I was / sayd sire launcelot / But I arose and lepte oute atte my wyndowe for to helpe an old felawe of myne / And so whanne they came nyghe the lyghte / sir kay knewe wel / that
the nombre of xx torches bothe before and behynd / soo that syr Gareth strayned hym / soo that his old wounde braste a∣geyne on bledyng / but he was hote and couragyous and to∣ke no kepe / but with
request and myn owne sekyng that I shalle fyghte with the vnto the vttermest / and delyuer Cornewaile from the old truage / And also wete thou wel syr Marhaus / that this is the grettest cause that thou couragest
she myght wete nor sende vnto Trystram nor he vnto her / And thenne whanne syre Tristram came to∣ward the old manoir / he fond the trak of many horses / and ther by he wiste his lady was gone
and solempnly held theyr maryage / And soo whanne they were abedde bothe / sire Tristram remembryd hym of his old lady la beale Isoud / And thenne he toke su∣che a thought sodenly that he was alle desmayed /
dyd vnto many knyghtes causeth them that be men of pro¦wesse to beware / for often I haue sene the old preued knygh¦tes rebuked and slayne by them that were but yonge begyn∣ners / Thus they rode sure talkynge by
they fought a grete whyle / For Melyagaunce was a good man and of grete myght / but sire Lamorak was hard bygge for hym / and putte hym alweyes a bak / but eyther had wo∣unded other sore
his waye and lefte syre Persy∣des squyer within the pauelions / and syre Tristram and syre Dynadan rode to an old knyghtes place to lodge them / And that olde knyght had fyue sones at the turnement / for whome
Tristram was lyke to haue dyed of grete sekenesse / and eue∣ry day syr Palomydes wold repreue sir Tristram of old hate betwixe them / And euer sir Tristram spak fayre and said ly∣tel / But whan sir Palomydes sawe
he was lykely to deye / And so he depar∣tedfrom hym / and came to a fayre manoyre to an old knyʒt and there syre Tristram lodged¶ Now leue to speke of sir Tristram / and speke we of the
them / and spoken to gyders / they took their horses / and rode to a castel where duellid an old kn∣yght that made alle Knyghtes erraunt good chere / Thenne in the meane whyle that they were talkynge came
adoo with the / for we repente sore that euer thow camest here / for by the is fordone the old customme of this cas¦tel / And with that word he tourned ageyne in to the Castel / and shytte
with hym or els I will be slayne in the felde / or els I wille delyuer Cornewaile from the old truage / And therfore lyghtely calle his messager and he shalle be ansuerd / for as yet my woundes
harper how durst thow be soo bold on thy heede to synge thys songe afore me / Syr said Elyas wete yow wel I am a myn¦strel / and I must doo as I am commaūded of these lordes
so sore that they myghte not stande / wel said sire Dynadan yet haue I no shame / for the old shrewe sire Launcelot smote me doune / So they wente to dyuer / alle the Courte had good sporte
were not pleased with that rule / but thenne they thoughte to haue more / as euer hit is an old sawe / gyue a chorle rule / and there by he wylle not be suf¦fysed / for what someuer
was wel made / clenely and byggely / and vn¦maymed of his lymmes / and neyther to yonge nor to old / and soo alle the peple preysed hym / and though he was not cryst∣ened yet he byleued in
soo they rode forth tyl that they came to a fayr gate of a manoir / and there satte an old man sayenge his prayers and bedes / Thenne sire palomydes and sir Safere alyghte and lefte their horses /
knyght that syr Palomydes slewe / and soo they bound his legges vnder an old sedes bely / And then¦ne they rode with syr Palomydes vnto a Castel by the see syde that hyghte Pelownes / and there syr Palomydes
kyng commaunded that all peple shold auoyde that none sh∣old be in that way there as the kyng wold come / & soo whan this was done / these four men and these ladyes layd hand on syr launcelot