[24]
Now turn we unto Sir Lamorak, that much was there praised. Then by the mean of Sir Gawain and his brethren, they sent for their mother there besides, fast by a castle beside Camelot; and all was to that intent to slay Sir Lamorak. The Queen of Orkney was there but a while, but Sir Lamorak wist of her being, and was full fain; and for to make an end of this matter, he sent unto her, and there betwixt them was a night assigned that Sir Lamorak should come to her. Thereof Sir Gaheris was ware, and rode before the same night, and waited upon Sir Lamorak. And then he saw where he came riding all armed, and where he alit and tied his horse to a privy postern,* and so he went into a parlour and unarmed him. And then he went unto the queen’s bed, and she made of him passing great joy, and he of her again, for either loved other passing sore.
So when Sir Gaheris saw his time, he came to their bedside all armed, with his sword naked, and suddenly he got his mother by the hair and struck off her head. When Sir Lamorak saw the blood dash upon him all hot, which was the blood that he loved passing well, wit you well he was sore abashed and dismayed of that dolorous sight. And therewith Sir Lamorak leapt out of the bed in his shirt as a knight dismayed, saying thus, ‘Ah, Sir Gaheris, knight of the Table Round, foul and evil have ye done, and to you great shame. Alas, why have ye slain your mother that bore you? For with more right ye should have slain me.’
‘The offence hast thou done,’ said Gaheris, ‘notwithstanding a man is born to offer his service;* but yet shouldst thou beware with whom thou meddlest, for thou hast put my brethren and me to a shame. And thy father slew our father; and thou to lie by our mother is too much shame for us to suffer. And as for thy father, King Pellinore, my brother Sir Gawain and I slew him.’
‘Ye did the more wrong,’ said Sir Lamorak, ‘for my father slew not your father: it was Balin le Savage. And as yet, my father’s death is not revenged.’*
‘Leave those words,’ said Sir Gaheris, ‘for and thou speak villainously I will slay thee!—but because thou art naked I am ashamed to slay thee. But wit thou well, in what place I may get thee I will slay thee. And now is my mother quit of thee, for she shall never shame her children. And therefore hie thee and withdraw thee and take thine armour, that thou were gone.’
So Sir Lamorak saw there was no other boot, but fast armed him, and took his horse and rode his way making great sorrow. But for shame and sorrow he would not ride to King Arthur’s court, but rode another way. But when it was known that Sir Gaheris had slain his mother, the King was passing wroth and commanded him to go out of his court. Wit you well Sir Gawain was wroth that Sir Gaheris had slain his mother and let Sir Lamorak escape. And for this matter was the King passing wroth, and many other knights.
‘Sir,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘here is a great mischief befallen by felony and by forecast,* that your sister is thus shamefully slain. And I dare say it was wrought by treason; and I dare say also that ye shall lose that good knight, Sir Lamorak. And I wot well, and Sir Tristram wist it, he would never come within your court.’
‘God defend,’ said King Arthur, ‘that I should lose Sir Lamorak!’
‘Yes,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘for Sir Gawain and his brethren will slay him by one mean or by another.’
‘That shall I let,’* said King Arthur.
[25]
Now leave we of Sir Lamorak, and speak we of Sir Gawain’s brethren Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred. As they rode on their adventures they met with a knight flying sore wounded, and they asked him what tidings.
‘Fair knights,’ said he, ‘here cometh a knight after me that will slay me.’
So with that came Sir Dinadan fast riding to them by adventure, but he would promise them no help. But Sir Agravain and Sir Mordred promised him to rescue him, and therewith came that knight straight unto them, and anon he proffered to joust. That saw Sir Mordred and rode to him and struck him, but he smote Sir Mordred over his horse’s tail. That saw Sir Agravain; and right so as he served Sir Mordred, so he served Sir Agravain, and said, ‘Wit you well, sirs both, that I am Sir Breunis sans Pité that hath done this to you.’ And yet he rode over Sir Agravain five or six times.
When Sir Dinadan saw this, he must needs joust with him for shame, and so Sir Dinadan and he encountered together. But with pure strength Sir Dinadan smote him over his horse’s tail; then he took his horse and fled, for he was on foot one of the valiant knights in Arthur’s days, and a great destroyer of all good knights. Then rode Sir Dinadan unto Sir Mordred and unto Sir Agravain.
