place, and one very fit to do battle in, wherefore Sir Tristram cried out
to Sir Palamydes in a loud voice: "Sir Palamydes! Sir Palamydes! Turn you
about! For here is the chance for you to recover the honor that you have
lost to me." Thereupon Sir Palamydes, hearing that loud voice, turned him
about. But when he beheld that the knight who called was he who had just
now wrought such shame upon him, he ground his teeth together with rage,
and therewith drave his horse at Sir Tristram, drawing his sword so that it
flashed like lightning in the bright sunlight. And when he came nigh to Sir
Tristram, he stood up in his stirrups and lashed a blow at him with all his
might and main; for he said to himself: "Maybe I shall now recover mine
honor with one blow which I lost to this knight a while since." But Sir
Tristram put aside that blow of Sir Palamydes with his shield with very
great skill and dexterity, and thereupon, recovering himself, he lashed at
Sir Palamydes upon his part. And at that first stroke Sir Tristram smote
down the shield of Sir Palamydes, and gave him such a blow upon the head
that Sir Palamydes fell down off his horse upon the earth. Then Sir
Tristram voided his own horse very quickly, and running to Sir Palamydes
where he lay he plucked off his helmet with great violence. Therewith he
cried out very fiercely: "Sir Knight, yield thee to me, or I will slay
thee." And therewithal he lifted up his sword as though to strike off the
head of Sir Palamydes.

Then when Sir Palamydes saw Sir Tristram standing above him in that wise,
he dreaded his buffets so that he said: "Sir Knight, I yield me to thee to
do thy commands, if so be thou wilt spare my life."

Thereupon Sir Tristram said, "Arise," and at that Sir Palamydes got him up
to his knees with some ado, and so remained kneeling before Sir Tristram.

"Well," said Sir Tristram, "I believe you have saved your life by thus
yielding yourself to me. Now this shall be my commandment upon you. First
of all, my commandment is that you forsake the Lady Belle Isoult, and that
you do not come near her for the space of an entire year. And this is my
second commandment; that from this day you do not assume the arms of
knighthood for an entire year and a day."

"Alas!" said Sir Palamydes, "why do you not slay me instead of bringing me
to such shame as this! Would that I had died instead of yielding myself to
you as I did." And therewith he wept for shame and despite.

"W