Le Morte Darthur
then she made great dole, and said unto her gentlewoman, When ye see my
lord king Meliodas recommend me unto him, and tell him what pains I
endure here for his love, and how I must die here for his sake, for
default of good help, and let him wit that I am full sorry to depart
out of this world from him, therefore pray him to be friend to my soul.
Now let me see my little child for whom I have had all this sorrow. And
when she saw him she said thus: Ah my little son, thou hast murdered
thy mother, and therefore I suppose, thou that art a murderer so young,
thou art full likely to be a manly man in thine age. And because I
shall die of the birth of thee, I charge thee, gentlewoman, that thou
beseech my lord king Meliodas, that when he is christened let call him
Tristram, that is as much to say as a sorrowful birth. And therewith
this queen gave up the ghost and died. Then the gentlewoman laid her
under the shadow of a great tree, and then she lapped the child as well
as she might for cold. Right so there came the barons, following after
the queen, and when they saw that she was dead, and understood none
other but the king was destroyed;
CHAP. II.
_How the step-mother of Sir Tristram had ordained poison for to have
poisoned Sir Tristram._
Then certain of them would have slain the child, because they would
have been lords of the country of Liones. But then through the fair
speech of the gentlewoman, and by the means that she made, the most
part of the barons would not assent thereto. And then they let carry
home the dead queen, and much dole was made for her. Then this
meanwhile Merlin delivered king Meliodas out of prison, on the morn
after his queen was dead. And so when the king was come home, the most
part of the barons made great joy. But the sorrow that the king made
for his queen that might no tongue tell. So then the king let inter her
richly. And after he let christen his child as his wife had commanded
afore her death. And then he let call him Tristram, the sorrowful born
child. Then the king Meliodas endured seven years without a wife, and
all this time the young Tristram was nourished well. Then it befel that
king Meliodas wedded king Howell’s daughter of Britany, and anon she
had children of king Meliodas, then was she heavy and wroth that her
children should not enjoy the country of Liones, wherefore this queen
ordained for to poison young Tristram. So she let poison to be put into
a piece of silver in the chamber where as Tristram and her children
were together, unto that intent that when Tristram was thirsty he
should drink that drink. And so it fell upon a day, the queen’s son, as
he was in that chamber, espied the cup with poison, and he wend it had
been good drink, and because the child was thirsty, he took the cup
with poison and drank freely, and therewithall suddenly the child
brast, and was dead. When the queen wist of the death of her son, wit
ye well that she was heavy. But yet the king understood nothing of her
treason. Notwithstanding the queen would not leave this, but eft she
let ordain more poison, and put it in a cup. And by fortune king
Meliodas her husband found the cup with wine where was the poison, and
he that was much thirsty took the cup for to drink thereout. And as he
would have drunken thereof, the queen espied him, and then she ran unto
him and pulled the cup from him suddenly. The king marvelled why she
did so, and remembered him how her son was suddenly slain with poison.
And then he took her by the hand, and said, Thou false traitress, thou
shalt tell me what manner of drink this is, or else I shall slay thee.
And therewith he pulled out his sword, and swore a great oath that he
should slay her but if she told him truth. Ah mercy my lord, said she,
and I shall tell you all. And then she told him why she would have
slain Tristram, because her children should enjoy his land. Well, said
king Meliodas, and therefore shall ye have the law. And so she was
condemned by the assent of the barons to be burnt, and then was there
made a great fire. And right as she was at the fire to take her
execution young Tristram kneeled afore king Meliodas, and besought him
to give him a boon. I will well, said the king again. Then said young
Tristram, Give me the life of thy queen, my step-mother. That is
unrightfully asked, said king Meliodas, for thou ought of right to hate
her, for she would have slain thee with that poison and she might have
had her will; and for thy sake most is my cause that she should die.
Sir, said Tristram, as for that, I beseech you of your mercy that ye
will forgive it her, and as for my part God forgive it her, and I do,
and so much it liked your highness to grant me my boon for God’s love I
require you hold your promise. Since it is so, said the king, I will
that ye have her life. Then said the king, I give her to you, and go ye
to the fire and take her and do with her what ye will. So Sir Tristram
went to the fire, and by the commandment of the king delivered her from
the death. But after that king Meliodas would never have ado with her
as at bed and board. But by the good means of young Tristram he made
the king and her accorded. But then the king would not suffer young
Tristram to abide no longer in his court.
CHAP. III.
_How Sir Tristram was sent into France, and had one to govern him named
Gouvernail, and how he learned to harp, hawk, and hunt._
And then he let ordain a gentleman that was well learned and taught;
his name was Gouvernail; and then he sent young Tristram with
Gouvernail into France, to learn the language, and nurture, and deeds
of arms. And there was Tristram more than seven years. And then when he
well could speak the language, and had learned all that he might learn
in that country, then he came home to his father king Meliodas again.
