Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XXVI

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 CHAPTER XXVI
 
 How Sir Tristram and Sir Gawaine rode to have foughten
 with the thirty knights, but they durst not come out.
 
 SIR, said Sir Gawaine, will ye stand with me, and we will see the
 malice of these thirty knights.  Sir, said Sir Tristram, go ye to
 them, an it please you, and ye shall see I will not fail you, for
 it is not long ago since I and a fellow met with thirty knights
 of that queen's fellowship; and God speed us so that we may win
 worship.  So then Sir Gawaine and Sir Tristram rode toward the
 castle where Morgan le Fay was, and ever Sir Gawaine deemed well
 that he was Sir Tristram de Liones, because he heard that two
 knights had slain and beaten thirty knights.  And when they came
 afore the castle Sir Gawaine spake on high and said:  Queen
 Morgan le Fay, send out your knights that ye have laid in a watch
 for Sir Launcelot and for Sir Tristram.  Now, said Sir Gawaine, I
 know your false treason, and through all places where that I ride
 men shall know of your false treason; and now let see, said Sir
 <397>Gawaine, whether ye dare come out of your castle, ye thirty
 knights.  Then the queen spake and all the thirty knights at
 once, and said:  Sir Gawaine, full well wottest thou what thou
 dost and sayest; for by God we know thee passing well, but all
 that thou speakest and dost, thou sayest it upon pride of that
 good knight that is there with thee.  For there be some of us
 that know full well the hands of that knight over all well.  And
 wit thou well, Sir Gawaine, it is more for his sake than for
 thine that we will not come out of this castle.  For wit ye well,
 Sir Gawaine, the knight that beareth the arms of Cornwall, we
 know him and what he is.
 
 Then Sir Gawaine and Sir Tristram departed and rode on their ways
 a day or two together; and there by adventure, they met with Sir
 Kay and Sir Sagramore le Desirous.  And then they were glad of
 Sir Gawaine, and he of them, but they wist not what he was with
 the shield of Cornwall, but by deeming.  And thus they rode
 together a day or two.  And then they were ware of Sir Breuse
 Saunce Pite chasing a lady for to have slain her, for he had
 slain her paramour afore.  Hold you all still, said Sir Gawaine,
 and show none of you forth, and ye shall see me reward yonder
 false knight; for an he espy you he is so well horsed that he
 will escape away.  And then Sir Gawaine rode betwixt Sir Breuse
 and the lady, and said:  False knight, leave her, and have ado
 with me.  When Sir Breuse saw no more but Sir Gawaine he feutred
 his spear, and Sir Gawaine against him; and there Sir Breuse
 overthrew Sir Gawaine, and then he rode over him, and overthwart
 him twenty times to have destroyed him; and when Sir Tristram saw
 him do so villainous a deed, he hurled out against him.  And when
 Sir Breuse saw him with the shield of Cornwall he knew him well
 that it was Sir Tristram, and then he fled, and Sir Tristram
 followed after him; and Sir Breuse Saunce Pite was so horsed that
 he went his way quite, and Sir Tristram followed him long, for he
 would fain have been avenged upon him.  And so when he had long
 chased him, he saw a fair well, and thither he rode to repose
 him, and tied his horse till a tree.
 
 
 
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