Le Morte Darthur
saddle. And thus they fought till it was night, and for great
slaughter, and for wounded people, evereach party drew to their rest.
And when king Mark was come within the castle of Tintagil, he lacked of
his knights an hundred; and they without lacked two hundred: and they
searched the wounded men on both parties. And then they went to
council; and wit you well, either party were loth to fight more, so
that either might escape with their worship.
When Elias the captain understood the death of his men, he made great
dole; and when he wist that they were loth to go to battle again he was
wroth out of measure. Then Elias sent word unto king Mark in great
despite, whether he would find a knight that would fight for him, body
for body, and if that he might slay king Mark’s knight, he to have the
truage of Cornwall yearly: and if that his knight slay mine, I fully
release my claim for ever. Then the messager departed unto king Mark,
and told him how that his lord Elias had sent him word to find a knight
to do battle with him, body for body. When king Mark understood the
messager he bad him abide, and he should have his answer. Then called
he all the baronage together, to wit what was the best counsel. They
said, all at once, To fight in a field we have no lust, for had not
been Sir Tristram’s prowess, it had been likely that we never should
have escaped. And therefore, sir, as we deem, it were well done to find
a knight that would do battle with him, for he knightly proffereth.
CHAP. XXX.
_How Sir Elias and Sir Tristram fought together for the truage, and how
Sir Tristram slew Elias in the field._
Not for then, when all this was said, they could find no knight that
would do battle with him. Sir king, said they all, here is no knight
that dare fight with Elias. Alas, said king Mark, then am I utterly
shamed, and utterly destroyed, unless that my nephew Sir Tristram will
take the battle upon him. Wit ye well, they said all, he had yesterday
over much on hand, and he is weary for travail, and sore wounded. Where
is he? said king Mark. Sir, said they, he is in his bed to repose him.
Alas, said king Mark, but I have the succour of my nephew Sir Tristram
I am utterly destroyed for ever. Therewith one went to Sir Tristram
where he lay, and told him what king Mark had said. And therewith Sir
Tristram arose lightly, and put on him a long gown, and came afore the
king and all the lords. And when he saw them all so dismayed, he asked
the king and the lords what tidings were with them. Never worse, said
the king. And therewith he told him all how he had word of Elias to
find a knight to fight for the truage of Cornwall, and none can I find;
and as for you, said the king and all the lords, we may ask no more of
you for shame, for through your hardiness yesterday ye saved all our
lives. Sir, said Sir Tristram, now I understand ye would have my
succour, reason would that I should do all that lieth in my power to
do, saving my worship and my life, howbeit I am sore bruised and hurt.
And sithen Sir Elias proffereth so largely, I shall fight with him, or
else I will be slain in the field, or else I will deliver Cornwall from
the old truage. And therefore lightly call his messager, and he shall
be answered: for as yet my wounds be green, and they will be sorer a
seven night after than they be now, and therefore he shall have his
answer, that I will do battle to-morn with him. Then was the messager
departed brought before king Mark. Hark my fellow, said Sir Tristram,
go fast unto thy lord, and bid him make true assurance on his part, for
the truage, as the king here shall make on his part; and then tell thy
lord Sir Elias, that I, Sir Tristram, king Arthur’s knight, and knight
of the Table Round, will as to-morn meet with thy lord on horseback, to
do battle as long as my horse may endure, and after that to do battle
with him on foot to the utterance. The messager beheld Sir Tristram
from the top to the toe; and therewithal he departed, and came to his
lord, and told him how he was answered of Sir Tristram. And therewithal
was made hostage on both parties, and made it as sure as it might be,
that whether party had the victory, so to end. And then were both hosts
assembled, on both parts of the field without the castle of Tintagil,
and there was none but Sir Tristram and Sir Elias armed. So when the
appointment was made, they departed in sunder, and they came together
with all the might that their horses might run. And either knight smote
other so hard that both horses and knights went to the earth. Not for
then they both lightly arose, and dressed their shields on their
shoulders, with naked swords in their hands, and they dashed together
that it seemed a flaming fire about them. Thus they traced and
traversed, and hewed on helms and hauberks, and cut away many cantels
of their shields, and either wounded other passing sore, so that the
hot blood fell freshly upon the earth. And by then they had fought the
mountenance of an hour Sir Tristram waxed faint and for-bled, and gave
sore aback. That saw Sir Elias, and followed fiercely upon him, and
wounded him in many places. And ever Sir Tristram traced and traversed,
and went froward him here and there, and covered him with his shield as
he might all weakly, that all men said he was overcome. For Sir Elias
had given him twenty strokes against one. Then was there laughing of
the Sessoins’ party, and great dole on king Mark’s party. Alas, said
the king, we are ashamed and destroyed all for ever. For, as the book
saith, Sir Tristram was never so matched, but if it were Sir Launcelot.
