Then the queen had always a little brachet with her that Sir Tristram gave her the first time that ever she came into Cornwall,and never would that brachet depart from her but if Sir Tristram was nigh thereas was La Beale Isoud;and this brachet was sent from the king's daughter of France unto Sir Tristram for great love.And anon as this little brachet felt a savour of Sir Tristram,she leapt upon him and licked his lears and his ears,and then she whined and quested,and she smelled at his feet and at his hands,and on all parts of his body that she might come to.Ah,my lady,said Dame Bragwaine unto La Beale Isoud,alas,alas,said she,I see it is mine own lord,Sir Tristram.And thereupon Isoud fell down in a swoon,and so lay a great while And when she might speak she said:My lord Sir Tristram,blessed be God ye have your life,and now I am sure ye shall be discovered by this little brachet,for she will never leave you.
And also I am sure as soon as my lord,King Mark,do know you he will banish you out of the country of Cornwall,or else he will destroy you;for God's sake,mine own lord,grant King Mark his will,and then draw you unto the court of King Arthur,for there are ye beloved,and ever when I may I shall send unto you;and when ye list ye may come to me,and at all times early and late Iwill be at your commandment,to live as poor a life as ever did queen or lady.O Madam,said Sir Tristram,go from me,for mickle anger and danger have I escaped for your love.
CHAPTER XXII
How King Mark,by the advice of his council,banished Sir Tristram out of Cornwall the term of ten years.
THEN the queen departed,but the brachet would not from him;and therewithal came King Mark,and the brachet set upon him,and bayed at them all.There withal Sir Andred spake and said:Sir,this is Sir Tristram,I see by the brachet.Nay,said the king,I cannot suppose that.Then the king asked him upon his faith what he was,and what was his name.So God me help,said he,my name is Sir Tristram de Liones;now do by me what ye list.Ah,said King Mark,me repenteth of your recovery.And then he let call his barons to judge Sir Tristram to the death.Then many of his barons would not assent thereto,and in especial Sir Dinas,the Seneschal,and Sir Fergus.And so by the advice of them all Sir Tristram was banished out of the country for ten year,and thereupon he took his oath upon a book before the king and his barons.And so he was made to depart out of the country of Cornwall;and there were many barons brought him unto his ship,of the which some were his friends and some his foes.And in the meanwhile there came a knight of King Arthur's,his name was Dinadan,and his coming was for to seek after Sir Tristram;then they showed him where he was armed at all points going to the ship.Now fair knight,said Sir Dinadan,or ye pass this court that ye will joust with me I require thee.With a good will,said Sir Tristram,an these lords will give me leave.Then the barons granted thereto,and so they ran together,and there Sir Tristram gave Sir Dinadan a fall.And then he prayed Sir Tristram to give him leave to go in his fellowship.Ye shall be right welcome,said then Sir Tristram.
And so they took their horses and rode to their ships together,and when Sir Tristram was in the sea he said:Greet well King Mark and all mine enemies,and say them I will come again when Imay;and well am I rewarded for the fighting with Sir Marhaus,and delivered all this country from servage;and well am Irewarded for the fetching and costs of Queen Isoud out of Ireland,and the danger that I was in first and last,and by the way coming home what danger I had to bring again Queen Isoud from the Castle Pluere;and well am I rewarded when I fought with Sir Bleoberis for Sir Segwarides'wife;and well am I rewarded when Ifought with Sir Blamore de Ganis for King Anguish,father unto La Beale Isoud;and well am I rewarded when I smote down the good knight,Sir Lamorak de Galis,at King Mark's request;and well am I rewarded when I fought with the King with the Hundred Knights,and the King of Northgalis,and both these would have put his land in servage,and by me they were put to a rebuke;and well am I rewarded for the slaying of Tauleas,the mighty giant,and many other deeds have I done for him,and now have I my warison.And tell King Mark that many noble knights of the Table Round have spared the barons of this country for my sake.Also am I not well rewarded when I fought with the good knight Sir Palomides and rescued Queen Isoud from him;and at that time King Mark said afore all his barons I should have been better rewarded.And forthwithal he took the sea.
CHAPTER XXIII
How a damosel sought help to help Sir Launcelot against thirty knights,and how Sir Tristram fought with them.