Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XXII

CHAPTER XXII

How King Mark, by the advice of his council, banished Sir
Tristram out of Cornwall the term of ten years.

THEN the queen departed, but the brachet would not from him; and
therewithal came King Mark, and the brachet set upon him, and
bayed at them all.  There withal Sir Andred spake and said:  Sir,
this is Sir Tristram, I see by the brachet.  Nay, said the king,
I cannot suppose that.  Then the king asked him upon his faith
what he was, and what was his name.  So God me help, said he, my
name is Sir Tristram de Liones; now do by me what ye list.  Ah,
said King Mark, me repenteth of your recovery.  And then he let
call his barons to judge Sir Tristram to the death.  Then many of
his barons would not assent thereto, and in especial Sir Dinas,
the Seneschal, and Sir Fergus.  And so by the advice of them all
Sir Tristram was banished out of the country for ten year, and
thereupon he took his oath upon a book before the king and his
barons.  And so he was made to depart out of the country of
Cornwall; and there were many barons brought him unto his ship,
of the which some were his friends and some his foes.  And in the
meanwhile there came a knight of King Arthur's, his name was
Dinadan, and his coming was for to seek after Sir Tristram; then
they showed him where he was armed at all points going to the
ship.  Now fair knight, said Sir Dinadan, or ye pass this court
that ye will joust with me I require thee.  With a good will,
said Sir Tristram, an these lords will give me leave.  Then the
barons granted thereto, and so they ran together, and there Sir
Tristram gave Sir Dinadan a fall.  And then he prayed Sir
Tristram to give him leave to go in his <389>fellowship.  Ye
shall be right welcome, said then Sir Tristram.

And so they took their horses and rode to their ships together,
and when Sir Tristram was in the sea he said:  Greet well King
Mark and all mine enemies, and say them I will come again when I
may; and well am I rewarded for the fighting with Sir Marhaus,
and delivered all this country from servage; and well am I
rewarded for the fetching and costs of Queen Isoud out of
Ireland, and the danger that I was in first and last, and by the
way coming home what danger I had to bring again Queen Isoud from
the Castle Pluere; and well am I rewarded when I fought with Sir
Bleoberis for Sir Segwarides' wife; and well am I rewarded when I
fought with Sir Blamore de Ganis for King Anguish, father unto La
Beale Isoud; and well am I rewarded when I smote down the good
knight, Sir Lamorak de Galis, at King Mark's request; and well am
I rewarded when I fought with the King with the Hundred Knights,
and the King of Northgalis, and both these would have put his
land in servage, and by me they were put to a rebuke; and well am
I rewarded for the slaying of Tauleas, the mighty giant, and many
other deeds have I done for him, and now have I my warison.  And
tell King Mark that many noble knights of the Table Round have
spared the barons of this country for my sake.  Also am I not
well rewarded when I fought with the good knight Sir Palomides
and rescued Queen Isoud from him; and at that time King Mark said
afore all his barons I should have been better rewarded.  And
forthwithal he took the sea.

<390>