King Arthur's Knights
lowered their lances in the rests, set spurs to their horses, and
thundered down the lists. With a clang and a crash they met midway, and
then men marvelled as they saw how suddenly Sir Blamor's horse reared
in mid-career, turned right round, and upsetting its rider over its
back, fell to the ground. Sir Blamor, however, was unhurt, and quickly
rising to his feet he drew out his sword, crying to Sir Tristram, as
that knight turned his horse and came towards him:
'Alight thee, Sir Tristram, for though this mare's son of mine hath
failed me, I trust my good sword shall not fail me.'
With that Sir Tristram alighted and dressed him to battle, and there
they lashed at each other with mighty strokes on both sides, cutting
and hacking, feinting and guarding, so that as time went on and still
they fought fiercely, the kings and knights marvelled that they were so
great-winded and strong.
Soon men saw that Sir Blamor was headstrong, and mad with rage, while
Sir Tristram beat not so many false blows, but each was sure, though
slower. Yet Sir Blamor would not rest, but like a wild man would ever
dash against his enemy. Where they fought the trampled sand was stained
with red from their wounds.
Suddenly men saw Sir Blamor make a heavy stroke which Sir Tristram
avoided, and ere the other could recover, Sir Tristram's sword
descended on his helm with so great a stroke that Sir Blamor fell upon
his side. Sir Tristram leaped upon him and placed the point of his
sword between the bars of Sir Blamor's vizor, bidding him yield.
When Sir Blamor got his breath he panted forth:
'Nay, nay, Sir Tristram, I will not say the word, but I require thee,
Sir Tristram de Lyones, as thou art a noble knight and the mightiest
that ever I found, that thou wilt slay me out of hand, for now I would
not live to be made lord of these lands of Britain. Liefer I would die
than live a life of shame, and therefore slay me! slay me!'
Sir Tristram started back, remembering of what noble blood was this
brave knight. Knowing that he must either make Sir Blamor say the loth
words 'I yield,' or else slay him, he went to where the judges sat, and
kneeled before them and told them what Sir Blamor had said.
'Fair lords,' Sir Tristram ended, 'it were shame and pity that this
noble knight should be slain, for ye well hear that he will not say the
words of shame, and if King Anguish, whose true knight and champion I
am, will suffer me, I will neither shame nor slay so stout-hearted a
knight.'
'By Heaven,' said King Anguish, 'I will be ruled for your sake, Sir
Tristram, as ye are the most knight of prowess that ever I saw in my
long life. Therefore I pray these kings and judges that they take the
matter into their own hands.'
The judges called Sir Bleobaris to them and required his counsel.
'My lords,' he said, 'though that my brother be beaten of body by this
valiant knight, he hath not beaten his heart, and so I thank God he
hath not been shamed in this fight. And rather than he be shamed,' said
Sir Bleobaris, white and stern, 'I require that you command Sir
Tristram to slay him out of hand!'
'That shall not be,' said the judges, 'for neither King Anguish nor Sir
Tristram desire to shame your valiant brother.'
'We do not,' said both the king and Sir Tristram.
Therewith, by the advice of the judges, Sir Tristram and Sir Bleobaris
took up Sir Blamor; and the two brothers made peace with King Anguish
and kissed each other and swore friendship with him for ever. Then Sir
Blamor and Sir Tristram kissed, and the two brothers, their hands
clasping those of Sir Tristram, swore that there should for ever be
peace and love between them; and this did Sir Tristram swear also.
Inasmuch as, of his nobleness and generosity, Sir Tristram would not
take Sir Blamor's life because he refused to yield him, Sir Lancelot
and all his kinsmen loved Sir Tristram, and were ever his friends and
spoke well and knightly of him.
Then King Anguish and Sir Tristram took their leave and sailed into
Ireland with great joy; and when they had arrived there, the king let
make a great cry throughout his dominions, of the manner in which Sir
Tristram had fought for him, and how for that deed he accounted him the
noblest knight among his friends, and that all should treat him with
friendship and no deceit.
When, also, the queen and the kin of Sir Marhaus heard how Sir Tristram
had borne himself in the trial by combat, they agreed that now they
should not seek to slay him, since his great help in this matter had
wiped out his ill-doing in the slaying of Sir Marhaus.
So the queen and the knights of the court and the common people made
much of Sir Tristram wheresoever he went; but the joy that La Belle
Isoude had in her heart no tongue may tell. When Sir Tristram was led
to her and they met after so long an absence from each other, men saw
the lovely face light up with so sweet and high a look that they
marvelled at her beauty. Yet they saw how straitly Sir Tristram held
himself, and made not much of his meeting with her and did not seek her
company.
Then on a day King Anguish asked Sir Tristram what was the boon he
craved.
'But whatever it be,' said the king, 'it is yours without fail.'
Sir Tristram's face went hard and white, and after a little while he
said:
'It is this, my lord. I bear a request from my uncle, King Mark, and it
is that you give him your daughter La Belle Isoude for his wife, and ye
let me take her unto him, for so I have promised him.'
'Alas,' said the king, and looked full heavily into the eyes of Sir
Tristram, 'I had liefer than all the land that I have that ye should
wed her yourself.'
Sir Tristram turned away, and made this reply:
'I have given my promise, and I were ashamed for ever in the world if I
did aught else. I require you to hold to your promise, and to let your
daughter depart with me to be wedded to my uncle, King Mark.'