Thus as they stood and beheld both parties, that one party laughing,
and the other part weeping, Sir Tristram remembered him of his lady, La
Beale Isoud, that looked upon him, and how he was likely never to come
in her presence. Then he pulled up his shield, that erst hung full low;
and then he dressed up his shield unto Elias, and gave him many sad
strokes, twenty against one, and all to-brake his shield and his
hauberk, that the hot blood ran down to the earth. Then began king Mark
to laugh and all Cornish men, and that other party to weep. And ever
Sir Tristram said to Sir Elias, Yield thee! Then when Sir Tristram saw
him so staggering on the ground, he said, Sir Elias, I am right sorry
for thee, for thou art a passing good knight as ever I met withal,
except Sir Launcelot. Therewithal Sir Elias fell to the earth, and
there died. What shall I do? said Sir Tristram unto king Mark, for this
battle is at an end. Then they of Elias’s party departed; and king Mark
took of them many prisoners, to redress the harms and the scathes that
he had of them, and the remnant he sent into their country to ransom
out their fellows. Then was Sir Tristram searched and well healed. Yet
for all this king Mark would fain have slain Sir Tristram. But for all
that ever Sir Tristram saw or heard by king Mark, yet would he never
beware of his treason, but ever he would be there as La Beale Isoud was.
CHAP. XXXI.
_How at a great feast that king Mark made, an harper came and sang the
lay that Dinadan had made._
Now will we pass of this matter, and speak we of the harper that Sir
Launcelot and Sir Dinadan had sent into Cornwall. And at the great
feast that king Mark made for joy that the Sessoins were put out of his
country, then came Eliot the harper, with the lay that Dinadan had
made, and secretly brought it unto Sir Tristram, and told him the lay
that Dinadan had made by king Mark. And when Sir Tristram heard it, he
said: That Dinadan can make wonderly well and ill, there as it shall
be. Sir, said Eliot, dare I sing this song afore king Mark? Yea, on my
peril, said Sir Tristram, for I shall be thy warrant. Then at the meat
came in Eliot the harper, and because he was a curious harper men heard
him sing the same lay that Dinadan had made, the which spake the most
villainy by king Mark of his treason that ever man heard. When the
harper had sung his song to the end, king Mark was wonderly wroth, and
said, Thou harper, how durst thou be so bold on thy head to sing this
song before me? Sir, said Eliot, wit you well I am a minstrel, and I
must do as I am commanded of these lords that I bear the arms of. And,
sir, wit you well that Sir Dinadan, a knight of the Table Round, made
this song, and made me to sing it afore you. Thou sayest well, said
king Mark, and because thou art a minstrel thou shalt go quit, but I
charge thee hie thee fast out of my sight. So the harper departed, and
went to Sir Tristram, and told him how he had sped. Then Sir Tristram
let make letters, as goodly as he could, to Launcelot, and to Sir
Dinadan. And so he let conduct the harper out of the country. But to
say that king Mark was wonderly wroth, he was; for he deemed that the
lay that was sung afore him was made by Sir Tristram’s counsel,
wherefore he thought to slay him and all his well-willers in that
country.
CHAP. XXXII.
_How king Mark slew by treason his brother Boudwin, for good service
that he had done to him._
Now turn we to another matter, that fell between king Mark and his
brother that was called the good prince Sir Boudwin, that all the
people of the country loved passing well. So it befell upon a time,
that the miscreants Saracens landed in the country of Cornwall, soon
after these Sessoins were gone. And then the good prince Sir Boudwin,
at the landing, he raised the country privily and hastily. And or it
were day he let put wild-fire in three of his own ships, and suddenly
he pulled up the sail, and with the wind he made those ships to be
driven among the navy of the Saracens; and to make short tale, those
three ships set on fire all the ships, that none were saved. And at the
point of the day the good prince Boudwin, with all his fellowship, set
on the miscreants, with shouts and cries, and slew to the number of
forty thousand, and left none alive. When king Mark wist this, he was
wonderly wroth that his brother should win such worship. And because
this prince was better beloved than he in all that country, and that
also Sir Boudwin loved well Sir Tristram, therefore he thought to slay
him. And thus hastily as a man out of his wit, he sent for prince
Boudwin, and Anglides his wife, and bad them bring their young son with
them, that he might see him. All this he did to the intent to slay the
child as well as his father, for he was the falsest traitor that ever
was born. Alas, for his goodness and for his good deeds this gentle
prince Boudwin was slain. So when he came with his wife Anglides, the
king made them fair semblant till they had dined. And when they had
dined, king Mark sent for his brother, and said thus: Brother, how sped
you when the miscreants arrived by you? Me seemeth it had been your
part to have sent me word, that I might have been at that journey, for
it had been reason that I had had the honour, and not you. Sir, said
the prince Boudwin, it was so that and I had tarried till that I had
sent for you, those miscreants had destroyed my country. Thou liest,
false traitor, said king Mark, for thou art ever about for to win
worship from me, and put me to dishonour, and thou cherishest that I
hate. And therewith he struck him to the heart with a dagger, that he
never after spake word. Then the lady Anglides made great dole and
swooned, for she saw her lord slain afore her face. Then was there no
more to do, but prince Boudwin was despoiled and brought to burial. But
Anglides privily got her husband’s doublet and his shirt, and that she
kept secretly. Then was there much sorrow and crying, and great dole
made Sir Tristram, Sir Dinas, Sir Fergus, and so did all the knights