CHAPTER VIII
 
 How King Mark came to a fountain where he found Sir
 Lamorak complaining for the love of King Lot's wife.
 
 
 THEN King Mark rode till he came to a fountain, and
 there he rested him, and stood in a doubt whether he
 would ride to Arthur's court or none, or return again to
 his country.  And as he thus rested him by that fountain
 there came by him a knight well armed on horseback;
 and he alighted, and tied his horse until a tree, and set
 him down by the brink of the fountain; and there he
 made great languor and dole, and made the dolefullest
 complaint of love that ever man heard; and all this while
 was he not ware of King Mark.  And this was a great
 part of his complaint: he cried and wept, saying:  O fair
 Queen of Orkney, King Lot's wife, and mother of Sir
 Gawaine, and to Sir Gaheris, and mother to many other,
 for thy love I am in great pains.  Then King Mark arose
 and went near him and said:  Fair knight, ye have made
 a piteous complaint.  Truly, said the knight, it is an
 hundred part more ruefuller than my heart can utter.  I
 require you, said King Mark, tell me your name.  Sir,
 said he, as for my name I will not hide it from no knight
 that beareth a shield, and my name is Sir Lamorak de
 Galis.  But when Sir Lamorak heard King Mark speak,
 then wist he well by his speech that he was a Cornish
 knight.  Sir, said Sir Lamorak, I understand by your
 tongue ye be of Cornwall, wherein there dwelleth the
 shamefullest king that is now living, for he is a great
 enemy to all good knights; and that proveth well, for he
 hath chased out of that country Sir Tristram, that is the
 worshipfullest knight that now is living, and all knights
 speak of him worship; and for jealousness of his queen
 he hath chased him out of his country.  It is pity, said
 Sir Lamorak, that ever any such false knight-coward as
 King Mark is, should be matched with such a fair lady
 and good as La Beale Isoud is, for all the world of him
 speaketh shame, and of her worship that any queen may
 have.  I have not ado in this matter, said King Mark,
 neither nought will I speak thereof.  Well said, said Sir
 Lamorak.  Sir, can ye tell me any tidings?  I can tell
 you, said Sir Lamorak, that there shall be a great
 tournament in haste beside Camelot, at the Castle of Jagent;
 and the King with the Hundred Knights and the King of
 Ireland, as I suppose, make that tournament.
 
 Then there came a knight that was called Sir Dinadan,
 and saluted them both.  And when he wist that King
 Mark was a knight of Cornwall he reproved him for the
 love of King Mark a thousand fold more than did Sir
 Lamorak.  Then he proffered to joust with King Mark.
 And he was full loath thereto, but Sir Dinadan edged him
 so, that he jousted with Sir Lamorak.  And Sir Lamorak
 smote King Mark so sore that he bare him on his spear
 end over his horse's tail.  And then King Mark arose
 again, and followed after Sir Lamorak.  But Sir Dinadan
 would not joust with Sir Lamorak, but he told King Mark
 that Sir Lamorak was Sir Kay, the Seneschal.  That is
 not so, said King Mark, for he is much bigger than Sir
 Kay; and so he followed and overtook him, and bade
 him abide.  What will you do? said Sir Lamorak.  Sir,
 he said, I will fight with a sword, for ye have shamed me
 with a spear; and therewith they dashed together with
 swords, and Sir Lamorak suffered him and forbare him.
 And King Mark was passing hasty, and smote thick
 strokes.  Sir Lamorak saw he would not stint, and waxed
 somewhat wroth, and doubled his strokes, for he was one
 of the noblest knights of the world; and he beat him so
 on the helm that his head hung nigh on the saddle bow.
 When Sir Lamorak saw him fare so, he said:  Sir knight,
 what cheer? meseemeth you have nigh your fill of fighting,
 it were pity to do you any more harm, for ye are but a
 mean knight, therefore I give you leave to go where ye
 list.  Gramercy, said King Mark, for ye and I be not
 matches.
 
 Then Sir Dinadan mocked King Mark and said:
 Ye are not able to match a good knight.  As for that,
 said King Mark, at the first time I jousted with this
 knight ye refused him.  Think ye that it is a shame to
 me? said Sir Dinadan: nay, sir, it is ever worship to a
 knight to refuse that thing that he may not attain, there
 fore your worship had been much more to have refused
 him as I did; for I warn you plainly he is able to beat
 such five as ye and I be; for ye knights of Cornwall are
 no men of worship as other knights are.  And because ye
 are no men of worship ye hate all men of worship, for
 never was bred in your country such a knight as is Sir
 Tristram.