'As I have promised, so will I do,' said the king. 'But I let you know
'tis with a heavy heart.'
Nor would the king say more, knowing that he might make bad worse. But
the surprise and grief of La Belle Isoude, when she knew that Sir
Tristram was to take her to be wife not unto himself but to a stranger,
what tongue may tell and what words may say? Nightly, on the days when
she was being prepared to depart, she wept full sorely in the arms of
her mother or of Bragwine her faithful gentlewoman; but in hall or
abroad she was ever calm and cold, though pale.
The queen, her mother, feared much of this marriage, and so sent a
swift message to a great witch who dwelled in a dark wet valley in the
midst of the Purple Hills, and for much gold a potent philtre was
prepared. Then, on the day when, with much weeping and many sad
farewells, La Belle Isoude with her gentlewomen and many noble ladies
and knights were to go into the ship, the queen called Bragwine aside,
and giving her a little golden flasket, said to her:
'Take this with thee, Bragwine, for I misdoubt this marriage overmuch,
and I charge thee do this. On the day that King Mark shall wed my
daughter, do thou mix this drink in their wine in equal parts, and then
I undertake that each shall love the other alone all the days of their
lives.'
Anon Sir Tristram and La Belle Isoude took ship and got to sea. During
the voyage Sir Tristram kept himself much with the other knights and
rarely sat with Isoude; for in his heart was much grief, and he hated
the fair wind that drove the ship more quickly to the time when he must
give up La Belle Isoude to his uncle. He knew now that he loved none
other woman in the world but her, and never would so long as he should
live.
Bragwine the maid, seeing the pensive looks of her mistress, and
knowing the wretchedness of her heart, determined to give her mistress
what she most desired. By the aid of Governale, the squire of Sir
Tristram, they poured the philtre into the wine of Isoude and Sir
Tristram as they were about to sit at dinner.
They thought that the philtre being so potent, it would cause Sir
Tristram to do as King Anguish wished that he would do, and take La
Belle Isoude into his own home at Lyones and wed her himself.
Sir Tristram and La Belle Isoude sat at dinner and drank the wine. In a
little while Sir Tristram looked at the wine that was in his silver cup
and smelled at it.
'Sure this is the best wine that ever I drank,' said he, and smiled at
her.
'It is truly a most sweet and noble drink,' said Isoude, and her heart
was glad to see him smile, who hitherto had kept his face so stern.
Sir Tristram called his squire.
'Governale,' said he, 'what wine is this thou hast given us this day?
Let us have another flask of the same.'
Governale was ever ill at a deception, and began to stammer.
'My lord,' he said, 'I fear me there is none other.'
'Ah,' said his master, 'and where got you that?'
'The gentlewoman of my Lady Isoude,' said he, 'brought it and bade me
mix it in your lordship's wine.'
'What?' cried Sir Tristram, rising angrily. 'What means this? What
trickery is this?'
'Oh, my lord, forgive me,' cried Governale. 'But we saw the sorrow of
both your hearts, and we gave you the philtre that was meant for my
lady and King Mark, and--and--my lord, you will break my lady's heart
and your own if ye suffer this.' But Sir Tristram would hear no
further, and fiercely sent his squire from his presence.
'Ah, my lord,' said La Belle Isoude, 'have those two poor souls done
more evil than we are doing by hiding our hearts from each other? I
would have you know that no ease shall you have all the days of your
life, for I know that you love me, and as to that, there is no living
man in all this world that I love as I love you. If ye think it
unmaidenly in me to say that--then my own wretched heart forgives me.'
The gentle sorrow in her voice caused Sir Tristram's heart to swell
with rage because he had promised to take her to wed King Mark.
'Lady,' he said, and his face was full pitiful and pale, 'Heaven knows
that ye say right, and that nevermore shall I have ease after this. But
no more should I have ease, but rather more shame and remorse, if I
should do what my heart bids me do. I gave my promise to mine uncle,
madman that I was, and I must perform it, and suffer. But I could slay
myself to think that you will suffer also.'
She saw the rage and sorrow in his eyes, and her heart was full of
pity.
'Do thyself no harm, O noble knight and friend,' said Isoude, 'for thou
art right, and I wrong. But I would have you promise to be my knight
and champion in things both ill and good, while you shall have life.'
'Lady,' he replied, 'I will be all the days of my life your knight, in
weal and in woe, to come to your aid and battle for your dear name,
when you shall send for me.'
Sir Tristram gave her a ring, and she gave him another, and quickly
they parted, lest they should repent them of their duty.
That evening they got to shore, and landed at the foot of Tintagel, and
Sir Tristram led up La Belle Isoude and gave her into the hands of King
Mark, whose looks, for all that he tried to appear satisfied, were sour
as he dwelt on the noble figure of Sir Tristram. Men noticed how pale
and stern the young knight seemed, and that he said few words.
In a little while, after the wedding of his uncle to La Belle Isoude,
Sir Tristram said farewell to all the court, 'for,' said he, 'he would
go fight the pagans who were ravening in the north,' and so departed,
with Governale his squire.
Afterwards, seeing the pale queen seated in hall beside King Mark, and
remembering the heaviness of Sir Tristram, some guessed how full of woe
was their parting, but for love and sorrow of Sir Tristram they said
naught of what they thought.
VI