_How Sir Tristram and Sir Gawaine rode to have fought against the
thirty knights, but they durst not come out._
Sir, said Sir Gawaine, will ye stand with me, and we will see the
malice of these thirty knights? Sir, said Sir Tristram, go ye to them
and it please you, and ye shall see I will not fail you, for it is not
long ago since I and a fellow met with thirty knights of that queen’s
fellowship; and God speed us so that we may win worship. So then Sir
Gawaine and Sir Tristram rode toward the castle where Morgan le Fay
was, and ever Sir Gawaine deemed well that he was Sir Tristram de
Liones, because he heard that two knights had slain and beaten thirty
knights. And when they came afore the castle Sir Gawaine spake on high,
and said, Queen Morgan le Fay, send out your knights that ye have laid
in a watch for Sir Launcelot, and for Sir Tristram. Now, said Sir
Gawaine, I know your false treason, and through all places where that I
ride men shall know of your false treason. And now let see Sir Gawaine
whether ye dare come out of your castle ye thirty knights. Then the
queen spake and all the thirty knights at once, and said, Sir Gawaine,
full well wotest thou what thou dost and sayest; for we know thee
passing well; but all that thou speakest and dost thou sayest it upon
pride of that good knight that is there with thee. For there be some of
us that know full well the hands of that knight over all well, and wit
thou well, Sir Gawaine, it is more for his sake than for thine that we
will not come out of this castle. For wit ye well, Sir Gawaine, that
knight that beareth the arms of Cornwall we know him, and what he is.
Then Sir Gawaine and Sir Tristram departed, and rode on their ways a
day or two together, and there by adventure they met with Sir Kay and
Sir Sagramor le Desirous. And then they were glad of Sir Gawaine, and
he of them, but they wist not what he was with the shield of Cornwall
but by deeming. And thus they rode together a day or two. And then they
were ware of Sir Breuse Sance Pité chasing a lady for to have slain
her, for he had slain her lover before. Hold you all still, said Sir
Gawaine, and shew none of you forth, and ye shall see me reward yonder
false knight, for and he espy you he is so well horsed that he will
escape away. And then Sir Gawaine rode betwixt Sir Breuse and the lady,
and said, False knight, leave her and have ado with me. When Sir Breuse
saw no more but Sir Gawaine he feutred his spear, and Sir Gawaine
against him, and there Sir Breuse overthrew Sir Gawaine, and then he
rode over him and overthwart him twenty times, to have destroyed him;
and when Sir Tristram saw him do so villainous a deed, he hurled out
against him. And when Sir Breuse saw him with the shield of Cornwall,
he knew him well that it was Sir Tristram, and then he fled, and Sir
Tristram followed after him. And Sir Breuse Sance Pité was so horsed
that he went his way quite. And Sir Tristram followed him long, for he
would fain have been avenged upon him. And so when he had long chased
him he saw a fair well, and thither he rode to repose him, and tied his
horse to a tree.