Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LXXXII

CHAPTER LXXXII

How Epinogris complained by a well, and how Sir Palomides
came and found him, and of their both sorrowing.

NOW leave we of this matter and speak we of Sir
Palomides, that rode and lodged him with the two kings,
whereof the kings were heavy.  Then the King of Ireland
sent a man of his to Sir Palomides, and gave him a great
courser, and the King of Scotland gave him great gifts;
and fain they would have had Sir Palomides to have
abiden with them, but in no wise he would abide; and
so he departed, and rode as adventures would guide him,
till it was nigh noon.  And then in a forest by a well
Sir Palomides saw where lay a fair wounded knight and
his horse bounden by him; and that knight made the
greatest dole that ever he heard man make, for ever he
wept, and therewith he sighed as though he would die.
Then Sir Palomides rode near him and saluted him mildly
and said:  Fair knight, why wail ye so? let me lie down
and wail with you, for doubt not I am much more
heavier than ye are; for I dare say, said Palomides, that
my sorrow is an hundred fold more than yours is, and
therefore let us complain either to other.  First, said
the wounded knight, I require you tell me your name,
for an thou be none of the noble knights of the Round
Table thou shalt never know my name, whatsomever
come of me.  Fair knight, said Palomides, such as I am,
be it better or be it worse, wit thou well that my name is
Sir Palomides, son and heir unto King Astlabor, and Sir
Safere and Sir Segwarides are my two brethren; and wit
thou well as for myself I was never christened, but my
two brethren are truly christened.  O noble knight, said
that knight, well is me that I have met with you; and
wit ye well my name is Epinogris, the king's son of
Northumberland.  Now sit down, said Epinogris, and
let us either complain to other.

Then Sir Palomides began his complaint.  Now shall
I tell you, said Palomides, what woe I endure.  I love
the fairest queen and lady that ever bare life, and wit ye
well her name is La Beale Isoud, King Mark's wife of
Cornwall.  That is great folly, said Epinogris, for to
love Queen Isoud, for one of the best knights of the
world loveth her, that is Sir Tristram de Liones.  That
is truth, said Palomides, for no man knoweth that matter
better than I do, for I have been in Sir Tristram's
fellowship this month, and with La Beale Isoud together;
and alas, said Palomides, unhappy man that I am, now
have I lost the fellowship of Sir Tristram for ever, and
the love of La Beale Isoud for ever, and I am never like
to see her more, and Sir Tristram and I be either to
other mortal enemies.  Well, said Epinogris, sith that
ye loved La Beale Isoud, loved she you ever again by
anything that ye could think or wit, or else did ye rejoice
her ever in any pleasure?  Nay, by my knighthood, said
Palomides, I never espied that ever she loved me more
than all the world, nor never had I pleasure with her,
but the last day she gave me the greatest rebuke that
ever I had, the which shall never go from my heart.
And yet I well deserved that rebuke, for I did not
knightly, and therefore I have lost the love of her and
of Sir Tristram for ever; and I have many times enforced
myself to do many deeds for La Beale Isoud's sake, and
she was the causer of my worship-winning.  Alas, said
Sir Palomides, now have I lost all the worship that ever I
won, for never shall me befall such prowess as I had in
the fellowship of Sir Tristram.