الفصل الفصل 214 · How it was noised how Sir Tristram was dead, and how La

. How it was noised how Sir Tristram was dead, and how La

Beale Isoud would have slain herself.

Then Sir Andred, that was cousin unto Sir Tristram, made a lady that

was his paramour to say and to noise it that she was with Sir Tristram

or ever he died. And this tale she brought unto King Mark’s court, that

she buried him by a well, and that or he died he besought King Mark to

make his cousin, Sir Andred, king of the country of Liones, of the

which Sir Tristram was lord of. All this did Sir Andred because he

would have had Sir Tristram’s lands. And when King Mark heard tell that

Sir Tristram was dead he wept and made great dole. But when Queen Isoud

heard of these tidings she made such sorrow that she was nigh out of

her mind; and so upon a day she thought to slay herself and never to

live after Sir Tristram’s death. And so upon a day La Beale Isoud gat a

sword privily and bare it to her garden, and there she pight the sword

through a plum tree up to the hilt, so that it stuck fast, and it stood

breast high. And as she would have run upon the sword and to have slain

herself all this espied King Mark, how she kneeled down and said: Sweet

Lord Jesu, have mercy upon me, for I may not live after the death of

Sir Tristram de Liones, for he was my first love and he shall be the

last. And with these words came King Mark and took her in his arms, and

then he took up the sword, and bare her away with him into a tower; and

there he made her to be kept, and watched her surely, and after that

she lay long sick, nigh at the point of death.

This meanwhile ran Sir Tristram naked in the forest with the sword in

his hand, and so he came to an hermitage, and there he laid him down

and slept; and in the meanwhile the hermit stole away his sword, and

laid meat down by him. Thus was he kept there ten days; and at the last

he departed and came to the herdmen again. And there was a giant in

that country that hight Tauleas, and for fear of Sir Tristram more than

seven year he durst never much go at large, but for the most part he

kept him in a sure castle of his own; and so this Tauleas heard tell

that Sir Tristram was dead, by the noise of the court of King Mark.

Then this Tauleas went daily at large. And so he happed upon a day he

came to the herdmen wandering and langering, and there he set him down

to rest among them. The meanwhile there came a knight of Cornwall that

led a lady with him, and his name was Sir Dinant; and when the giant

saw him he went from the herdmen and hid him under a tree, and so the

knight came to that well, and there he alighted to repose him. And as

soon as he was from his horse this giant Tauleas came betwixt this

knight and his horse, and took the horse and leapt upon him. So

forthwith he rode unto Sir Dinant and took him by the collar, and

pulled him afore him upon his horse, and there would have stricken off

his head. Then the herdmen said unto Sir Tristram: Help yonder knight.

Help ye him, said Sir Tristram. We dare not, said the herdmen. Then Sir

Tristram was ware of the sword of the knight thereas it lay; and so

thither he ran and took up the sword and struck off Sir Tauleas’ head,

and so he yede his way to the herdmen.