‘Sir knight, well have ye done, and well have ye revenged us, where-fore we pray you tell us your name.’
‘Fair sirs, ye ought to know my name, which is called Sir Dinadan.’
When they understood that it was Sir Dinadan they were more wroth than they were before, for they hated him out of measure because of Sir Lamorak. For Sir Dinadan had such a custom that he loved all good knights that were valiant, and he hated all those that were destroyers of good knights. And there was none that hated Sir Dinadan but those that ever were called murderers.
Then spake the hurt knight that Breunis sans Pité had chased—his name was Dalan—and said, ‘If thou be Sir Dinadan, thou slew my father.’
‘It might well be so,’ said Dinadan, ‘but then it was in my defence and at his request.’
‘By my head,’ said Dalan, ‘thou shalt die therefore.’ And therewith he dressed his spear and his shield; and to make short tale, Sir Dinadan smote him down off his horse, that his neck was nigh broken, and in the same wise he smote Sir Mordred and Sir Agravain. And after, in the quest of the Sangrail, cowardly and feloniously they slew Sir Dinadan, which was great damage*, for he was a great bourder* and a passing good knight.*
[26]
Now turn we again unto King Arthur. There came a knight out of [Cornwall—his name was Sir Fergus, a fellow of the Round Table—and there he told the King and Sir Lancelot good tidings of Sir Tristram, and there was brought goodly letters, and how he left him in the castle of Tintagel. Then came a damosel that brought goodly letters unto King Arthur and unto Sir Lancelot, and there she had passing good cheer of the King and of the Queen and of Sir Lancelot, and so they wrote goodly letters again.* But Sir Lancelot bade ever Sir Tristram beware of King Mark, for ever he called him in his letters King Fox, as who saith, he fareth always with wiles and treason. Whereof Sir Tristram in his heart thanked Sir Lancelot.
Then the damosel went unto La Belle Isode, and bore her letters from the King and from Sir Lancelot, whereof she was in great joy.
‘Fair damosel,’ said Isode, ‘how fareth my lord Arthur, and Queen Guenivere, and the noble knight Sir Lancelot?’
She answered, and to make short tale, ‘Much the better that ye and Sir Tristram be in joy.’
‘God reward them,’ said La Belle Isode, ‘for Sir Tristram hath suffered great pain for me, and I for him.’
So the damosel departed and brought the letters to King Mark. And when he had read them and understood them, he was wroth with Sir Tristram, for he deemed that he had sent the damosel to King Arthur. For King Arthur and Sir Lancelot in a manner threatened King Mark in his letters, and as King Mark read these letters he deemed treason by Sir Tristram.
‘Damosel,’ said King Mark, ‘will ye ride again and bear letters from me unto King Arthur?’
‘Sir,’ she said, ‘I will be at your commandment to ride when ye will.’
‘Ye say well,’ said the king. ‘Come ye again tomorrow and fetch your letters.’
Then she departed and came to La Belle Isode and to Sir Tristram, and told them how she should ride again with letters to King Arthur.
‘Then we pray you,’ said they, ‘that when ye have received your letters, that ye would come by us, that we may see the privity of your letters.’
‘All that I may do, madam, ye wot well I must do for Sir Tristram, for I have been long his own maiden.’
So on the morn the damosel went unto King Mark to have received his letters and to depart.
; ‘Damosel, I am not advised,’* said King Mark, ‘as at this time to send my letters.’
But so privily and secretly he sent letters unto King Arthur and unto Queen Guenivere and unto Sir Lancelot. So the varlet departed, and found the King and Queen in Wales, at Caerleon. And as the King and the Queen were at Mass the varlet came with the letters; and when Mass was done, the King and the Queen opened the letters privily. And to begin, the king’s letters spoke wonderly short unto King Arthur, and bade him entermete with* himself and with his wife, and of his knights, for he was able to rule his wife and his knights.
[27]
When King Arthur understood the letter, he mused of many things, [and thought on his sister’s words, Queen Morgan le Fay, that she had said betwixt Queen Guenivere and Sir Lancelot; and in this thought he studied a great while. Then he bethought him again how his own sister was his enemy, and that she hated the Queen and Sir Lancelot to the death, and so he put that all out of his thought. Then King Arthur read the letter again, and the latter clause said that King Mark took Sir Tristram for his mortal enemy; wherefore he put King Arthur out of doubt he would be revenged of Sir Tristram. Then was King Arthur wroth with King Mark.
