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.