_How Sir Palamides followed the questing beast, and he smote down both
Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak with one spear._
And this mean while there came Sir Palamides the good knight following
the questing beast that had in shape a head like a serpent’s head, and
a body like a libbard, haunches like a lion, and footed like a hart,
and in his body there was such a noise as it had been the noise of
thirty couple of hounds questing, and such a noise that beast made
wheresoever he went. And this beast evermore Sir Palamides followed,
for it was called his quest. And right so as he followed this beast it
came by Sir Tristram, and soon after came Palamides, and to brief this
matter he smote down Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak both with one spear,
and so he departed after the beast Glatisant, that was called the
questing beast, wherefore these two knights were passing wroth that Sir
Palamides would not fight on foot with them.
Here men may understand that be of worship, that he was never formed
that all times might stand, but some time he was put to the worse by
mal-fortune. And at some time the worse knight put the better knight to
a rebuke. Then Sir Tristram and Sir Lamorak gat Sir Kehydius upon a
shield betwixt them both, and led him to a forester’s lodge, and there
they gave him in charge to keep him well, and with him they abode three
days. Then the two knights took their horses and at the cross they
parted. And then said Sir Tristram to Sir Lamorak, I require you if ye
hap to meet with Sir Palamides, say him that he shall find me at the
same well there I met him, and there I, Sir Tristram, shall prove
whether he be better knight than I. And so either departed from other a
sundry way, and Sir Tristram rode nigh there as was Sir Kehydius, and
Sir Lamorak rode until he came to a chapel, and there he put his horse
unto pasture. And anon there came Sir Meliagaunce that was king
Bagdemagus’s son, and he there put his horse to pasture, and was not
ware of Sir Lamorak, and then this knight Sir Meliagaunce made his moan
of the love that he had to queen Guenever, and there he made a woful
complaint. All this heard Sir Lamorak, and on the morn Sir Lamorak took
his horse and rode unto the forest, and there he met two knights hoving
under the wood shawe. Fair knights, said Sir Lamorak, what do ye hoving
here and watching, and if ye be knights errant that will just, lo I am
ready. Nay, sir knight, they said, not so, we abide not here for to
just with you, but we lie here in await of a knight that slew our
brother. What knight was that, said Sir Lamorak, that ye would fain
meet withal. Sir, they said, it is Sir Launcelot that slew our brother,
and if ever we may meet with him he shall not escape but we shall slay
him. Ye take upon you a great charge, said Sir Lamorak, for Sir
Launcelot is a noble proved knight. As for that we doubt not, for there
is none of us but we are good enough for him. I will not believe that,
said Sir Lamorak, for I heard never yet of no knight the days of my
life but Sir Launcelot was too big for him.