e shall have no
service of me. And if she send out any knights, as I suppose she will,
for to joust, they shall have both their hands full. And I shall not
fail you, said Sir Dinadan, unto my puissance, upon my life.

So as they stood on horseback afore the castle, there came a knight with
a red shield, and two squires after him; and he came straight unto
Sir Palomides, the good knight, and said to him: Fair and gentle
knight-errant, I require thee for the love thou owest unto knighthood,
that ye will not have ado here with these men of this castle; for this
was Sir Lamorak that thus said. For I came hither to seek this deed, and
it is my request; and therefore I beseech you, knight, let me deal, and
if I be beaten revenge me. In the name of God, said Palomides, let
see how ye will speed, and we shall behold you. Then anon came forth a
knight of the castle, and proffered to joust with the Knight with the
Red Shield. Anon they encountered together, and he with the red shield
smote him so hard that he bare him over to the earth. Therewith anon
came another knight of the castle, and he was smitten so sore that
he avoided his saddle. And forthwithal came the third knight, and
the Knight with the Red Shield smote him to the earth. Then came Sir
Palomides, and besought him that he might help him to joust. Fair
knight, said he unto him, suffer me as at this time to have my will, for
an they were twenty knights I shall not doubt them. And ever there were
upon the walls of the castle many lords and ladies that cried and said:
Well have ye jousted, Knight with the Red Shield. But as soon as the
knight had smitten them down, his squire took their horses, and avoided
their saddles and bridles of the horses, and turned them into the
forest, and made the knights to be kept to the end of the jousts. Right
so came out of the castle the fourth knight, and freshly proffered to
joust with the Knight with the Red Shield: and he was ready, and he
smote him so hard that horse and man fell to the earth, and the knight's
back brake with the fall, and his neck also. O Jesu, said Sir Palomides,
that yonder is a passing good knight, and the best jouster that ever
I saw. By my head, said Sir Dinadan, he is as good as ever was Sir
Launcelot or Sir Tristram, what knight somever he be.

CHAPTER XVIII. How Sir Palomides would have jousted for Sir Lamorak with
the knights of the castle.

THEN forthwithal came a knight out of the castle, with a