And when Queen Guenivere read her letter and understood it, she was wroth out of measure, for the letter spoke shame by her and by Sir Lancelot; and so privily she sent the letter unto Sir Lancelot. And when he wist the intent of the letter he was so wroth that he laid him down on his bed to sleep, whereof Sir Dinadan was ware, for it was his manner to be privy with all good knights. And as Sir Lancelot slept, he stole the letter out of his hand and read it word by word; and then he made great sorrow for anger. And Sir Lancelot so wakened, and went to a window and read the letter again, which made him angry.
‘Sir,’ said Sir Dinadan, ‘wherefore be ye angry? I pray you, discover your heart to me; for pardieu, ye know well that I would you but well, for I am a poor knight and a servitor unto you and to all good knights. For though I be not of worship myself, I love all those that be of worship.’
‘It is truth,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘ye are a trusty knight, and for great trust I will show you my counsel.’
And when Sir Dinadan understood it well, he said, ‘Sir, this is my counsel: set you right nought by these threatenings, for King Mark is so villainous a knight that by fair speech shall never man get aught of him. But ye shall see what I shall do: I will make a lay for him, and when it is made I shall make a harper to sing it before him.’
And so anon he went and made it, and taught it to a harper that hight Eliot; and when he could it* he taught it to many harpers. And so by the will of King Arthur and of Sir Lancelot, the harpers went into Wales and into Cornwall to sing the lay that Sir Dinadan made of King Mark, which was the worst lay that ever harper sang with harp or with any other instrument.*
[31]
Then came Eliot the harper with the lay that Sir Dinadan had made, and secretly brought it unto Sir Tristram, and told him the lay that Sir Dinadan had made by King Mark. And when Sir Tristram heard it, he said, ‘O lord Jesu, that Sir Dinadan can make wonderly well, and ill where he should make evil!*’
‘Sir,’ said Eliot, ‘dare I sing this song before King Mark?’
‘Yea, on my peril,’ said Sir Tristram, ‘for I shall be thy warrant.’*
So at the meat, in came Eliot the harper among other minstrels, and began to harp. And because he was a curious* harper, men heard him sing the same lay that Sir Dinadan made, which spoke the most villainy by King Mark and of his treason that ever man heard. And when the harper had sung his song to the end, King Mark was wonderly wroth, and said, ‘Harper, how durst thou be so bold, on thy head, to sing this song before me?’
‘Sir,’ said Eliot, ‘wit thou well I am a minstrel, and I must do as I am commanded of those 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 before 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 Eliot 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 Camelot and to Sir Dinadan, and so he let conduct the harper out of the country. But King Mark was wonderly wroth, for he deemed that the lay that was sung before him was made by Sir Tristram’s counsel; wherefore he thought to slay him and all his well-willers in that country.*
[Sir Galahalt the Haut Prince holds a seven-day tournament at Surluse, at which Sir Dinadan, among others, does many feats of arms.]
[49]
Then by all the assent they gave Sir Lancelot the prize; the next was Sir Lamorak de Gales, and the third was Sir Palomides, the fourth was King Bagdemagus. So these four knights had the prize, and there was great joy and great noblesse in all the court.
And on the morn Queen Guenivere and Sir Lancelot departed unto King Arthur, but in no wise Sir Lamorak would not go with them.
‘Sir, I shall undertake,’ said Sir Lancelot, ‘that and ye will go with us, King Arthur shall charge Sir Gawain and his brethren never to do you hurt.’
‘As for that,’ said Sir Lamorak, ‘I will not trust to Sir Gawain nor none of his brethren. And wit you well, Sir Lancelot, and it were not for my lord King Arthur’s sake, I should match Sir Gawain and his brethren well enough. But for to say that I shall trust them, that shall I never. And I pray you recommend me unto King Arthur and all my lords of the Round Table. And in what place that ever I come, I shall do you service to my power.’
Then Sir Lamorak departed from Sir Lancelot and all the fellowship, and either of them wept at their departing.
[50]
Now turn we from this matter and speak of Sir Tristram, of whom this book is principally of; and leave we the King and the Queen and Sir Lancelot and Sir Lamorak; and here beginneth the treason of King Mark, that he ordained against Sir Tristram.
