Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VIII CHAPTER XI

CHAPTER XI

How the queen espied that Sir Tristram had slain her brother
Sir Marhaus by his sword, and in what jeopardy he was.

THUS was Sir Tramtrist long there well cherished with the king
and the queen, and namely with La Beale Isoud.  So upon a day the
queen and La Beale Isoud made a bain for Sir Tramtrist.  And when
he was in his bain the queen and Isoud, her daughter, roamed up
and down in the chamber; and therewhiles Gouvernail and Hebes
attended upon Tramtrist, and the queen beheld his sword thereas
it lay upon his bed.  And then by unhap the queen drew out his
sword and beheld it a long while, and both they thought it a
passing fair sword; but within a foot and an half of the point
there was a great piece thereof out-broken of the edge.  And when
the queen espied that gap in the sword, she remembered her of a
piece of a sword that was found in the brain-pan of Sir Marhaus,
the good knight that was her brother.  Alas then, said she unto
her daughter, La Beale Isoud, this is the same traitor knight
that slew my brother, thine eme.  When Isoud heard her say so she
was passing sore abashed, for passing well she loved Tramtrist,
and full well she knew the cruelness of her mother the queen.

Anon therewithal the queen went unto her own chamber, and sought
her coffer, and there she took out the piece or the sword that
was pulled out of Sir Marhaus' head after that he was dead.  And
then she ran with that piece of iron to the sword that lay upon
the bed.  And <297>when she put that piece of steel and iron unto
the sword, it was as meet as it might be when it was new broken. 
And then the queen gripped that sword in her hand fiercely, and
with all her might she ran straight upon Tramtrist where he sat
in his bain, and there she had rived him through had not Sir
Hebes gotten her in his arms, and pulled the sword from her, and
else she had thrust him through.

Then when she was let of her evil will she ran to the King
Anguish, her husband, and said on her knees:  O my lord, here
have ye in your house that traitor knight that slew my brother
and your servant, that noble knight, Sir Marhaus.  Who is that,
said King Anguish, and where is he?  Sir, she said, it is Sir
Tramtrist, the same knight that my daughter healed.  Alas, said
the king, therefore am I right heavy, for he is a full noble
knight as ever I saw in field.  But I charge you, said the king
to the queen, that ye have not ado with that knight, but let me
deal with him.

Then the king went into the chamber unto Sir Tramtrist, and then
was he gone unto his chamber, and the king found him all ready
armed to mount upon his horse.  When the king saw him all ready
armed to go unto horseback, the king said:  Nay, Tramtrist, it
will not avail to compare thee against me; but thus much I shall
do for my worship and for thy love; in so much as thou art within
my court it were no worship for me to slay thee: therefore upon
this condition I will give thee leave for to depart from this
court in safety, so thou wilt tell me who was thy father, and
what is thy name, and if thou slew Sir Marhaus, my brother.