{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart158.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart158.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart158.htm","text":"CHAPTER V\nHow Tristram enterprized the battle to fight for the truage of\nCornwall, and how he was made knight.\nTHEREWITHAL Tristram went unto his father, King Meliodas, and\nasked him counsel what was best to do for to recover Cornwall\nfrom truage. For, as meseemeth, said Sir Tristram, it were shame\nthat Sir Marhaus, the queen's brother of Ireland, should go away\nunless that he were foughten withal. As for that, said King\nMeliodas, wit you well, son Tristram, that Sir Marhaus is called\none of the best knights of the world, and Knight of the Table\nRound; and therefore I know no knight in this country that is\nable to match with him. Alas, said Sir Tristram, that I am not\nmade knight; and if Sir Marhaus should thus depart into Ireland,\nGod let me never have worship: an I were made knight I should\nmatch him. And sir, said Tristram, I pray you give me leave to\nride to King Mark; and, so ye be not displeased, of King Mark\nwill I be made knight. I will well, said King Meliodas, that ye\nbe ruled as your courage will rule you. Then Sir Tristram\nthanked his father much. And then he made him ready to ride into\nCornwall.\nIn the meanwhile there came a messenger with letters of love from\nKing Faramon of France's daughter unto Sir Tristram, that were\nfull piteous letters, and in them were written many complaints of\nlove; but Sir Tristram had no joy of her letters nor regard unto\nher. Also she sent him a little brachet that was passing fair.\nBut when the king's daughter understood that Sir Tristram would\nnot love her, as the book saith, she died for sorrow. And then\nthe same squire that brought the letter and the brachet came\nagain unto Sir Tristram, as after ye shall hear in the tale.\nSo this young Sir Tristram rode unto his eme, King Mark of\nCornwall. And when he came there he heard say that there would\nno knight fight with Sir Marhaus. <286>Then yede Sir Tristram\nunto his eme and said: Sir, if ye will give me the order of\nknighthood, I will do battle with Sir Marhaus. What are ye, said\nthe king, and from whence be ye come? Sir, said Tristram, I come\nfrom King Meliodas that wedded your sister, and a gentleman wit\nye well I am. King Mark beheld Sir Tristram and saw that he was\nbut a young man of age, but he was passingly well made and big.\nFair sir, said the king, what is your name, and where were ye\nborn? Sir, said he again, my name is Tristram, and in the\ncountry of Liones was I born. Ye say well, said the king; and if\nye will do this battle I shall make you knight. Therefore I come\nto you, said Sir Tristram, and for none other cause. But then\nKing Mark made him knight. And therewithal, anon as he had made\nhim knight, he sent a messenger unto Sir Marhaus with letters\nthat said that he had found a young knight ready for to take the\nbattle to the uttermost. It may well be, said Sir Marhaus; but\ntell King Mark I will not fight with no knight but he be of blood\nroyal, that is to say, other king's son, other queen's son, born\nof a prince or princess.\nWhen King Mark understood that, he sent for Sir Tristram de\nLiones and told him what was the answer of Sir Marhaus. Then\nsaid Sir Tristram: Sithen that he saith so, let him wit that I\nam come of father side and mother side of as noble blood as he\nis: for, sir, now shall ye know that I am King Meliodas' son,\nborn of your own sister, Dame Elizabeth, that died in the forest\nin the birth of me. O Jesu, said King Mark, ye are welcome fair\nnephew to me. Then in all the haste the king let horse Sir\nTristram, and armed him in the best manner that might be had or\ngotten for gold or silver. And then King Mark sent unto Sir\nMarhaus, and did him to wit that a better born man than he was\nhimself should fight with him, and his name is Sir Tristram de\nLiones, gotten of King Meliodas, and born of King Mark's sister.\nThen was Sir Marhaus glad and blithe that he should fight with\nsuch a gentleman. And so by the assent of King Mark and of Sir\nMarhaus they let ordain that they <287>should fight within an\nisland nigh Sir Marhaus' ships; and so was Sir Tristram put into\na vessel both his horse and he, and all that to him longed both\nfor his body and for his horse. Sir Tristram lacked nothing.\nAnd when King Mark and his barons of Cornwall beheld how young\nSir Tristram departed with such a carriage to fight for the right\nof Cornwall, there was neither man nor woman of worship but they\nwept to see and understand so young a knight to jeopardy himself\nfor their right.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VIII CHAPTER V","type":"page"}