{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart233.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart233.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart233.htm","text":"CHAPTER XL\nHow after that Sir Tristram, Sir Palomides, and Sir\nDinadan had been long in prison they were delivered.\nNOW leave we off this tale, and speak we of sir Dinas that had\nwithin the castle a paramour, and she loved <425>another knight\nbetter than him. And so when sir Dinas went out a-hunting she\nslipped down by a towel, and took with her two brachets, and so\nshe yede to the knight that she loved, and he her again. And\nwhen sir Dinas came home and missed his paramour and his\nbrachets, then was he the more wrother for his brachets than for\nthe lady. So then he rode after the knight that had his\nparamour, and bade him turn and joust. So sir Dinas smote him\ndown, that with the fall he brake his leg and his arm. And then\nhis lady and paramour cried sir Dinas mercy, and said she would\nlove him better than ever she did. Nay, said sir Dinas, I shall\nnever trust them that once betrayed me, and therefore, as ye have\nbegun, so end, for I will never meddle with you. And so sir\nDinas departed, and took his brachets with him, and so rode to\nhis castle.\nNow will we turn unto sir Launcelot, that was right heavy that he\ncould never hear no tidings of sir Tristram, for all this while\nhe was in prison with sir Darras, Palomides, and Dinadan. Then\nDame Bragwaine took her leave to go into Cornwall, and sir\nLauncelot, sir Kay, and sir Gaheris rode to seek sir Tristram in\nthe country of Surluse.\nNow speaketh this tale of sir Tristram and of his two fellows,\nfor every day sir Palomides brawled and said language against sir\nTristram. I marvel, said sir Dinadan, of thee, sir Palomides, an\nthou haddest sir Tristram here thou wouldst do him no harm; for\nan a wolf and a sheep were together in a prison the wolf would\nsuffer the sheep to be in peace. And wit thou well, said sir\nDinadan, this same is sir Tristram at a word, and now must thou\ndo thy best with him, and let see now if ye can skift it with\nyour hands. Then was sir Palomides abashed and said little. Sir\nPalomides, then said sir Tristram, I have heard much of your\nmaugre against me, but I will not meddle with you as at this time\nby my will, because I dread the lord of this place that hath us\nin governance; for an I dread him not more than I do thee, soon\nit should be skift: so they peaced themself. Right so came in a\ndamosel and\nsaid: Knights, be of good cheer, for ye are sure of your\n<426>lives, and that I heard say my lord, Sir Darras. Then were\nthey glad all three, for daily they weened they should have died.\nThen soon after this Sir Tristram fell sick that he weened to\nhave died; then Sir Dinadan wept, and so did Sir Palomides under\nthem both making great sorrow. So a damosel came in to them and\nfound them mourning. Then she went unto Sir Darras, and told him\nhow that mighty knight that bare the black shield was likely to\ndie. That shall not be, said Sir Darras, for God defend when\nknights come to me for succour that I should suffer them to die\nwithin my prison. Therefore, said Sir Darras to the damosel,\nfetch that knight and his fellows afore me. And then anon Sir\nDarras saw Sir Tristram brought afore him. He said: Sir knight,\nme repenteth of thy sickness for thou art called a full noble\nknight, and so it seemeth by thee; and wit ye well it shall never\nbe said that Sir Darras shall destroy such a noble knight as thou\nart in prison, howbeit that thou hast slain three of my sons\nwhereby I was greatly aggrieved. But now shalt thou go and thy\nfellows, and your harness and horses have been fair and clean\nkept, and ye shall go where it liketh you, upon this covenant,\nthat thou, knight, wilt promise me to be good friend to my sons\ntwo that be now alive, and also that thou tell me thy name. Sir,\nsaid he, as for me my name is Sir Tristram de Liones, and in\nCornwall was I born, and nephew I am unto King Mark. And as for\nthe death of your sons I might not do withal, for an they had\nbeen the next kin that I have I might have done none otherwise.\nAnd if I had slain them by treason or treachery I had been worthy\nto have died. All this I consider, said Sir Darras, that all\nthat ye did was by force of knighthood, and that was the cause I\nwould not put you to death. But sith ye be Sir Tristram, the\ngood knight, I pray you heartily to be my good friend and to my\nsons. Sir, said Sir Tristram, I promise you by the faith of my\nbody, ever while I live I will do you service, for ye have done\nto us but as a natural knight ought to do. Then Sir Tristram\nreposed him there till that he was <427>amended of his sickness;\nand when he was big and strong they took their leave, and every\nknight took their horses, and so departed and rode together till\nthey came to a cross way. Now fellows, said Sir Tristram, here\nwill we depart in sundry ways. And because Sir Dinadan had the\nfirst adventure of him I will begin.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XL","type":"page"}