“Sir,” said Lancelot, “you put yourself in great jeopardy.”
“Well,” quoth the king, “we will take the adventure.” So he rode straight to Queen Isoude, and saluted her, and said, “God save you, gracious lady.”
“Sir,” she answered, “you are welcome.”
Then the king looked at her steadfastly, and admired her beauty. With that came Sir Palomides, and said, “Thou uncourteous knight, what seekest thou here? Thou art uncourteous to come upon a lady so suddenly; therefore withdraw thee.” King Arthur took no heed of his words, but still looked on Queen Isoude. Then was Sir Palomides wroth, and he rode against King Arthur with his spear, and smote him from his horse. When Sir Lancelot saw that, he said to himself, “I am loath to have to do with yonder knight, not for his own sake, but because of Sir Tristram; for if I smite down Sir Palomides, I must encounter Sir Tristram, and I cannot match them both. Still, whether I live or die, needs must I avenge my lord.” And then he bade Sir Palomides make ready, and when they rode together, he gave him a great fall. That saw Sir Tristram, and cried to Lancelot, “Sir Knight, keep thee, for I must joust with thee.”
“I have no fear to joust with thee,” answered Lancelot, “but I am loath to do it. I was compelled to avenge my lord, when he was unhorsed unwarily and unknightly; but though I have done so, you should take no displeasure, for he is such a friend to me that I could not see him shamed.”
Then Sir Tristram understood that it was Sir Lancelot who spoke, and he suspected that it was King Arthur whom Palomides had struck down. So he put down his spear, and suffered Lancelot and the king to withdraw; and he chid Sir Palomides sharply for having shown such discourtesy to King Arthur. Sir Palomides was sore grieved at his words; and when the tournament began, he forsook Sir Tristram, and went against him to the opposite party. There he did great deeds of arms, and Sir Tristram marvelled that he had gone against him, and said to Gareth, “He is weary of my company.”
“Sir,” answered Gareth, “he desires to win worship and honour from you. That Sir Dinadan saw yesterday, and it was for that reason that he reproached you yesternight; for he loveth you better than any other knight in the world, and he wished to stir you up to win worship.”
“I may well believe you,” said Tristram; “and since I now understand Palomides’ evil will and envy, you shall see how long his worship shall endure.” With that he went into the press, and did so mightily that all the cry forsook Sir Palomides and followed Sir Tristram; for he smote down forty knights with his spear, and many others with his sword.
“How now?” said Sir Lancelot to King Arthur. “I told you that this day a better knight than Sir Palomides should play his part. See how well yonder knight is doing; he has both strength and wind.”
“You say truth,” answered the king: “I never saw a better knight. He far surpasses Palomides.”