake on hyght and sayde, ‘Jeantyll knyght, holde thy honde!’

  And therewyth sir Palomydes wythdrewe his honde. Than thys knyght seyde, ‘Sir, wyte you well ye ar bettir worthy to have this batayle than I, and I requyre you of knyghthode telle me youre name.’

  ‘Sir, my name is sir Palomydes, a knyght of kynge Arthurs and of the Table Rounde, whyche am com hydir to revenge the dethe of thys same dede kynge.’

  ‘Sir, well be ye founde,’ seyde the knyght to sir Palomydes, ‘for of all knyghtes that bene on lyve, excepte three, I had levyste have you. And the fyrste is sir Launcelot du Lake, and the secunde ys sir Trystram de Lyones, and the thyrde is my nyghe cousyn, the good knyght sir Lamorak de Galys. And I am brothir unto kynge Harmaunce that is dede, and my name is sir Hermynde.’

  ‘Ye sey well,’ seyde sir Palomydes, and ye shall se how I shall spyede; and yff I be there slayne go ye unto my lorde sir Launcelot other ellys to my lord sir Trystram, and pray them to revenge my dethe. For as for sir Lamorak, hym shall ye never se in this worlde.’

  ‘Alas!’ seyde sir Hermynde, ‘how may that be that he is slayne?”By sir Gawayne and his bretherne,’ seyde sir Palomydes.

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Hermynde, ‘there was nat one for one that slew hym!’

  ‘That is trouthe,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘for they were four daungerus knyghtes that slew hym, that was sir Gawayne, sir Aggravayne, sir Gaherys and sir Mordred. But sir Gareth, the fifth brothir, was awey, the beste knyght of them all.’

  And so sir Palomydes tolde sir Hermynde all the maner and how they slew sir Lamorak all only by treson.

  So sir Palomyde toke his shyppe and drove up to the Delectable Ile. And in the meanewhyle sir Hermynde, the kynges brothir, he aryved up at the Rede Cité, and there he tolde them how there was com a knyght of kynge Arthurs to avenge kynge Harmaunce dethe: ‘and his name ys sir Palomydes, the good knyght, that for the moste party he folowyth the beste glatyssaunte.’

  Than all the cité made grete joy, for muche had they harde of sir Palomydes and of his noble prouesse. So they lette ordayne a messyngere and sente unto the two bretherne and bade them to make them redy, for there was a knyght com that wolde fyght wyth them bothe. So the messyngere wente unto them where they were at a castell there besyde, and there he tolde them how there was a knyght comyn of kynge Arthurs to fyght with them bothe at onys.

  ‘He is wellcom,’ seyde they, ‘but is hit sir Launcelot other ony of his bloode?’

  ‘Sir, he is none of that bloode,’ seyde the messyngere.

  ‘Than we care the lesse,’ seyde the two brethirne, ‘for none of the bloode of sir Launcelot we kepe nat to have ado wythall.’

  ‘Sir, wyte you well,’ seyde the messyngere, ‘his name is sir Palomydes, that yet is uncrystened, a noble knyght.’

  ‘Well,’ seyde they, ‘and he be now uncrystynde he shall never be crystynde.’

  So they appoynted to be at the cité within two dayes. And whan sir Palomydes was comyn to the cité they made passaynge grete joy of hym. And than they behylde hym and thought he was well made and clenly and bygly, and unmaymed of his lymmys, and neyther to yonge nother to olde; and so all the people praysed hym.

  And though he were nat crystynde, yet he belyved in the beste maner and was full faythefull and trew of his promyse, and wellcondyssyonde; and by cause he made his avow that he wolde never be crystynde unto the tyme that he had enchyeved the beste glatysaunte, the whyche was a full wondirfull beyste and a grete sygnyfycasion; for Merlyon prophesyed muche of that byeste. And also sir Palomydes avowed never to take full Crystyndom untyll that he had done seven batayles within lystys.

