{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart230.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart230.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart230.htm","text":"CHAPTER XXXVII\nHow Sir Tristram, Sir Palomides, and Sir Dinadan\nwere taken and put in prison.\nNOW will we speak of Sir Lucan the butler, that by fortune he\ncame riding to the same place thereas was Sir Tristram, and in he\ncame in none other intent but to ask harbour. Then the porter\nasked what was his name. Tell your lord that my name is Sir\nLucan, the butler, a <418>Knight of the Round Table. So the\nporter went unto Sir Darras, lord of the place, and told him who\nwas there to ask harbour. Nay, nay, said Sir Daname, that was\nnephew to Sir Darras, say him that he shall not be lodged here,\nbut let him wit that I, Sir Daname, will meet with him anon, and\nbid him make him ready. So Sir Daname came forth on horseback,\nand there they met together with spears, and Sir Lucan smote down\nSir Daname over his horse's croup, and then he fled into that\nplace, and Sir Lucan rode after him, and asked after him many\ntimes.\nThen Sir Dinadan said to Sir Tristram: It is shame to see the\nlord's cousin of this place defoiled. Abide, said Sir Tristram,\nand I shall redress it. And in the meanwhile Sir Dinadan was on\nhorseback, and he jousted with Lucan the butler, and there Sir\nLucan smote Dinadan through the thick of the thigh, and so he\nrode his way; and Sir Tristram was wroth that Sir Dinadan was\nhurt, and followed after, and thought to avenge him; and within a\nwhile he overtook Sir Lucan, and bade him turn; and so they met\ntogether so that Sir Tristram hurt Sir Lucan passing sore and\ngave him a fall. With that came Sir Uwaine, a gentle knight, and\nwhen he saw Sir Lucan so hurt he called Sir Tristram to joust\nwith him. Fair knight, said Sir Tristram, tell me your name I\nrequire you. Sir knight, wit ye well my name is Sir Uwaine le\nFise de Roy Ureine. Ah, said Sir Tristram, by my will I would\nnot have ado with you at no time. Ye shall not so, said Sir\nUwaine, but ye shall have ado with me. And then Sir Tristram saw\nnone other bote, but rode against him, and overthrew Sir Uwaine\nand hurt him in the side, and so he departed unto his lodging\nagain. And when Sir Dinadan understood that Sir Tristram had\nhurt Sir Lucan he would have ridden after Sir Lucan for to have\nslain him, but Sir Tristram would not suffer him. Then Sir\nUwaine let ordain an horse litter, and brought Sir Lucan to the\nabbey of Ganis, and the castle thereby hight the Castle of Ganis,\nof the which Sir Bleoberis was lord. And at that castle Sir\nLauncelot promised all his fellows to meet in the quest of Sir\nTristram.\n<419>\nSo when Sir Tristram was come to his lodging there came a damosel\nthat told Sir Darras that three of his sons were slain at that\ntournament, and two grievously wounded that they were never like\nto help themself. And all this was done by a noble knight that\nbare the black shield, and that was he that bare the prize. Then\ncame there one and told Sir Darras that the same knight was\nwithin, him that bare the black shield. Then Sir Darras yede\nunto Sir Tristram's chamber, and there he found his shield and\nshowed it to the damosel. Ah sir, said the damosel, that same is\nhe that slew your three sons. Then without any tarrying Sir\nDarras put Sir Tristram, and Sir Palomides, and Sir Dinadan,\nwithin a strong prison, and there Sir Tristram was like to have\ndied of great sickness; and every day Sir Palomides would reprove\nSir Tristram of old hate betwixt them. And ever Sir Tristram\nspake fair and said little. But when Sir Palomides saw the\nfalling of sickness of Sir Tristram, then was he heavy for him,\nand comforted him in all the best wise he could. And as the\nFrench book saith, there came forty knights to Sir Darras that\nwere of his own kin, and they would have slain Sir Tristram and\nhis two fellows, but Sir Darras would not suffer that, but kept\nthem in prison, and meat and drink they had. So Sir Tristram\nendured there great pain, for sickness had undertaken him, and\nthat is the greatest pain a prisoner may have. For all the while\na prisoner may have his health of body he may endure under the\nmercy of God and in hope of good deliverance; but when sickness\ntoucheth a prisoner's body, then may a prisoner say all wealth is\nhim bereft, and then he hath cause to wail and to weep. Right so\ndid Sir Tristram when sickness had undertaken him, for then he\ntook such sorrow that he had almost slain himself.\n<420>","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XXXVII","type":"page"}