And when King Mark and his barons of Cornwall beheld how young Sir Tristram departed with such a carriage to fight for the right of Cornwall,there was neither man nor woman of worship but they wept to see and understand so young a knight to jeopardy himself for their right.
CHAPTER VI
How Sir Tristram arrived into the Island for to furnish the battle with Sir Marhaus.
SO to shorten this tale,when Sir Tristram was arrived within the island he looked to the farther side,and there he saw at an anchor six ships nigh to the land;and under the shadow of the ships upon the land,there hoved the noble knight,Sir Marhaus of Ireland.Then Sir Tristram commanded his servant Gouvernail to bring his horse to the land,and dress his harness at all manner of rights.And then when he had so done he mounted upon his horse;and when he was in his saddle well apparelled,and his shield dressed upon his shoulder,Tristram asked Gouvernail,Where is this knight that I shall have ado withal?Sir,said Gouvernail,see ye him not?I weened ye had seen him;yonder he hoveth under the umbre of his ships on horseback,with his spear in his hand and his shield upon his shoulder.That is truth,said the noble knight,Sir Tristram,now I see him well enough.
Then he commanded his servant Gouvernail to go to his vessel again:And commend me unto mine eme King Mark,and pray him,if that I be slain in this battle,for to inter my body as him seemed best;and as for me,let him wit that I will never yield me for cowardice;and if I be slain and flee not,then they have lost no truage for me;and if so be that I flee or yield me as recreant,bid mine eme never bury me in Christian burials.
And upon thy life,said Sir Tristram to Gouvernail,come thou not nigh this island till that thou see me overcome or slain,or else that I win yonder knight.So either departed from other sore weeping.
CHAPTER VII
How Sir Tristram fought against Sir Marhaus and achieved his battle,and how Sir Marhaus fled to his ship.
AND then Sir Marhaus avised Sir Tristram,and said thus:Young knight,Sir Tristram,what dost thou here?me sore repenteth of thy courage,for wit thou well I have been assayed,and the best knights of this land have been assayed of my hand;and also Ihave matched with the best knights of the world,and therefore by my counsel return again unto thy vessel.And fair knight,and well-proved knight,said Sir Tristram,thou shalt well wit I may not forsake thee in this quarrel,for I am for thy sake made knight.And thou shalt well wit that I am a king's son born,and gotten upon a queen;and such promise I have made at my uncle's request and mine own seeking,that I shall fight with thee unto the uttermost,and deliver Cornwall from the old truage.And also wit thou well,Sir Marhaus,that this is the greatest cause that thou couragest me to have ado with thee,for thou art called one of the most renowned knights of the world,and because of that noise and fame that thou hast thou givest me courage to have ado with thee,for never yet was I proved with good knight;and sithen I took the order of knighthood this day,I am well pleased that I may have ado with so good a knight as thou art.And now wit thou well,Sir Marhaus,that I cast me to get worship on thy body;and if that I be not proved,I trust to God that I shall be worshipfully proved upon thy body,and to deliver the country of Cornwall for ever from all manner of truage from Ireland for ever.
When Sir Marhaus had heard him say what he would,he said then thus again:Fair knight,sithen it is so that thou castest to win worship of me,I let thee wit worship may thou none lose by me if thou mayest stand me three strokes;for I let thee wit for my noble deeds,proved and seen,King Arthur made me Knight of the Table Round.
Then they began to feutre their spears,and they met so fiercely together that they smote either other down,both horse and all.
But Sir Marhaus smote Sir Tristram a great wound in the side with his spear,and then they avoided their horses,and pulled out their swords,and threw their shields afore them.And then they lashed together as men that were wild and courageous.And when they had stricken so together long,then they left their strokes,and foined at their breaths and visors;and when they saw that that might not prevail them,then they hurtled together like rams to bear either other down.Thus they fought still more than half a day,and either were wounded passing sore,that the blood ran down freshly from them upon the ground.By then Sir Tristram waxed more fresher than Sir Marhaus,and better winded and bigger;and with a mighty stroke he smote Sir Marhaus upon the helm such a buffet that it went through his helm,and through the coif of steel,and through the brain-pan,and the sword stuck so fast in the helm and in his brain-pan that Sir Tristram pulled thrice at his sword or ever he might pull it out from his head;and there Marhaus fell down on his knees,the edge of Tristram's sword left in his brain-pan.And suddenly Sir Marhaus rose grovelling,and threw his sword and his shield from him,and so ran to his ships and fled his way,and Sir Tristram had ever his shield and his sword.
And when Sir Tristram saw Sir Marhaus withdraw him,he said:Ah!
Sir Knight of the Round Table,why withdrawest thou thee?thou dost thyself and thy kin great shame,for I am but a young knight,or now I was never proved,and rather than I should withdraw me from thee,I had rather be hewn in an hundred pieces.Sir Marhaus answered no word but yede his way sore groaning.Well,Sir Knight,said Sir Tristram,I promise thee thy sword and thy shield shall be mine;and thy shield shall Iwear in all places where I ride on mine adventures,and in the sight of King Arthur and all the Round Table.
CHAPTER VIII
How Sir Marhaus after that he was arrived in Ireland died of the stroke that Sir Tristram had given him,and how Tristram was hurt.