{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart267.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart267.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart267.htm","text":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER XXI\n \n Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends and Sagas\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n BOOK X\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n CHAPTER XXI\n \n How Sir Elias and Sir Tristram fought together for the\n truage, and how Sir Tristram slew Elias in the field.\n \n \n NOT for then when all this was said, they could find no\n knight that would do battle with him. Sir king, said they\n all, here is no knight that dare fight with Elias. Alas,\n said King Mark, then am I utterly ashamed and utterly\n destroyed, unless that my nephew Sir Tristram will take\n the battle upon him. Wit you well, they said all, he had\n yesterday overmuch on hand, and he is weary for travail,\n and sore wounded. Where is he? said King Mark. Sir,\n said they, he is in his bed to repose him. Alas, said King\n Mark, but I have the succour of my nephew Sir Tristram,\n I am utterly destroyed for ever.\n \n Therewith one went to Sir Tristram where he lay, and\n told him what King Mark had said. And therewith Sir\n Tristram arose lightly, and put on him a long gown, and\n came afore the king and all the lords. And when he saw\n them all so dismayed he asked the king and the lords\n what tidings were with them. Never worse, said the\n king. And therewith he told him all, how he had word\n of Elias to find a knight to fight for the truage of\n Cornwall, and none can I find. And as for you, said the king\n and all the lords, we may ask no more of you for shame;\n for through your hardiness yesterday ye saved all our lives.\n Sir, said Sir Tristram, now I understand ye would have my\n succour, reason would that I should do all that lieth in my\n power to do, saving my worship and my life, howbeit I\n am sore bruised and hurt. And sithen Sir Elias proffereth\n so largely, I shall fight with him, or else I will be slain in\n the field, or else I will deliver Cornwall from the old\n truage. And therefore lightly call his messenger and he\n shall be answered, for as yet my wounds be green, and\n they will be sorer a seven night after than they be now;\n and therefore he shall have his answer that I will do battle\n to-morn with him.\n \n Then was the messenger departed brought before King\n Mark. Hark, my fellow, said Sir Tristram, go fast unto\n thy lord, and bid him make true assurance on his part for\n the truage, as the king here shall make on his part; and\n then tell thy lord, Sir Elias, that I, Sir Tristram, King\n Arthur's knight, and knight of the Table Round, will as\n to-morn meet with thy lord on horseback, to do battle as\n long as my horse may endure, and after that to do battle\n with him on foot to the utterance. The messenger beheld\n Sir Tristram from the top to the toe; and therewithal he\n departed and came to his lord, and told him how he was\n answered of Sir Tristram. And therewithal was made\n hostage on both parties, and made it as sure as it might\n be, that whether party had the victory, so to end. And\n then were both hosts assembled on both parts of the field,\n without the Castle of Tintagil, and there was none but Sir\n Tristram and Sir Elias armed.\n \n So when the appointment was made, they departed\n in-sunder, and they came together with all the might that\n their horses might run. And either knight smote other\n so hard that both horses and knights went to the earth.\n Not for then they both lightly arose and dressed their\n shields on their shoulders, with naked swords in their\n hands, and they dashed together that it seemed a flaming\n fire about them. Thus they traced, and traversed, and\n hewed on helms and hauberks, and cut away many cantels\n of their shields, and either wounded other passing sore, so\n that the hot blood fell freshly upon the earth. And by\n then they had foughten the mountenance of an hour Sir\n Tristram waxed faint and for-bled, and gave sore aback.\n That saw Sir Elias, and followed fiercely upon him, and\n wounded him in many places. And ever Sir Tristram\n traced and traversed, and went froward him here and there,\n and covered him with his shield as he might all weakly,\n that all men said he was overcome; for Sir Elias had given\n him twenty strokes against one.\n \n Then was there laughing of the Sessoins' party, and\n great dole on King Mark's party. Alas, said the king,\n we are ashamed and destroyed all for ever: for as the\n book saith, Sir Tristram was never so matched, but if it\n were Sir Launcelot. Thus as they stood and beheld both\n parties, that one party laughing and the other party\n weeping, Sir Tristram remembered him of his lady, La\n Beale Isoud, that looked upon him, and how he was likely\n never to come in her presence. Then he pulled up his\n shield that erst hung full low. And then he dressed up\n his shield unto Elias, and gave him many sad strokes,\n twenty against one, and all to-brake his shield and his\n hauberk, that the hot blood ran down to the earth. Then\n began King Mark to laugh, and all Cornish men, and that\n other party to weep. And ever Sir Tristram said to Sir\n Elias: Yield thee.\n \n Then when Sir Tristram saw him so staggering on the\n ground, he said: Sir Elias, I am right sorry for thee, for\n thou art a passing good knight as ever I met withal, except\n Sir Launcelot. Therewithal Sir Elias fell to the earth, and\n there died. What shall I do, said Sir Tristram unto King\n Mark, for this battle is at an end? Then they of Elias'\n party departed, and King Mark took of them many\n prisoners, to redress the harms and the scathes that he had\n of them; and the remnant he sent into their country to\n borrow out their fellows. Then was Sir Tristram searched\n and well healed. Yet for all this King Mark would fain\n have slain Sir Tristram. But for all that ever Sir Tristram\n saw or heard by King Mark, yet would he never beware\n of his treason, but ever he would be thereas La Beale\n Isoud was.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER XXI","type":"page"}