{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart160.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart160.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart160.htm","text":"CHAPTER VII\nHow Sir Tristram fought against Sir Marhaus and achieved\nhis battle, and how Sir Marhaus fled to his ship.\nAND then Sir Marhaus avised Sir Tristram, and said thus: Young\nknight, Sir Tristram, what dost thou here? me sore repenteth of\nthy courage, for wit thou well I have been assayed, and the best\nknights of this land have been assayed of my hand; and also I\nhave matched with the best knights of the world, and therefore by\nmy counsel return again unto thy vessel. And fair knight, and\nwell-proved knight, said Sir Tristram, thou shalt well wit I may\nnot forsake thee in this quarrel, for I am for thy sake made\nknight. And thou shalt well wit that I am a king's son born, and\ngotten upon a queen; and such promise I have made at my uncle's\nrequest and mine own seeking, that I shall fight with thee unto\nthe uttermost, and deliver Cornwall from the old truage. And\nalso wit thou well, Sir Marhaus, that this is the greatest cause\nthat thou couragest me to have ado with thee, for thou art called\none of the most renowned knights of the world, and because of\nthat noise and fame that thou hast thou givest me courage to have\nado with thee, for never yet was I proved with good knight; and\nsithen I took the order of knighthood this day, I am well pleased\nthat I may have ado with so good a knight as thou art. And now\nwit thou well, Sir Marhaus, that I cast me to get worship on thy\nbody; and if that I be not proved, I trust to God that I shall be\nworshipfully proved upon thy body, and to <289>deliver the\ncountry of Cornwall for ever from all manner of truage from\nIreland for ever.\nWhen Sir Marhaus had heard him say what he would, he said then\nthus again: Fair knight, sithen it is so that thou castest to\nwin worship of me, I let thee wit worship may thou none lose by\nme if thou mayest stand me three strokes; for I let thee wit for\nmy noble deeds, proved and seen, King Arthur made me Knight of\nthe Table Round.\nThen they began to feutre their spears, and they met so fiercely\ntogether that they smote either other down, both horse and all.\nBut Sir Marhaus smote Sir Tristram a great wound in the side with\nhis spear, and then they avoided their horses, and pulled out\ntheir swords, and threw their shields afore them. And then they\nlashed together as men that were wild and courageous. And when\nthey had stricken so together long, then they left their strokes,\nand foined at their breaths and visors; and when they saw that\nthat might not prevail them, then they hurtled together like rams\nto bear either other down. Thus they fought still more than half\na day, and either were wounded passing sore, that the blood ran\ndown freshly from them upon the ground. By then Sir Tristram\nwaxed more fresher than Sir Marhaus, and better winded and\nbigger; and with a mighty stroke he smote Sir Marhaus upon the\nhelm such a buffet that it went through his helm, and through the\ncoif of steel, and through the brain-pan, and the sword stuck so\nfast in the helm and in his brain-pan that Sir Tristram pulled\nthrice at his sword or ever he might pull it out from his head;\nand there Marhaus fell down on his knees, the edge of Tristram's\nsword left in his brain-pan. And suddenly Sir Marhaus rose\ngrovelling, and threw his sword and his shield from him, and so\nran to his ships and fled his way, and Sir Tristram had ever his\nshield and his sword.\nAnd when Sir Tristram saw Sir Marhaus withdraw him, he said: Ah!\nSir Knight of the Round Table, why withdrawest thou thee? thou\ndost thyself and thy kin great shame, for I am but a young\nknight, or now I was never proved, and rather than I should\nwithdraw me from <290>thee, I had rather be hewn in an hundred\npieces. Sir Marhaus answered no word but yede his way sore\ngroaning. Well, Sir Knight, said Sir Tristram, I promise thee\nthy sword and thy shield shall be mine; and thy shield shall I\nwear in all places where I ride on mine adventures, and in the\nsight of King Arthur and all the Round Table.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK VIII CHAPTER VII","type":"page"}