{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart155.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart155.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart155.htm","text":"CHAPTER II\nHow the stepmother of Sir Tristram had ordained poison for\nto have poisoned Sir Tristram.\nBUT then through the fair speech of the gentlewoman, and by the\nmeans that she made, the most part of the barons would not assent\nthereto. And then they let carry home the dead queen, and much\ndole was made for her.\nThen this meanwhile Merlin delivered King Meliodas out of prison\non the morn after his queen was dead. And so when the king was\ncome home the most part of the barons made great joy. But the\nsorrow that the king made for his queen that might no tongue\ntell. So then the king let inter her richly, and after he let\nchristen his child as his wife had commanded afore her death.\nAnd then he let call him Tristram, the sorrowful born child.\nThen the King Meliodas endured seven years without a wife, and\nall this time Tristram was nourished well. Then it befell that\nKing Meliodas wedded King Howell's daughter of Brittany, and anon\nshe had children of King Meliodas: then was she heavy and wroth\nthat her children should not rejoice the country of Liones,\nwherefore this queen ordained for to poison young Tristram. So\nshe let poison be put in a piece of silver in the chamber whereas\nTristram and her children were together, unto that intent that\nwhen Tristram were thirsty he should drink that drink. And so it\nfell upon a day, the queen's son, as he was in that chamber,\nespied the piece with poison, and he weened it had been good\ndrink, and because the child was thirsty he took the piece with\npoison and drank freely; and therewithal suddenly the child brast\nand was dead.\nWhen the queen of Meliodas wist of the death of her son, wit ye\nwell that she was heavy. But yet the king understood nothing of\nher treason. Notwithstanding the <281>queen would not leave\nthis, but eft she let ordain more poison, and put it in a piece.\nAnd by fortune King Meliodas, her husband, found the piece with\nwine where was the poison, and he that was much thirsty took the\npiece for to drink thereout. And as he would have drunken\nthereof the queen espied him, and then she ran unto him, and\npulled the piece from him suddenly. The king marvelled why she\ndid so, and remembered him how her son was suddenly slain with\npoison. And then he took her by the hand, and said: Thou false\ntraitress, thou shalt tell me what manner of drink this is, or\nelse I shall slay thee. And therewith he pulled out his sword,\nand sware a great oath that he should slay her but if she told\nhim truth. Ah! mercy, my lord, said she, and I shall tell you\nall. And then she told him why she would have slain Tristram,\nbecause her children should rejoice his land. Well, said King\nMeliodas, and therefore shall ye have the law. And so she was\ncondemned by the assent of the barons to be burnt; and then was\nthere made a great fire, and right as she was at the fire to take\nher execution, young Tristram kneeled afore King Meliodas, and\nbesought him to give him a boon. I will well, said the king\nagain. Then said young Tristram, Give me the life of thy queen,\nmy stepmother. That is unrightfully asked, said King Meliodas,\nfor thou ought of right to hate her, for she would have slain\nthee with that poison an she might have had her will; and for thy\nsake most is my cause that she should die.\nSir, said Tristram, as for that, I beseech you of your mercy that\nyou will forgive it her, and as for my part, God forgive it her,\nand I do; and so much it liked your highness to grant me my boon,\nfor God's love I require you hold your promise. Sithen it is so,\nsaid the king, I will that ye have her life. Then, said the\nking, I give her to you, and go ye to the fire and take her, and\ndo with her what ye will. So Sir Tristram went to the fire, and\nby the commandment of the king delivered her from the death. But\nafter that King Meliodas would never have ado with her, as at bed\nand board. But by the <282>good means of young Tristram he made\nthe king and her accorded. But then the king would not suffer\nyoung Tristram to abide no longer in his court.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VIII CHAPTER II","type":"page"}