Chapter Chapter 161 · How Sir Tristram fought against Sir Marhaus and achieved

. How Sir Tristram fought against Sir Marhaus and achieved

his battle, and how Sir Marhaus fled to his ship.

And then Sir Marhaus avised Sir Tristram, and said thus: Young knight,

Sir Tristram, what dost thou here? me sore repenteth of thy courage,

for wit thou well I have been assayed, and the best knights of this

land have been assayed of my hand; and also I have matched with the

best knights of the world, and therefore by my counsel return again

unto thy vessel. And fair knight, and well-proved knight, said Sir

Tristram, thou shalt well wit I may not forsake thee in this quarrel,

for I am for thy sake made knight. And thou shalt well wit that I am a

king’s son born, and gotten upon a queen; and such promise I have made

at my uncle’s request and mine own seeking, that I shall fight with

thee unto the uttermost, and deliver Cornwall from the old truage. And

also wit thou well, Sir Marhaus, that this is the greatest cause that

thou couragest me to have ado with thee, for thou art called one of the

most renowned knights of the world, and because of that noise and fame

that thou hast thou givest me courage to have ado with thee, for never

yet was I proved with good knight; and sithen I took the order of

knighthood this day, I am well pleased that I may have ado with so good

a knight as thou art. And now wit thou well, Sir Marhaus, that I cast

me to get worship on thy body; and if that I be not proved, I trust to

God that I shall be worshipfully proved upon thy body, and to deliver

the country of Cornwall for ever from all manner of truage from Ireland

for ever.

When Sir Marhaus had heard him say what he would, he said then thus

again: Fair knight, sithen it is so that thou castest to win worship of

me, I let thee wit worship may thou none lose by me if thou mayest

stand me three strokes; for I let thee wit for my noble deeds, proved

and seen, King Arthur made me Knight of the Table Round.

Then they began to feutre their spears, and they met so fiercely

together that they smote either other down, both horse and all. But Sir

Marhaus smote Sir Tristram a great wound in the side with his spear,

and then they avoided their horses, and pulled out their swords, and

threw their shields afore them. And then they lashed together as men

that were wild and courageous. And when they had stricken so together

long, then they left their strokes, and foined at their breaths and

visors; and when they saw that that might not prevail them, then they

hurtled together like rams to bear either other down. Thus they fought

still more than half a day, and either were wounded passing sore, that

the blood ran down freshly from them upon the ground. By then Sir

Tristram waxed more fresher than Sir Marhaus, and better winded and

bigger; and with a mighty stroke he smote Sir Marhaus upon the helm

such a buffet that it went through his helm, and through the coif of

steel, and through the brain-pan, and the sword stuck so fast in the

helm and in his brain-pan that Sir Tristram pulled thrice at his sword

or ever he might pull it out from his head; and there Marhaus fell down

on his knees, the edge of Tristram’s sword left in his brain-pan. And

suddenly Sir Marhaus rose grovelling, and threw his sword and his

shield from him, and so ran to his ships and fled his way, and Sir

Tristram had ever his shield and his sword.

And when Sir Tristram saw Sir Marhaus withdraw him, he said: Ah! Sir

Knight of the Round Table, why withdrawest thou thee? thou dost thyself

and thy kin great shame, for I am but a young knight, or now I was

never proved, and rather than I should withdraw me from thee, I had

rather be hewn in an hundred pieces. Sir Marhaus answered no word but

yede his way sore groaning. Well, Sir Knight, said Sir Tristram, I

promise thee thy sword and thy shield shall be mine; and thy shield

shall I wear in all places where I ride on mine adventures, and in the

sight of King Arthur and all the Round Table.