Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VIII CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER IV

How Sir Marhaus came out of Ireland for to ask truage of
Cornwall, or else he would fight therefore.

THEN it befell that King Anguish of Ireland sent unto 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 messenger of
Ireland these words and answer, that they would none pay; and
bade the messenger go unto his King Anguish, and tell him we will
pay him no truage, but tell your lord, an 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 messengers
departed into Ireland.  And when King Anguish understood the
answer of the messengers 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 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 whatsomever ye spend ye shall have sufficiently, more
than ye shall need.  Sir, said Marhaus, wit ye well that I shall
not be loath to do battle in the right of you and your land with
the best knight of the Table Round; for I know them, <284>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, other 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, 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 marvelloust 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 loath 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 bote to seek
any knight of the Round Table.  This mean while 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.

<285>