clean knighthood. And
then Sir Gareth and Dinadan did wonderly great deeds of arms, as two
noble knights, so that King Arthur spake of them great honour and
worship; and the kings and knights of Sir Tristram's side did passingly
well, and held them truly together. Then Sir Arthur and Sir Launcelot
took their horses and dressed them, and gat into the thickest of the
press. And there Sir Tristram unknowing smote down King Arthur, and then
Sir Launcelot would have rescued him, but there were so many upon Sir
Launcelot that they pulled him down from his horse. And then the King of
Ireland and the King of Scots with their knights did their pain to take
King Arthur and Sir Launcelot prisoner. When Sir Launcelot heard them
say so, he fared as it had been an hungry lion, for he fared so that no
knight durst nigh him.

Then came Sir Ector de Maris, and he bare a spear against Sir Palomides,
and brast it upon him all to shivers. And then Sir Ector came again and
gave Sir Palomides such a dash with a sword that he stooped down upon
his saddle bow. And forthwithal Sir Ector pulled down Sir Palomides
under his feet; and then Sir Ector de Maris gat Sir Launcelot du Lake
an horse, and brought it to him, and bade him mount upon him; but Sir
Palomides leapt afore and gat the horse by the bridle, and leapt into
the saddle. So God me help, said Launcelot, ye are better worthy to have
that horse than I. Then Sir Ector brought Sir Launcelot another horse.
Gramercy, said Launcelot unto his brother. And so when he was horsed
again, with one spear he smote down four knights. And then Sir Launcelot
brought to King Arthur one of the best of the four horses. Then Sir
Launcelot with King Arthur and a few of his knights of Sir Launcelot's
kin did marvellous deeds; for that time, as the book recordeth, Sir
Launcelot smote down and pulled down thirty knights. Notwithstanding the
other party held them so fast together that King Arthur and his knights
were overmatched. And when Sir Tristram saw that, what labour King
Arthur and his knights, and in especial the noble deeds that Sir
Launcelot did with his own hands, he marvelled greatly.

CHAPTER LXXX. How Sir Tristram turned to King Arthur's side, and how
Palomides would not.

THEN Sir Tristram called unto him Sir Palomides, Sir Gareth, and Sir
Dinadan, and said thus to them: My fair fellows, wit ye well that I will
turn unto King Arthur's party, for I saw never so few men do so well,
and it wi