And on a time Sir Kehydius,that was son to King Howel,as he issued out he was sore wounded,nigh to the death.Then Gouvernail went to the king and said:Sir,I counsel you to desire my lord,Sir Tristram,as in your need to help you.Iwill do by your counsel,said the king.And so he yede unto Sir Tristram,and prayed him in his wars to help him:For my son,Sir Kehydius,may not go into the field.Sir,said Sir Tristram,I will go to the field and do what I may.Then Sir Tristram issued out of the town with such fellowship as he might make,and did such deeds that all Brittany spake of him.And then,at the last,by great might and force,he slew the Earl Grip with his own hands,and more than an hundred knights he slew that day.
And then Sir Tristram was received worshipfully with procession.
Then King Howel embraced him in his arms,and said:Sir Tristram,all my kingdom I will resign to thee.God defend,said Sir Tristram,for I am beholden unto you for your daughter's sake to do for you.
Then by the great means of King Howel and Kehydius his son,by great proffers,there grew great love betwixt Isoud and Sir Tristram,for that lady was both good and fair,and a woman of noble blood and fame.And for because Sir Tristram had such cheer and riches,and all other pleasaunce that he had,almost he had forsaken La Beale Isoud.And so upon a time Sir Tristram agreed to wed Isoud la Blanche Mains.And at the last they were wedded,and solemnly held their marriage.And so when they were abed both Sir Tristram remembered him of his old lady La Beale Isoud.And then he took such a thought suddenly that he was all dismayed,and other cheer made he none but with clipping and kissing;as for other fleshly lusts Sir Tristram never thought nor had ado with her:such mention maketh the French book;also it maketh mention that the lady weened there had been no pleasure but kissing and clipping.And in the meantime there was a knight in Brittany,his name was Suppinabiles,and he came over the sea into England,and then he came into the court of King Arthur,and there he met with Sir Launcelot du Lake,and told him of the marriage of Sir Tristram.Then said Sir Launcelot:Fie upon him,untrue knight to his lady,that so noble a knight as Sir Tristram is should be found to his first lady false,La Beale Isoud,Queen of Cornwall;but say ye him this,said Sir Launcelot,that of all knights in the world I loved him most,and had most joy of him,and all was for his noble deeds;and let him wit the love between him and me is done for ever,and that I give him warning from this day forth as his mortal enemy.
CHAPTER XXXVII
How Sir Suppinabiles told Sir Tristram how he was defamed in the court of King Arthur,and of Sir Lamorak.
THEN departed Sir Suppinabiles unto Brittany again,and there he found Sir Tristram,and told him that he had been in King Arthur's court.Then said Sir Tristram:Heard ye anything of me?So God me help,said Sir Suppinabiles,there I heard Sir Launcelot speak of you great shame,and that ye be a false knight to your lady and he bade me do you to wit that he will be your mortal enemy in every place where he may meet you.That me repenteth,said Tristram,for of all knights I loved to be in his fellowship.So Sir Tristram made great moan and was ashamed that noble knights should defame him for the sake of his lady.And in this meanwhile La Beale Isoud made a letter unto Queen Guenever,complaining her of the untruth of Sir Tristram,and how he had wedded the king's daughter of Brittany.Queen Guenever sent her another letter,and bade her be of good cheer,for she should have joy after sorrow,for Sir Tristram was so noble a knight called,that by crafts of sorcery ladies would make such noble men to wed them.But in the end,Queen Guenever said,it shall be thus,that he shall hate her,and love you better than ever he did to-fore.
So leave we Sir Tristram in Brittany,and speak we of Sir Lamorak de Galis,that as he sailed his ship fell on a rock and perished all,save Sir Lamorak and his squire;and there he swam mightily,and fishers of the Isle of Servage took him up,and his squire was drowned,and the shipmen had great labour to save Sir Lamorak's life,for all the comfort that they could do.
And the lord of that isle,hight Sir Nabon le Noire,a great mighty giant.And this Sir Nabon hated all the knights of King Arthur's,and in no wise he would do them favour.And these fishers told Sir Lamorak all the guise of Sir Nabon;how there came never knight of King Arthur's but he destroyed him.And at the last battle that he did was slain Sir Nanowne le Petite,the which he put to a shameful death in despite of King Arthur,for he was drawn limb-meal.That forthinketh me,said Sir Lamorak,for that knight's death,for he was my cousin;and if I were at mine ease as well as ever I was,I would revenge his death.
Peace,said the fishers,and make here no words,for or ever ye depart from hence Sir Nabon must know that ye have been here,or else we should die for your sake.So that I be whole,said Lamorak,of my disease that I have taken in the sea,I will that ye tell him that I am a knight of King Arthur's,for I was never afeard to reneye my lord.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
How Sir Tristram and his wife arrived in Wales,and how he met there with Sir Lamorak.