Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LXXXII

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 CHAPTER LXXXII
 
 How Epinogris complained by a well, and how Sir Palomides
 came and found him, and of their both sorrowing.
 
 
 NOW leave we of this matter and speak we of Sir
 Palomides, that rode and lodged him with the two kings,
 whereof the kings were heavy.  Then the King of Ireland
 sent a man of his to Sir Palomides, and gave him a great
 courser, and the King of Scotland gave him great gifts;
 and fain they would have had Sir Palomides to have
 abiden with them, but in no wise he would abide; and
 so he departed, and rode as adventures would guide him,
 till it was nigh noon.  And then in a forest by a well
 Sir Palomides saw where lay a fair wounded knight and
 his horse bounden by him; and that knight made the
 greatest dole that ever he heard man make, for ever he
 wept, and therewith he sighed as though he would die.
 Then Sir Palomides rode near him and saluted him mildly
 and said:  Fair knight, why wail ye so? let me lie down
 and wail with you, for doubt not I am much more
 heavier than ye are; for I dare say, said Palomides, that
 my sorrow is an hundred fold more than yours is, and
 therefore let us complain either to other.  First, said
 the wounded knight, I require you tell me your name,
 for an thou be none of the noble knights of the Round
 Table thou shalt never know my name, whatsomever
 come of me.  Fair knight, said Palomides, such as I am,
 be it better or be it worse, wit thou well that my name is
 Sir Palomides, son and heir unto King Astlabor, and Sir
 Safere and Sir Segwarides are my two brethren; and wit
 thou well as for myself I was never christened, but my
 two brethren are truly christened.  O noble knight, said
 that knight, well is me that I have met with you; and
 wit ye well my name is Epinogris, the king's son of
 Northumberland.  Now sit down, said Epinogris, and
 let us either complain to other.
 
 Then Sir Palomides began his complaint.  Now shall
 I tell you, said Palomides, what woe I endure.  I love
 the fairest queen and lady that ever bare life, and wit ye
 well her name is La Beale Isoud, King Mark's wife of
 Cornwall.  That is great folly, said Epinogris, for to
 love Queen Isoud, for one of the best knights of the
 world loveth her, that is Sir Tristram de Liones.  That
 is truth, said Palomides, for no man knoweth that matter
 better than I do, for I have been in Sir Tristram's
 fellowship this month, and with La Beale Isoud together;
 and alas, said Palomides, unhappy man that I am, now
 have I lost the fellowship of Sir Tristram for ever, and
 the love of La Beale Isoud for ever, and I am never like
 to see her more, and Sir Tristram and I be either to
 other mortal enemies.  Well, said Epinogris, sith that
 ye loved La Beale Isoud, loved she you ever again by
 anything that ye could think or wit, or else did ye rejoice
 her ever in any pleasure?  Nay, by my knighthood, said
 Palomides, I never espied that ever she loved me more
 than all the world, nor never had I pleasure with her,
 but the last day she gave me the greatest rebuke that
 ever I had, the which shall never go from my heart.
 And yet I well deserved that rebuke, for I did not
 knightly, and therefore I have lost the love of her and
 of Sir Tristram for ever; and I have many times enforced
 myself to do many deeds for La Beale Isoud's sake, and
 she was the causer of my worship-winning.  Alas, said
 Sir Palomides, now have I lost all the worship that ever I
 won, for never shall me befall such prowess as I had in
 the fellowship of Sir Tristram.