{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart231.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart231.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart231.htm","text":"CHAPTER XXXVIII\nHow King Mark was sorry for the good renown of Sir\nTristram. Some of King Arthur's knights jousted\nwith knights of Cornwall.\nNOW will we speak, and leave Sir Tristram, Sir Palomides, and Sir\nDinadan in prison, and speak we of other knights that sought\nafter Sir Tristram many divers parts of this land. And some yede\ninto Cornwall; and by adventure Sir Gaheris, nephew unto King\nArthur, came unto King Mark, and there he was well received and\nsat at King Mark's own table and ate of his own mess. Then King\nMark asked Sir Gaheris what tidings there were in the realm of\nLogris. Sir, said Sir Gaheris, the king reigneth as a noble\nknight; and now but late there was a great jousts and tournament\nas ever I saw any in the realm of Logris, and the most noble\nknights were at that jousts. But there was one knight that did\nmarvellously three days, and he bare a black shield, and of all\nknights that ever I saw he proved the best knight. Then, said\nKing Mark, that was Sir Launcelot, or Sir Palomides the paynim.\nNot so, said Sir Gheris, for both Sir Launcelot and Sir Palomides\nwere on the contrary party against the Knight with the Black\nShield. Then was it Sir Tristram, said the king. Yea, said Sir\nGaheris. And therewithal the king smote down his head, and in\nhis heart he feared sore that Sir Tristram should get him such\nworship in the realm of Logris wherethrough that he himself\nshould not be able to withstand him. Thus Sir Gaheris had great\ncheer with King Mark, and with Queen La Beale Isoud, the which\nwas glad of Sir Gaheris' words; for well she wist by his deeds\nand manners that it was Sir Tristram. And then the king made a\nfeast royal, and to that feast came Sir Uwaine le Fise de Roy\nUreine, and some called him Uwaine le Blanchemains. And this Sir\nUwaine challenged all the knights of Cornwall. Then was the king\nwood wroth that he had no knights to answer him. Then Sir\n<421>Andred, nephew unto King Mark, leapt up and said: I will\nencounter with Sir Uwaine. Then he yede and armed him and horsed\nhim in the best manner. And there Sir Uwaine met with Sir\nAndred, and smote him down that he swooned on the earth. Then\nwas King Mark sorry and wroth out of measure that he had no\nknight to revenge his nephew, Sir Andred.\nSo the king called unto him Sir Dinas, the Seneschal, and prayed\nhim for his sake to take upon him to joust with Sir Uwaine. Sir,\nsaid Sir Dinas, I am full loath to have ado with any knight of\nthe Round Table. Yet, said the king, for my love take upon thee\nto joust. So Sir Dinas made him ready, and anon they encountered\ntogether with great spears, but Sir Dinas was overthrown, horse\nand man, a great fall. Who was wroth but King Mark! Alas, he\nsaid, have I no knight that will encounter with yonder knight?\nSir, said Sir Gaheris, for your sake I will joust. So Sir\nGaheris made him ready, and when he was armed he rode into the\nfield. And when Sir Uwaine saw Sir Gaheris' shield he rode to\nhim and said: Sir, ye do not your part. For, sir, the first\ntime ye were made Knight of the Round Table ye sware that ye\nshould not have ado with your fellowship wittingly. And pardie,\nSir Gaheris, ye knew me well enough by my shield, and so do I\nknow you by your shield, and though ye would break your oath I\nwould not break mine; for there is not one here, nor ye, that\nshall think I am afeard of you, but I durst right well have ado\nwith you, and yet we be sisters' sons. Then was Sir Gaheris\nashamed, and so therewithal every knight went their way, and Sir\nUwaine rode into the country.\nThen King Mark armed him, and took his horse and his spear, with\na squire with him. And then he rode afore Sir Uwaine, and\nsuddenly at a gap he ran upon him as he that was not ware of him,\nand there he smote him almost through the body, and there left\nhim. So within a while there came Sir Kay and found Sir Uwaine,\nand asked him how he was hurt. I wot not, said Sir Uwaine, why\nnor wherefore, but by treason I am sure I gat this <422>hurt; for\nhere came a knight suddenly upon me or that I was ware, and\nsuddenly hurt me. Then there was come Sir Andred to seek King\nMark. Thou traitor knight, said Sir Kay, an I wist it were thou\nthat thus traitorly hast hurt this noble knight thou shouldst\nnever pass my hands. Sir, said Sir Andred, I did never hurt him,\nand that I will report me to himself. Fie on you false knight,\nsaid Sir Kay, for ye of Cornwall are nought worth. So Sir Kay\nmade carry Sir Uwaine to the Abbey of the Black Cross, and there\nhe was healed. And then Sir Gaheris took his leave of King Mark,\nbut or he departed he said: Sir king, ye did a foul shame unto\nyou and your court, when ye banished Sir Tristram out of this\ncountry, for ye needed not to have doubted no knight an he had\nbeen here. And so he departed.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK IX CHAPTER XXXVIII","type":"page"}