  So wythin the thirde day there cam to the cité thes two brethirne: the tone hyght sir Helyus and the other hyght Helake, the whyche were men of grete prouesse; howbehit that they were falsse and full of treson, and but poore men born, yet were they noble knyghtes of their handys. And with them they brought fourty knyghtes, of theire hondis noble men, to that entente that they shulde be bygge inowghe for the Rede Cité. Thus cam the two bretherne wyth grete bobbaunce and pryde, for they had put the Rede Cité in grete feare and damage. Than they were brought to the lystes, and sir Palomydes cam into the place and seyde thus:

  ‘Be ye the two brethirne, Helyus and Helake, that slew youre kynge and lorde sir Harmaunce by felony and treson, for whom that I am comyn hydir to revenge his dethe?’

  ‘Wyte thou well, sir,’ seyde Helyus and sir Helake, ‘that we ar the same knyghtes that slewe kynge Harmaunce. And wyte thou well, thou sir Palomydes Sarezyn, that we shall so handyll the or that thou departe that thou shalt wysshe that thou haddyst be crystynde.’!

  ‘Hit may well be,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘but as yet I wolde nat dye or that I were full crystynde. And yette so aferde am I nat of you bothe but that I shall dye a bettir Crystyn man than ony of you bothe. And doute ye nat,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘ayther ye other I shall be leffte dede in this place.’

  [64] So they departed in grete wreath; and the two bretherne cam ayenst sir Palomydes, and he ayenste them, as faste as their horsis myght ren. And by fortune sir Palomydes smote sir Helake thorow his shylde and thorow his breste more than a fadom.

  All this whyle sir Helyus hylde up his speare, and for pryde and orgule he wolde nat smyte sir Palomydes wyth his speare. But whan he saw his brothir lye on the erthe and saw he myght nat helpe hymselff, than he seyde unto sir Palomydes, ‘Kepe the!’

  And therewyth he cam hurtelynge unto sir Palomydes with his speare, and smote hym quyte frome his horse. So sir Helyus rode over sir Palomydes twyse or thryse; and therewyth sir Palomydes was ashamed, and gate the horse of sir Helyus by the brydyll, and therewithall the horse arered, and sir Palomydes halpe aftir, and so they felle to the erthe.

  But anone sir Helyus starte up lyghtly, and there he smote sir Palomydes a grete stroke uppon the helme, that he kneled uppon his kne; and than they laysshed togydyrs many sad strokis and trased and traversed now bakwarde, now sydelynge, hurtelynge togydyrs lyke two borys, and that same tyme they felle bothe grovelynge to the erth
e.

  Thus they fought stylle withoute ony reposynge two owres and never brethid. And than sir Palomydes wexed faynte and wery, and sir Helyus waxed passynge stronge and doubeled his strokes and drove sir Palomydes ovirtwarte and endelonge all the fylde.

  Than whan they of the cité saw sir Palomydes in this case they wepte and cryed and made grete dole, and the other party made as grete joy.

  ‘Alas,’ seyde the men of the cité, ‘that this noble knyght shulde thus be slayne for oure kynges sake!’

  And as they were thus wepynge and cryynge, sir Palomydes, whyche had suffyrde an hondred strokes, and wondir hit was that he stoode on his fyete, so at the laste sir Palomydes loked aboute as he myght weyakly unto the comyn people how they wepte for hym, and than he seyde to hymselff, ‘A, fye for shame, sir Palomydes! Why hange ye youre hede so lowe?’ And therewith he bare up his shylde and loked sir Helyus in the vysoure and smote hym a grete stroke uppon the helme and aftir that anothir and anothir, and than he smote sir Helyus with suche a myght that he felde hym to the erthe grovelynge. And than he raced of hys helme from his hede and so smote of his hede from the body.

  And than were the people of the cité the myryest people that myght be. So they brought hym to his lodgynge with grete solempnyté, and there all the people becam his men. And than sir Palomydes prayde them all to take kepe unto all the lordeship of kyng Harmaunce:

  ‘For, fayre sirrys, wyte ye well, I may nat as at this tyme abyde with you, for I muste in all haste be wyth my lorde kynge Arthure at the castel of Lonezep.’

  Than were people full hevy at his departynge, for all the cité profyrd sir Palomydes the thirde parte of their goodis so that he wolde abyde wyth hem. But in no wyse as at that tyme he ne wolde abyde. And so sir Palomydes departed, and cam unto the castell thereas sir Ebell was lyefftenaunte. And whan they in the castell wyste how sir Palomydes had sped there was a joyfull mayné.