And so Tristram learned to be an harper passing all other, that there
was none such called in no country, and so in harping and on
instruments of music he applied him in his youth for to learn. And
after as he growed in might and strength he laboured ever in hunting
and in hawking, so that never gentleman more, that ever we heard tell
of. And as the book saith, he began good measures of blowing of beasts
of venery and beasts of chase, and all manner of vermains; and all
these terms we have yet of hawking and hunting. And therefore the book
of venery, of hawking, and hunting, is called the book of Sir Tristram.
Wherefore, as me seemeth, all gentlemen that bear old arms ought of
right to honour Sir Tristram for the goodly terms that gentlemen have
and use, and shall to the day of doom, that thereby in a manner all men
of worship may dissever a gentleman from a yeoman, and from a yeoman a
villain. For he that gentle is will draw unto him gentle taches, and to
follow the customs of noble gentlemen. Thus Sir Tristram endured in
Cornwall until he was big and strong, of the age of nineteen years. And
then the king Meliodas had great joy of Sir Tristram, and so had the
queen his wife. For ever after in her life, because Sir Tristram saved
her from the fire, she did never hate him more after, but loved him
ever after, and gave Tristram many great gifts; for every estate loved
him where that he went.
CHAP. IV.
_How Sir Marhaus came out of Ireland for to ask truage of Cornwall, or
else he would fight therefore._
Then it befel that king Anguish of Ireland sent to king Mark of
Cornwall for his truage, that Cornwall had paid many winters. And all
that time king Mark was behind of the truage for seven years. And king
Mark and his barons gave unto the messager of Ireland these words and
answer, that they would none pay; and bad the messager go unto his king
Anguish, and tell him we will pay him no truage, but tell your lord,
and he will always have truage of us of Cornwall, bid him send a trusty
knight of his land that will fight for his right, and we shall find
another for to defend our right. With this answer the messagers
departed into Ireland. And when king Anguish understood the answer of
the messagers, he was wonderly wroth. And then he called unto him Sir
Marhaus, the good knight, that was nobly proved, and a knight of the
Table Round. And this Sir Marhaus was brother unto the queen of
Ireland. Then the king said thus: Fair brother Sir Marhaus, I pray you
go into Cornwall for my sake, and do battle for our truage that of
right we ought to have, and whatsoever ye spend ye shall have
sufficiently more than ye shall need. Sir, said Marhaus, wit ye well
that I shall not be loth to do battle in the right of you and your land
with the best knight of the Table Round, for I know them for the most
part what be their deeds, and for to advance my deeds and to increase
my worship, I will right gladly go unto this journey for our right.
So in all haste there was made purveyance for Sir Marhaus, and he had
all things that to him needed, and so he departed out of Ireland, and
arrived up in Cornwall, even fast by the castle of Tintagil. And when
king Mark understood that he was there arrived to fight for Ireland,
then made king Mark great sorrow when he understood that the good and
noble knight Sir Marhaus was come. For they knew no knight that durst
have ado with him. For at that time Sir Marhaus was called one of the
famousest and renowned knights of the world.
And thus Sir Marhaus abode in the sea, and every day he sent unto king
Mark for to pay the truage that was behind of seven year, or else to
find a knight to fight with him for the truage. This manner of message
Sir Marhaus sent daily unto king Mark. Then they of Cornwall let make
cries in every place, that what knight would fight for to save the
truage of Cornwall he should be rewarded so that he should fare the
better the term of his life. Then some of the barons said to king Mark,
and counselled him to send to the court of king Arthur for to seek Sir
Launcelot du Lake, that was that time named for the marvellousest
knight of all the world. Then there were some other barons that
counselled the king not to do so, and said that it was labour in vain,
because Sir Marhaus was a knight of the Round Table, therefore any of
them will be loth to have ado with other, but if it were any knight at
his own request would fight disguised and unknown. So the king and all
his barons assented that it was no boot to seek any knight of the Round
Table. This meanwhile came the language and the noise unto king
Meliodas, how that Sir Marhaus abode battle fast by Tintagil, and how
king Mark could find no manner knight to fight for him. When young
Tristram heard of this he was wroth and sore ashamed that there durst
no knight in Cornwall have ado with Sir Marhaus of Ireland.
CHAP. V.
_How Tristram enterprized the battle to fight for the truage of
Cornwall, and how he was made knight._
Therewithal Sir Tristram went unto his father king Meliodas, and asked
him counsel what was best to do for to recover from Cornwall truage.
For as me seemeth, said Sir Tristram, it were shame that Sir Marhaus,
the queen’s brother of Ireland, should go away, unless that he were
fought withall. As for that, said Sir Meliodas, wit ye well son
Tristram that Sir Marhaus is called one of the best knights of the
world, and knight of the Table Round, and therefore I know no knight in
this country that is able to match with him. Alas, said Sir Tristram,
that I am not made knight: and if Sir Marhaus should thus depart into
Ireland, may I never have worship, and I were made knight I should
match him. And sir, said Tristram, I pray you give me leave to ride to
king Mark, and so ye be not displeased of king Mark will I be made