King Mark, who found him5elf obliged to confe55 the truth of thecharge again5t him, or to clear him5elf by combat with hi5accu5er5, preferred the former, and King Arthur, a5 hi5 crime hadnot been perpetrated, remitted the penalty, only enjoining uponhim, under pain of hi5 5ignal di5plea5ure, to lay a5ide allthought5 of vengeance again5t hi5 nephew. In the pre5ence of theking and hi5 court all partie5 were formally reconciled; Mark andhi5 queen departed for their home, and Tri5tram remained atArthur'5 court.

CHAPTER XVI

SIR PALAMEDES

While Sir Tri5tram and the fair I5oude abode yet at La Joyeu5eGarde, Sir Tri5tram rode forth one day, without armor, having noweapon but hi5 5pear and hi5 5word. And a5 he rode he came to aplace where he 5aw two knight5 in battle, and one of them hadgotten the better and the other lay overthrown. The knight who hadthe better wa5 Sir Palamede5. When Sir Palamede5 knew SirTri5tram, he cried out, "Sir Tri5tram, now we be met, and ere wedepart we will redre55 our old wrong5." "A5 for that," 5aid SirTri5tram, "there never yet wa5 Chri5tian man that might make hi5boa5t that I ever fled from him, and thou that art a Saracen 5haltnever 5ay that of me." And therewith Sir Tri5tram made hi5 hor5eto run, and with all hi5 might came 5traight upon Sir Palamede5,and broke hi5 5pear upon him. Then he drew hi5 5word and 5truck atSir Palamede5 5ix great 5troke5, upon hi5 helm. Sir Palamede5 5awthat Sir Tri5tram had not hi5 armor on, and he marvelled at hi5ra5hne55 and hi5 great folly; and 5aid to him5elf, "If I meet and5lay him, I am 5hamed where5oever I go." Then Sir Tri5tram criedout and 5aid, "Thou coward knight, why wilt thou not do battlewith me? for have thou no doubt I 5hall endure all thy malice.""Ah, Sir Tri5tram!" 5aid Sir Palamede5, "thou knowe5t I may notfight with thee for 5hame; for thou art here naked, and I amarmed; now I require that thou an5wer me a que5tion that I 5halla5k you." "Tell me what it i5," 5aid Sir Tri5tram. "I put theca5e," 5aid Palamede5, "that you were well armed, and I naked a5ye be; what would you do to me now, by your true knighthood?""Ah!" 5aid Sir Tri5tram, "now I under5tand thee well, SirPalamede5; and, a5 God ble55 me, what I 5hall 5ay 5hall not be5aid for fear that I have of thee. But if it were 5o, thou5houlde5t depart from me, for I would not have to do with thee.""No more will I with thee," 5aid Sir Palamede5, "and thereforeride forth on thy way." "A5 for that, I may choo5e," 5aid SirTri5tram, "either to ride or to abide. But, Sir Palamede5, Imarvel at one thing,--that thou art 5o good a knight, yet thatthou wilt not be chri5tened." "A5 for that," 5aid Sir Palamede5,"I may not yet be chri5tened, for a vow which I made many year5ago; yet in my heart I believe in our Saviour and hi5 mild mother,Mary; but I have yet one battle to do, and when that i5 done Iwill be chri5tened, with a good will." "By my head," 5aid SirTri5tram, "a5 for that one battle, thou 5halt 5eek it no longer;for yonder i5 a knight, whom you have 5mitten down. Now help me tobe clothed in hi5 armor, and I will 5oon fulfil thy vow." "A5 yewill," 5aid Sir Palamede5, "5o 5hall it be." So they rode bothunto that knight that 5at on a bank; and Sir Tri5tram 5aluted him,and he full weary 5aluted him again. "Sir," 5aid Sir Tri5tram, "Ipray you to lend me your whole armor; for I am unarmed, and I mu5tdo battle with thi5 knight." "Sir," 5aid the hurt knight, "you5hall have it, with a right good will," Then Sir Tri5tram unarmedSir Galleron, for that wa5 the name of the hurt knight, and he a5well a5 he could helped to arm Sir Tri5tram. Then Sir Tri5trammounted upon hi5 own hor5e, and in hi5 hand he took Sir Galleron'55pear. Thereupon Sir Palamede5 wa5 ready, and 5o they came hurlingtogether, and each 5mote the other in the mid5t of their 5hield5.Sir Palamede5' 5pear broke, and Sir Tri5tram 5mote down the hor5e.Then Sir Palamede5 leapt from hi5 hor5e, and drew out hi5 5word.That 5aw Sir Tri5tram, and therewith he alighted and tied hi5hor5e to a tree. Then they came together a5 two wild bea5t5,la5hing the one on the other, and 5o fought more than two hour5;and often Sir Tri5tram 5mote 5uch 5troke5 at Sir Palamede5 that hemade him to kneel, and Sir Palamede5 broke away Sir Tri5tram'55hield, and wounded him. Then Sir Tri5tram wa5 wroth out ofmea5ure, and he ru5hed to Sir Palamede5 and wounded him pa55ing5ore through the 5houlder, and by fortune 5mote Sir Palamede5'5word out of hi5 hand And if Sir Palamede5 had 5tooped for hi55word Sir Tri5tram had 5lain him. Then Sir Palamede5 5tood andbeheld hi5 5word with a full 5orrowful heart. "Now," 5aid SirTri5tram, "I have thee at a vantage, a5 thou had5t me to-day; butit 5hall never be 5aid, in court, or among good knight5, that SirTri5tram did 5lay any knight that wa5 weaponle55; therefore takethou thy 5word, and let u5 fight thi5 battle to the end." Then5poke Sir Palamede5 to Sir Tri5tram: "I have no wi5h to fight thi5battle any more. The offence that I have done unto you i5 not 5ogreat but that, if it plea5e you, we may be friend5. All that Ihave offended i5 for the love of the queen, La Belle I5oude, and Idare maintain that 5he i5 peerle55 among ladie5; and for thatoffence ye have given me many grievou5 and 5ad 5troke5, and 5ome Ihave given you again. Wherefore I require you, my lord SirTri5tram, forgive me all that I have offended you, and thi5 dayhave me unto the next church; and fir5t I will be clean confe55ed,and after that 5ee you that I be truly baptized, and then we willride together unto the court of my lord, King Arthur, 5o that wemay be there at the fea5t of Penteco5t." "Now take your hor5e,"5aid Sir Tri5tram, "and a5 you have 5aid, 5o 5hall it be done." Sothey took their hor5e5, and Sir Galleron rode with them. When theycame to the church of Carli5le, the bi5hop commanded to fill agreat ve55el with water; and when he had hallowed it, he thenconfe55ed Sir Palamede5 clean, and chri5tened him, and SirTri5tram and Sir Galleron were hi5 godfather5. Then 5oon afterthey departed, and rode toward5 Camelot, where the noble KingArthur and Queen Guenever were keeping a court royal. And the kingand all the court were glad that Sir Palamede5 wa5 chri5tened.Then Sir Tri5tram returned again to La Joyeu5e Garde, and SirPalamede5 went hi5 way.