  And so sir Palomydes departed and cam to the castell of Lonezep; and whan he knew that sir Trystram was nat there he toke hys way over Humbir and cam unto Joyus Garde where was sir Trystram and La Beall Isode.

  So sir Trystram had commaunded that what knyght arraunte cam within Joyus Garde, as in the towne, that they sholde warne sir Trystram. So there cam a man of the towne and tolde sir Trystram how there was a knyght in the towne, a passyng goodly man.

  ‘What maner of man ys he?’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and what sygne beryth he?’

  And anone he tolde hym all the tokyns of hym.

  ‘Be my fayth, that ys sir Palomydes,’ seyde sir Dynadan.

  ‘For sothe hit may well be,’ seyde sir Trystram. ‘Than go ye, sir Dynadan, and fecche hym hydir.’

  Than sir Dynadan wente unto sir Palomydes, and there aythir made othir grete chere, and so they lay togydirs that nyght. And on the morn erly cam sir Trystram and sir Gareth, and toke them in their beddis; and so they arose and brake their faste.

  [65] And than sir Trystram dressed sir Palomydes unto the fyldis and woodis, and so they were accorded to repose them in the foreyste. And whan they had played them a grete whyle they rode unto a fayre well. And anone they were ware of an armed knyght cam rydynge agaynste them, and there ayther salewed other. Than this armed knyght spake to sir Trystram and asked what were those knyghtes that were lodged in Joyus Garde.

  ‘I wote nat what they ar,’ seyde sir Trystram.

  ‘But what knyghtes be ye? For mesemyth ye be no knyghtes arraunte, because ye ryde unarmed.’

  ‘Sir, whethir we be knyghtes or nat, we lyste nat to telle the oure name.’

  ‘Why wolt thou nat tell me thy name?’ seyde that knyght. Than kepe the, for thou shalt dye of myne hondis!’

  And therewithall he gate his speare and wolde have ronne sir Trystram thorow. That saw sir Palomydes, and smote his horse traveyse in myddys the syde, that he smote horse and man spyteuously to the erthe. And therewyth sir Palomydes alyght and pulled oute his swerde to have slayne hym.

  ‘Lat be,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘sle hym nat, for the knyghte is but a foole and hit were shame to sle hym. But take away his speare,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘and lat hym take his horse and go where that he wyll.’

  So whan this knyght arose he groned sore of the falle, and so he gate his horse, and whan he was up he turned his horse and requyred sir Trystram and sir Palomydes to telle hym what knyghtes they were.

  ‘Now wyte thou well,’ seyde sir Trystram, my name is sir Trystram de Lyones, and this knyghtes name is sir Palomydes.’

  Whan he wyste what he hyght he toke his horse wyth the spurrys, bycaus they shulde nat aske hym his name, and so he rode faste away thorow thicke and thorow thynne. Than cam there by them a knyght with a bended shylde of assure, his name was sir Epynogrys, and he cam a grete walop.

  ‘Whother ar ye away?’ sayde sir Trystram.

  ‘My fayre lordis,’ seyde sir Epynogrys, ‘I folow the falsiste knyght that beryth the lyeff, wherefore I requyre you telle me whethyr ye sye hym, for he beryth a shylde with a case of rede over hit.’

  ‘So God me helpe,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘suche a knyght departed frome us nat a quarter of an owre agone, and therefore we pray you to telle us his name.’

  ‘Alas,’ seyde sir Epynogrys, ‘why let ye hym ascape from you? And he is so grete a foo untyll all arraunte knyghtys, whos name is sir Brewnys Saunze Pité.’

  ‘A, fy for shame!’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘and alas that ever he ascapyd myne hondis, for he is the man in the worlde whom I hate moste.’

  Than eviry knyght made grete sorow to othir, and so sir Epynogrys departed and folowed the chace aftir hym. Than sir Trystram and hys three felowys rode towarde Joyus Garde, and there sir Trystram talked unto sir Palomydes of his batayle, and how that he had sped at the Rede Cité. And as ye have harde afore, so was hyt ended.

  ‘Truly,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘I am glad ye have well sped, for ye have done worshypfully. Well,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘we muste forwarde as to-morne.’