And there was cried by the coasts of Cornwall a great tournament and jousts, and all was done by Sir Galahalt the Haut Prince and King Bagdemagus, to the intent to slay Sir Lancelot, or else utterly to destroy him and shame him, because Sir Lancelot had evermore the higher degree. Therefore this prince and this king made this jousts against Sir Lancelot, and thus their counsel was discovered unto King Mark, whereof he was glad. Then King Mark bethought him that he would have Sir Tristram unto the tournament disguised that no man should know him, to that intent that the Haut Prince should ween that Sir Tristram were Sir Lancelot.
And so at that jousts came in Sir Tristram; and at that time Sir Lancelot was not there. But when they saw a knight disguised do such deeds of arms, they weened it had been Sir Lancelot, and in especial King Mark said it was Sir Lancelot plainly. Then they set upon him, both King Bagdemagus and the Haut Prince; and their knights said that it was wonder that ever Sir Tristram might endure that pain. Nothwithstanding for all the pain that they did him, he won the degree at that tournament, and there he hurt many knights and bruised them wonderly sore.
So when the jousts was all done they knew well that he was Sir Tristram de Lyonesse; and all they that were on King Mark’s party were glad that Sir Tristram was hurt, and all the remnant were sorry of his hurt. For Sir Tristram was not so hated as was Sir Lancelot, not within the realm of England.
Then came King Mark unto Sir Tristram and said, ‘Fair nephew, I am heavy of your hurts.’
‘Gramercy, my lord,’ said Sir Tristram.
Then King Mark made him to be put in a horse litter in great tokening of love, and said, ‘Fair cousin, I shall be your leech myself.’
And so he rode forth with Sir Tristram, and brought him into a castle by daylight. And then King Mark made Sir Tristram to eat, and after that he gave him a drink; and anon as he had drunk he fell asleep. And when it was night he made him to be carried to another castle, and there he put him in a strong prison, and a man and a woman to give him his meat and his drink. So there he was a
great while.
Then was Sir Tristram missed, and no creature wist where he was become.*
[51]
When Queen Isode understood that Sir Tristram was in prison, she made great sorrow as ever made lady or gentlewoman. Then Sir Tristram sent a letter unto La Belle Isode and prayed her to be his good lady, and said, if it pleased her to make a vessel ready for her and him, he would go with her unto the realm of Logris, that is this land.*
When La Belle Isode understood Sir Tristram and his intent, she sent him another and bade him be of good comfort, for she would do make the vessel ready and all manner of thing to purpose. Then La Belle Isode sent unto Sir Dinas and to Sir Sadok, and prayed them in any wise to take King Mark and put him in prison unto the time that she and Sir Tristram were departed unto the realm of Logris. When Sir Dinas the Seneschal understood the treason of King Mark, he promised her to do her commandment, and sent her word again that King Mark should be put in prison; and so as they devised it was done. And then Sir Tristram was delivered out of prison; and anon in all haste Queen Isode and Sir Tristram went and took their counsel, and so they took with them what them list best, and so they departed.
[52]
Then La Belle Isode and Sir Tristram took their vessel, and came by water into this land; and so they were not four days in this land but there was made a cry of a jousts and tournament that King Arthur let make. When Sir Tristram heard tell of that tournament he disguised himself, and La Belle Isode, and rode unto that tournament. And when he came there he saw many knights joust and tourney; and so Sir Tristram dressed him to the range,* and to make short conclusion, he overthrew fourteen knights of the Round Table. When Sir Lancelot saw these knights thus overthrown, he dressed him to Sir Tristram; and that saw La Belle Isode, how Sir Lancelot was come into the field. Then she sent unto Sir Lancelot a ring to let him wit it was Sir Tristram de Lyonesse. When Sir Lancelot understood that he was Sir Tristram, he was full glad, and would not joust. And then Sir Lancelot espied whither Sir Tristram yode, and after him he rode; and then either made great joy of other. And so Sir Lancelot brought Sir Tristram and Isode unto Joyous Gard, that was his own castle, and he had won it with his own hands; and there Sir Lancelot put them in, to wield it for their own. And wit you well, that castle was garnished and furnished for a king and a queen royal there to have sojourned. And Sir Lancelot charged all his people to honour them and love them as they would do himself.
Le Morte Darthur: The Winchester Manuscript (Oxford World's Classics) Page 33
