الفصل الفصل 158 · How Sir Marhaus came out of Ireland for to ask truage of

. 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, 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.