  And than he devysed how hit shulde be; and there sir Trystram devysed to sende his two pavelons to set hem faste by the well of Lonezep, ‘and therein shall be the quene La Beall Isode.’

  ‘Ye sey well,’ seyde sir Dynadan.

  But whan sir Palomydes herde of that his harte was ravysshed oute of mesure: notwythstondynge he seyde but lytyll. So whan they cam to Joyus Garde sir Palomydes wolde nat have gone into the castell, but as sir Trystram lad hym by the honde into Joyus Garde.

  And whan sir Palomydes saw La Beall Isode he was so ravysshed that he myght unnethe speke. So they wente unto mete, but sir Palomydes myght nat ete, and there was all the chire that myght be had.

  And so on the morn they were apparayled for to ryde towarde Lonezep.

  XII. THE TOURNAMENT AT LONEZEP

  So syr Trystram had three squyars, and La Beall Isode had three jantyllwomen, and bothe the quene and they were rychely apparayled; and other people had they none with them but varieties to beare their shyldis and their spearys. And thus they rode forthe. And as they rode they saw afore them a route of knyghtes, and that was sir Galyhodyn with twenty knyghtes with hym.

  ‘Now, fayre fealowys,’ seyde sir Galyhodyn, ‘yondir commyth four knyghtes, and a ryche and a well fayre lady; and I am in wyll to take that fayre lady from them.’

  ‘Sir, that is nat beste,’ seyde one of them, ‘but sende ye to them and awyte what they woll say.’

  And so they ded, and anone there cam a squyer unto sir Trystram and asked them whether they wolde juste other ellys to lose that lady.

  ‘Nat so,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘but telle your lorde and bydde hym com as many as we bene, and wynne her and take her.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde sir Palomydes, ‘and hit please you, lat me have this dede, and I shall undirtake them all four.’

  ‘Sir, I woll that ye have hit,’ seyde sir Trystram, ‘at youre pleasure.”Now go and telle your lorde sir Galyhodyn that this knyght woll encountir with hym and his felowys.’

  [66] So this squyer departed and tolde sir Ga
lyhodyn.

  Than he dressed his shylde and put forth a speare and sir Palomydes another, and there sir Palomydes smote sir Galyhodyn so harde that horse and man bothe yode to the erthe, and there he had an horryble falle. And than cam another knyght, and the same wyse he served hym; and so he served the thirde and the fourthe, that he smote them over their horse croupes. And allwayes sir Palomydes speare was hole.

  Than cam there six knyghtes me of sir Galyhodynes men and wolde have bene avenged uppon sir Palomydes.

  ‘Lat be,’ seyde sir Galyhodyn, ‘nat so hardy! None of you all meddyll with this knyght, for he is a man of grete bounté and honoure, and yf he wolde do his uttermuste ye ar nat all able to deale wyth hym.’

  And ryght so they hylde them styll, and ever sir Palomydes was redy to juste. And whan he sawe they wolde no more he rode unto sir Trystram.

  ‘A, sir Palomydes! Ryght well have ye done and worshypfully, as a good knyght sholde.’

  So this sir Galyhodyn was nyghe kyn unto sir Galahalte the Haute Prynce, and this sir Galyhodyn was a kynge within the contrey of Surluse.

  So as sir Trystram with his three felowys and La Beall Isode rode, they saw afore them four knyghtes, and every knyght had his speare in his honde. The fyrst was sir Gawayne, the secunde was sir Uwayne, the thirde was sir Sagramour le Desyrus, and the fourthe was sir Dodynas le Saveage. And whan sir Palomydes behylde them, that the four knyghtes were redy to juste, he prayde sir Trystram to gyff hym leve to have ado with them also longe as he myght holde hym on horsebak.

  ‘And yf that I be smyttyn downe, I pray you revenge me.’

  ‘Well,’ seyde syr Trystram, ‘and ye ar nat so fayne to have worship but I wolde as fayne encrease youre worshyp.’

  And wythall sir Gawayne put forthe his speare and sir Palomydes another, and so they cam egirly togydyrs, that sir Palomydes smote hym so harde that sir Gawayne felle to the erthe, horse and all. And in the same wyse he served sir Uwayne and sir Dodynas and sir Sagramour, and all thes four knyghtes sir Palomydes smote them downe with dyverse spearys.