Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LXXII

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 CHAPTER LXXII
 
 How Sir Dinadan provoked Sir Tristram to do well.
 
 
 AND thou, Sir Tristram, farest all this day as though thou
 hadst been asleep, and therefore I call thee coward.  Well,
 Dinadan, said Sir Tristram, I was never called coward or
 now of no earthly knight in my life; and wit thou well,
 sir, I call myself never the more coward though Sir
 Launcelot gave me a fall, for I outcept him of all knights.
 And doubt ye not Sir Dinadan, an Sir Launcelot have a
 quarrel good, he is too over good for any knight that now
 is living; and yet of his sufferance, largess, bounty, and
 courtesy, I call him knight peerless: and so Sir Tristram
 was in manner wroth with Sir Dinadan.  But all this
 language Sir Dinadan said because he would anger Sir
 Tristram, for to cause him to awake his spirits and to be
 wroth; for well knew Sir Dinadan that an Sir Tristram
 were thoroughly wroth Sir Palomides should not get the
 prize upon the morn.  And for this intent Sir Dinadan
 said all this railing and language against Sir Tristram.
 Truly, said Sir Palomides, as for Sir Launcelot, of his
 noble knighthood, courtesy, and prowess, and gentleness,
 I know not his peer; for this day, said Sir Palomides, I
 did full uncourteously unto Sir Launcelot, and full unknightly,
 and full knightly and courteously he did to me
 again; for an he had been as ungentle to me as I was to
 him, this day I had won no worship.  And therefore, said
 Palomides, I shall be Sir Launcelot's knight while my life
 lasteth.  This talking was in the houses of kings.  But all
 kings, lords, and knights, said, of clear knighthood, and
 of pure strength, of bounty, of courtesy, Sir Launcelot
 and Sir Tristram bare the prize above all knights that ever
 were in Arthur's days.  And there were never knights in
 Arthur's days did half so many deeds as they did; as the
 book saith, no ten knights did not half the deeds that they
 did, and there was never knight in their days that required
 Sir Launcelot or Sir Tristram of any quest, so it were not
 to their shame, but they performed their desire.