_Of Sir Palamides, and how he met with Sir Bleoberis and with Sir
Ector, and of Sir Percivale._
Right so as they stood thus, there came Sir Palamides; and when he saw
the shield of Bleoberis lie on the earth, then said Palamides, He that
owneth that shield, let him dress him to me, for he smote me down here
fast by at a fountain, and therefore I will fight with him on foot. I
am ready, said Sir Bleoberis, here to answer thee; for wit thou well,
sir knight, it was I, and my name is Bleoberis de Ganis. Well art thou
met, said Palamides, and wit thou well my name is Sir Palamides the
Saracen. And either of them hated other to the death. Sir Palamides,
said Ector, wit thou well, there is neither thou, nor none knight that
beareth the life, that slayeth any of our blood, but he shall die for
it; therefore, and thou list to fight, go seek Sir Launcelot, or Sir
Tristram, and there shall ye find your match. With them have I met,
said Palamides, but I had never no worship of them. Was there never no
manner of knight, said Sir Ector, but they, that ever matched with you?
Yes, said Palamides, there was the third, a good knight as any of them,
and of his age he was the best that ever I found; for, and he might
have lived till he had been an hardier man, there liveth no knight now
such, and his name was Sir Lamorak de Galis. And as he had justed at a
tournament, there he overthrew me and thirty knights more, and there he
won the degree. And at his departing, there met him Sir Gawaine and his
brethren, and with great pain they slew him feloniously, unto all good
knights’ great damage. And when Sir Percivale heard that his brother
was dead, Sir Lamorak, he fell over his horse’s mane swooning, and
there he made the greatest dole that ever made knight. And when Sir
Percivale arose, he said, Alas, my good and noble brother Sir Lamorak,
now shall we never meet, and I trow in all the wide world a man might
not find such a knight as he was of his age; and it is too much to
suffer the death of our father king Pellinore, and now the death of our
good brother Sir Lamorak. Then in the mean while there came a varlet
from the court of king Arthur, and told them of the great tournament
that should be at Lonazep, and how these lands, Cornwall, and
Northgalis, should be against all them that would come.