{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart180.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart180.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart180.htm","text":"CHAPTER XXVII\nHow Sir Galahad fought with Sir Tristram, and how Sir\nTristram yielded him and promised to fellowship with Launcelot.\nTHEN came Sir Galahad, and the King with the Hundred Knights with\nhim; and this Sir Galahad proffered to fight with Sir Tristram\nhand for hand. And so they made them ready to go unto battle on\nhorseback with great courage. Then Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram\nmet together so hard that either bare other down, horse and all,\nto the earth. And then they avoided their horses as noble\nknights, and dressed their shields, and drew their swords with\nire and rancour, and they lashed together many sad strokes, and\none while striking, another while foining, tracing and traversing\nas noble knights; thus they fought long, near half a day, and\neither were sore wounded. At the last Sir Tristram waxed light\nand big, and doubled his strokes, and drove Sir Galahad aback on\nthe one side and on the other, so that he was like to have been\nslain.\nWith that came the King with the Hundred Knights, and all that\nfellowship went fiercely upon Sir Tristram. When Sir Tristram\nsaw them coming upon him, then he wist well he might not endure.\nThen as a wise knight of war, he said to Sir Galahad, the haut\nprince: Sir, ye show to me no knighthood, for to suffer all your\nmen to have ado with me all at once; and as meseemeth ye be a\nnoble knight of your hands it is great shame to you. So God me\nhelp, said Sir Galahad, there is none other way but thou must\nyield thee to me, other else to die, said Sir Galahad to Sir\nTristram. I will rather yield me to you than die for that is\nmore for the might of your men than of your hands. And\ntherewithal Sir Tristram took his own sword by the point, and put\nthe pommel in the hand of Sir Galahad.\nTherewithal came the King with the Hundred Knights, <324>and hard\nbegan to assail Sir Tristram. Let be, said Sir Galahad, be ye\nnot so hardy to touch him, for I have given this knight his life.\nThat is your shame, said the King with the Hundred Knights; hath\nhe not slain your father and your mother? As for that, said Sir\nGalahad, I may not wite him greatly, for my father had him in\nprison, and enforced him to do battle with him; and my father had\nsuch a custom that was a shameful custom, that what knight came\nthere to ask harbour his lady must needs die but if she were\nfairer than my mother; and if my father overcame that knight he\nmust needs die. This was a shameful custom and usage, a knight\nfor his harbour-asking to have such harbourage. And for this\ncustom I would never draw about him. So God me help, said the\nKing, this was a shameful custom. Truly, said Sir Galahad, so\nseemed me; and meseemed it had been great pity that this knight\nshould have been slain, for I dare say he is the noblest man that\nbeareth life, but if it were Sir Launcelot du Lake. Now, fair\nknight, said Sir Galahad, I require thee tell me thy name, and of\nwhence thou art, and whither thou wilt. Sir, he said, my name is\nSir Tristram de Liones, and from King Mark of Cornwall I was sent\non message unto King Anguish of Ireland, for to fetch his\ndaughter to be his wife, and here she is ready to go with me into\nCornwall, and her name is La Beale Isoud. And, Sir Tristram,\nsaid Sir Galahad, the haut prince, well be ye found in these\nmarches, and so ye will promise me to go unto Sir Launcelot du\nLake, and accompany with him, ye shall go where ye will, and your\nfair lady with you; and I shall promise you never in all my days\nshall such customs be used in this castle as have been used.\nSir, said Sir Tristram, now I let you wit, so God me help, I\nweened ye had been Sir Launcelot du Lake when I saw you first,\nand therefore I dread you the more; and sir, I promise you, said\nSir Tristram, as soon as I may I will see Sir Launcelot and\ninfellowship me with him; for of all the knights of the world I\nmost desire his fellowship.\n<325>","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VIII CHAPTER XXVII","type":"page"}