Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LII

CHAPTER LII

How Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud came unto England,
and how Sir Launcelot brought them to Joyous Gard.

THEN La Beale Isoud and Sir Tristram took their vessel,
and came by water into this land.  And so they were not
in this land four days but there came 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 Beale Isoud, 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 Launcelot saw
these knights thus overthrown, Sir Launcelot dressed him
to Sir Tristram.  That saw La Beale Isoud how Sir
Launcelot was come into the field.  Then La Beale Isoud
sent unto Sir Launcelot a ring, and bade him wit that it
was Sir Tristram de Liones.  When Sir Launcelot under
stood that there was Sir Tristram he was full glad, and
would not joust.  Then Sir Launcelot espied whither Sir
Tristram yede, and after him he rode; and then either
made of other great joy.  And so Sir Launcelot brought
Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud unto Joyous Gard, that
was his own castle, that he had won with his own hands.
And there Sir Launcelot put them in to wield for their
own.  And wit ye well that castle was garnished and
furnished for a king and a queen royal there to have
sojourned.  And Sir Launcelot charged all his people to
honour them and love them as they would do himself.

So Sir Launcelot departed unto King Arthur; and
then he told Queen Guenever how he that jousted so well
at the last tournament was Sir Tristram.  And there he
told her how he had with him La Beale Isoud maugre
King Mark, and so Queen Guenever told all this unto
King Arthur.  When King Arthur wist that Sir Tristram
was escaped and come from King Mark, and had brought
La Beale Isoud with him, then was he passing glad.  So
because of Sir Tristram King Arthur let make a cry,
that on May Day should be a jousts before the castle of
Lonazep; and that castle was fast by Joyous Gard.  And
thus Arthur devised, that all the knights of this land, and
of Cornwall, and of North Wales, should joust against
all these countries, Ireland, Scotland, and the remnant
of Wales, and the country of Gore, and Surluse, and of
Listinoise, and they of Northumberland, and all they that
held lands of Arthur on this half the sea.  When this cry
was made many knights were glad and many were unglad.
Sir, said Launcelot unto Arthur, by this cry that ye have
made ye will put us that be about you in great jeopardy,
for there be many knights that have great envy to us;
therefore when we shall meet at the day of jousts there
will be hard shift among us.  As for that, said Arthur,
I care not; there shall we prove who shall be best of
his hands.  So when Sir Launcelot understood wherefore
King Arthur made this jousting, then he made such
purveyance that La Beale Isoud should behold the jousts
in a secret place that was honest for her estate.

Now turn we unto Sir Tristram and to La Beale Isoud,
how they made great joy daily together with all manner
of mirths that they could devise; and every day Sir
Tristram would go ride a-hunting, for Sir Tristram was
that time called the best chaser of the world, and the
noblest blower of an horn of all manner of measures; for
as books report, of Sir Tristram came all the good terms
of venery and hunting, and all the sizes and measures of
blowing of an horn; and of him we had first all the terms
of hawking, and which were beasts of chase and beasts of
venery, and which were vermins, and all the blasts that
long to all manner of games.  First to the uncoupling, to
the seeking, to the rechate, to the flight, to the death, and
to strake, and many other blasts and terms, that all manner
of gentlemen have cause to the world's end to praise Sir
Tristram, and to pray for his soul.