Chương Chương 178 · How Sir Tristram demanded La Beale Isoud for King Mark,

. How Sir Tristram demanded La Beale Isoud for King Mark,

and how Sir Tristram and Isoud drank the love drink.

Then upon a day King Anguish asked Sir Tristram why he asked not his

boon, for whatsomever he had promised him he should have it without

fail. Sir, said Sir Tristram, now is it time; this is all that I will

desire, that ye will give me La Beale Isoud, your daughter, not for

myself, but for mine uncle, King Mark, that shall have her to wife, for

so have I promised him. Alas, said the king, I had liefer than all the

land that I have ye would wed her yourself. Sir, an I did then I were

shamed for ever in this world, and false of my promise. Therefore, said

Sir I Tristram, I pray you hold your promise that ye promised me; for

this is my desire, that ye will give me La Beale Isoud to go with me

into Cornwall for to be wedded to King Mark, mine uncle. As for that,

said King Anguish, ye shall have her with you to do with her what it

please you; that is for to say if that ye list to wed her yourself,

that is me liefest, and if ye will give her unto King Mark, your uncle,

that is in your choice. So, to make short conclusion, La Beale Isoud

was made ready to go with Sir Tristram, and Dame Bragwaine went with

her for her chief gentlewoman, with many other.

Then the queen, Isoud’s mother, gave to her and Dame Bragwaine, her

daughter’s gentlewoman, and unto Gouvernail, a drink, and charged them

that what day King Mark should wed, that same day they should give him

that drink, so that King Mark should drink to La Beale Isoud, and then,

said the queen, I undertake either shall love other the days of their

life. So this drink was given unto Dame Bragwaine, and unto Gouvernail.

And then anon Sir Tristram took the sea, and La Beale Isoud; and when

they were in their cabin, it happed so that they were thirsty, and they

saw a little flasket of gold stand by them, and it seemed by the colour

and the taste that it was noble wine. Then Sir Tristram took the

flasket in his hand, and said, Madam Isoud, here is the best drink that

ever ye drank, that Dame Bragwaine, your maiden, and Gouvernail, my

servant, have kept for themselves. Then they laughed and made good

cheer, and either drank to other freely, and they thought never drink

that ever they drank to other was so sweet nor so good. But by that

their drink was in their bodies, they loved either other so well that

never their love departed for weal neither for woe. And thus it happed

the love first betwixt Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud, the which love

never departed the days of their life.

So then they sailed till by fortune they came nigh a castle that hight

Pluere, and thereby arrived for to repose them, weening to them to have

had good harbourage. But anon as Sir Tristram was within the castle

they were taken prisoners; for the custom of the castle was such; who

that rode by that castle and brought any lady, he must needs fight with

the lord, that hight Breunor. And if it were so that Breunor won the

field, then should the knight stranger and his lady be put to death,

what that ever they were; and if it were so that the strange knight won

the field of Sir Breunor, then should he die and his lady both. This

custom was used many winters, for it was called the Castle Pluere, that

is to say the Weeping Castle.