ou that coward knight that I met
with yesterday? keep thee, for thou shalt joust with me maugre thy head.
Well, said Sir Tristram, and I am loath to joust. And so they let their
horses run, and Sir Tristram missed of him a-purpose, and Sir Dinadan
brake a spear upon Sir Tristram, and therewith Sir Dinadan dressed him
to draw out his sword. Not so, said Sir Tristram, why are ye so wroth?
I will not fight. Fie on thee, coward, said Dinadan, thou shamest all
knights. As for that, said Sir Tristram, I care not, for I will wait
upon you and be under your protection; for because ye are so good a
knight ye may save me. The devil deliver me of thee, said Sir Dinadan,
for thou art as goodly a man of arms and of thy person as ever I saw,
and the most coward that ever I saw. What wilt thou do with those
great spears that thou carriest with thee? I shall give them, said Sir
Tristram, to some good knight when I come to the tournament; and if I
see you do best, I shall give them to you.

So thus as they rode talking they saw where came an errant knight afore
them, that dressed him to joust. Lo, said Sir Tristram, yonder is one
will joust; now dress thee to him. Ah, shame betide thee, said Sir
Dinadan. Nay, not so, said Tristram, for that knight beseemeth a shrew.
Then shall I, said Sir Dinadan. And so they dressed their shields and
their spears, and they met together so hard that the other knight smote
down Sir Dinadan from his horse. Lo, said Sir Tristram, it had been
better ye had left. Fie on thee, coward, said Sir Dinadan. Then Sir
Dinadan started up and gat his sword in his hand, and proffered to do
battle on foot. Whether in love or in wrath? said the other knight. Let
us do battle in love, said Sir Dinadan. What is your name, said that
knight, I pray you tell me. Wit ye well my name is Sir Dinadan. Ah,
Dinadan, said that knight, and my name is Gareth, the youngest brother
unto Sir Gawaine. Then either made of other great cheer, for this Gareth
was the best knight of all the brethren, and he proved a good knight.
Then they took their horses, and there they spake of Sir Tristram, how
such a coward he was; and every word Sir Tristram heard and laughed them
to scorn.

Then were they ware where came a knight afore them well horsed and well
armed, and he made him ready to joust. Fair knights, said Sir Tristram,
look betwixt you who shall joust with yonder knight, for I warn you I
will not have ado with him. Then shall I, said Sir G