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saddle again, with lance in rest and his great charger leaping beneath him.
Now, to the court of King Anguish there had lately come a knight named Sir
Palomides, famed for his knightly deeds, though still a pagan, and he was well
favoured both of King Anguish and his queen. Sir
Palomides came and made great court to La Belle Isoude, and proffered her many
gifts, for he loved her passing well. Indeed, for her sake he declared he
would be christened and become a Christian knight; but La
Belle Isoude had no care for him, and avoided him as well as she might.
On a certain day King Anguish made a great cry that a joust and tournament
would be held, wherein only unmarried knights should join, and the prize would
be a fair lady called the Lady of the Laundes, near cousin to the king. The
heralds further said that he who should win her should marry her three days
after, and have all her lands with her. This cry was made in all Ireland and
Wales, and in Logres and Alban, which are now called England and Scotland.
It befell the same day that La Belle Isoude came to Sir Tristram, and she
seemed distressed of mind and as if she had wept secretly.
"Sir Tramor," she said, "this tournament shall exalt Sir Palomides beyond all
other knights, unless a better do come forward and overcome him."
"Fair lady," said Sir Tristram, "Sir Palomides may well win the prize against
any knight, except it be Sir
Lancelot. But if ye think I am fit to joust, I will e'en essay it. Yet he is a
proved knight, and I but a young one and but lately ill; and my first battle
that I fought, it mishapped me to be sore wounded. Yet I will essay it, for
I love not this Sir Palomides."
"Ah, but I know thou wilt do well in the battle, and thou shalt have all my
prayers for thy safety and success,"
said La Belle Isoude.
On the first day of the jousts Sir Palomides came with a black shield, and he
was a knight big of his body and on a great horse. He overthrew many knights
and put them to the worst, among them being many of the knights of the Round
Table, as Sir Gawaine and his brother Sir Gaheris, Sir Agravaine, Sir Kay, Sir
Sagramore le Desirous, Sir Owen, who had been the little pageboy who had saved
King Arthur's life in his hall at Caerleon, and three other knights. All these
he struck down, and the others were adread of him. The people had great
marvel, and acclaimed him with much worship as the victor of the first day.
The next day he came and smote down King Morgant, the pagan King of Scotland,
as also the Duke of
Cambenet. Then, as he rode up and down the lists proudly flourishing his
lance, dressing his shield and waiting for the other knights to offer
themselves to him, he was aware of a knight all in white armour, with
KING ARTHUR'S KNIGHTS. THE TALES RETOLD FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
IV. HOW SIR TRISTRAM KEPT HIS WORD
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vizor closed, riding quickly through the gate as if he came from the seashore.
The stranger knight came with swiftness, lifting his lance in token of
challenge.
Whereat Sir Palomides rode to the other end of the lists, dressed his lance,
and together they put their horses in motion. Like two bulls the knights
thundered against each other in the centre of the lists. The white knight's
lance hit the shield of Sir Palom ides full in the centre, and with the shock
the pagan knight was lifted from his saddle, carried beyond his horse, and
fell with a great thud to the ground, while his horse careered onward
riderless.
Sir Gawaine and his fellows marvelled who this strange knight might be. Then
Sir Palomides, rising from the ground, caught his horse, and full of shame,
would have slunk from the field. But the white knight rode after him and bade
him turn, "for," said the stranger, "he would better prove him with the
sword."
Then, alighting, they lashed at each other with their swords. Now Sir
Palomides was a powerful man, and his strokes were passing heavy, but Sir
Tristram, for the stranger knight was he, felt so full of strength and joy
after his long leisure, that he played with Sir Palomides, and men wondered at
the might of his blows, and his swiftness was a marvel to see. In a while,
with a great buffet on the head of the pagan knight, Sir Tristram felled him
to the earth.
"Now yield thee," said the white knight sternly, " and do my command, or I
will slay thee of a surety."
Sir Palomides was sore adread, and promised.
"Swear me this," said the stranger, "that upon pain of thy life thou leave my
lady La Belle Isoude, and come not unto her ever again, and for a year and a
day thou shalt bear no armour. Promise me this, or here shalt thou die!"
"I swear it," said Sir Palomides, "but I am for ever shamed."
In his rage Sir Palomides cut off his armour and threw it from him and fled
away on his horse.
Then the white knight also went away, and none knew who he was. The king sent
after him, to tell him he was the winner of the lady, whom he should wed, but
the messengers could not find him. Men marvelled much at this, that the victor
knight should not come to claim the rich lady for his wife with the wide lands
that went with her.
When Sir Tristram returned to the private postern where La Belle Isoude had
led him forth secretly, he found her standing breathless, and she was pale and
red by turns, and could not speak at first.
"Thouthou hast not failed?" she said, and clasped her hands.
"Nay," said Sir Tristram, laughing. "He will never trouble you again. And, by
Our Lady, I wished there had been six of them, for I never felt more full of
fight and strength than I do this day."
"Butbut have ye not claimed the prize?" said La Belle Isoude, and hid her face
that was so deathly white.
"Nay, nor will I," said Sir Tristram, "for I crave not to be married. I would
be free and go forth into strange lands to seek adventures."
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