{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart265.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart265.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart265.htm","text":"CHAPTER XXVIII\nHow Sir Tristram was hurt, and of a war made to King\nMark; and of Sir Tristram how he promised to rescue\nhim.\nNOW turn we again unto Sir Tristram and to King Mark.\nAs Sir Tristram was at jousts and at tournament it fortuned\nhe was sore hurt both with a spear and with a sword, but\nyet he won always the degree. And for to repose him he\nwent to a good knight that dwelled in Cornwall, in a castle,\nwhose name was Sir Dinas le Seneschal. Then by misfortune\nthere came out of Sessoin a great number of men of\narms, and an hideous host, and they entered nigh the Castle\nof Tintagil; and their captain's name was Elias, a good\nman of arms. When King Mark understood his enemies\nwere entered into his land he made great dole and sorrow,\nfor in no wise by his will King Mark would not send for\nSir Tristram, for he hated him deadly.\nSo when his council was come they devised and cast\nmany perils of the strength of their enemies. And then they\nconcluded all at once, and said thus unto King Mark: Sir,\nwit ye well ye must send for Sir Tristram, the good knight,\nor else they will never be overcome. For by Sir Tristram\nthey must be foughten withal, or else we row against the\nstream. Well, said King Mark, I will do by your counsel;\nbut yet he was full loath thereto, but need constrained him\nto send for him. Then was he sent for in all haste that\nmight be, that he should come to King Mark. And when\nhe understood that King Mark had sent for him, he\nmounted upon a soft ambler and rode to King Mark.\nAnd when he was come the king said thus: Fair nephew\nSir Tristram, this is all. Here be come our enemies of\nSessoin, that are here nigh hand, and without tarrying they\nmust be met with shortly, or else they will destroy this\ncountry. Sir, said Sir Tristram, wit ye well all my power\nis at your commandment. And wit ye well, sir, these\neight days I may bear none arms, for my wounds be not\nyet whole. And by that day I shall do what I may. Ye\nsay well, said King Mark; then go ye again and repose\nyou and make you fresh, and I shall go and meet the\nSessoins with all my power.\nSo the king departed unto Tintagil, and Sir Tristram\nwent to repose him. And the king made a great host\nand departed them in three; the first part led Sir Dinas\nthe Seneschal, and Sir Andred led the second part, and Sir\nArgius led the third part; and he was of the blood of\nKing Mark. And the Sessoins had three great battles,\nand many good men of arms. And so King Mark by the\nadvice of his knights issued out of the Castle of Tintagil\nupon his enemies. And Dinas, the good knight, rode out\nafore, and slew two knights with his own hands, and then\nbegan the battles. And there was marvellous breaking of\nspears and smiting of swords, and slew down many good\nknights. And ever was Sir Dinas the Seneschal the best\nof King Mark's party. And thus the battle endured long\nwith great mortality. But at the last King Mark and Sir\nDinas, were they never so loath, they withdrew them to\nthe Castle of Tintagil with great slaughter of people; and\nthe Sessoins followed on fast, that ten of them were put\nwithin the gates and four slain with the portcullis.\nThen King Mark sent for Sir Tristram by a varlet,\nthat told him all the mortality. Then he sent the varlet\nagain, and bade him: Tell King Mark that I will come as\nsoon as I am whole, for erst I may do him no good. Then\nKing Mark had his answer. Therewith came Elias and\nbade the king yield up the castle: For ye may not hold\nit no while. Sir Elias, said the king, so will I yield up the\ncastle if I be not soon rescued. Anon King Mark sent\nagain for rescue to Sir Tristram. By then Sir Tristram\nwas whole, and he had gotten him ten good knights of\nArthur's; and with them he rode unto Tintagil. And\nwhen he saw the great host of Sessoins he marvelled wonder\ngreatly. And then Sir Tristram rode by the woods and\nby the ditches as secretly as he might, till he came nigh\nthe gates. And there dressed a knight to him when he\nsaw that Sir Tristram would enter; and Sir Tristram\nsmote him down dead, and so he served three more. And\neverych of these ten knights slew a man of arms. So\nSir Tristram entered into the Castle of Tintagil. And\nwhen King Mark wist that Sir Tristram was come he was\nglad of his coming, and so was all the fellowship, and of\nhim they made great joy.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER XXVIII","type":"page"}