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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