Chương Chương 290 · How Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud came unto England, and

. 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.