Sir,said Dinadan,wherefore be ye angry?discover your heart to me:forsooth ye wot well I owe you good will,howbeit I am a poor knight and a servitor unto you and to all good knights.For though I be not of worship myself I love all those that be of worship.It is truth,said Sir Launcelot,ye are a trusty knight,and for great trust Iwill shew you my counsel.And when Dinadan understood all,he said:This is my counsel:set you right nought by these threats,for King Mark is so villainous,that by fair speech shall never man get of him.But ye shall see what I shall do;I will make a lay for him,and when it is made I shall make an harper to sing it afore him.So anon he went and made it,and taught it an harper that hight Eliot.
And when he could it,he taught it to many harpers.And so by the will of Sir Launcelot,and of Arthur,the harpers went straight into Wales,and into Cornwall,to sing the lay that Sir Dinadan made by King Mark,the which was the worst lay that ever harper sang with harp or with any other instruments.
CHAPTER XXVIII
How Sir Tristram was hurt,and of a war made to King Mark;and of Sir Tristram how he promised to rescue him.
NOW turn we again unto Sir Tristram and to King Mark.
As Sir Tristram was at jousts and at tournament it fortuned he was sore hurt both with a spear and with a sword,but yet he won always the degree.And for to repose him he went to a good knight that dwelled in Cornwall,in a castle,whose name was Sir Dinas le Seneschal.Then by misfortune there came out of Sessoin a great number of men of arms,and an hideous host,and they entered nigh the Castle of Tintagil;and their captain's name was Elias,a good man of arms.When King Mark understood his enemies were entered into his land he made great dole and sorrow,for in no wise by his will King Mark would not send for Sir Tristram,for he hated him deadly.
So when his council was come they devised and cast many perils of the strength of their enemies.And then they concluded all at once,and said thus unto King Mark:Sir,wit ye well ye must send for Sir Tristram,the good knight,or else they will never be overcome.For by Sir Tristram they must be foughten withal,or else we row against the stream.Well,said King Mark,I will do by your counsel;but yet he was full loath thereto,but need constrained him to send for him.Then was he sent for in all haste that might be,that he should come to King Mark.And when he understood that King Mark had sent for him,he mounted upon a soft ambler and rode to King Mark.
And when he was come the king said thus:Fair nephew Sir Tristram,this is all.Here be come our enemies of Sessoin,that are here nigh hand,and without tarrying they must be met with shortly,or else they will destroy this country.Sir,said Sir Tristram,wit ye well all my power is at your commandment.And wit ye well,sir,these eight days I may bear none arms,for my wounds be not yet whole.And by that day I shall do what I may.Ye say well,said King Mark;then go ye again and repose you and make you fresh,and I shall go and meet the Sessoins with all my power.
So the king departed unto Tintagil,and Sir Tristram went to repose him.And the king made a great host and departed them in three;the first part led Sir Dinas the Seneschal,and Sir Andred led the second part,and Sir Argius led the third part;and he was of the blood of King Mark.And the Sessoins had three great battles,and many good men of arms.And so King Mark by the advice of his knights issued out of the Castle of Tintagil upon his enemies.And Dinas,the good knight,rode out afore,and slew two knights with his own hands,and then began the battles.And there was marvellous breaking of spears and smiting of swords,and slew down many good knights.And ever was Sir Dinas the Seneschal the best of King Mark's party.And thus the battle endured long with great mortality.But at the last King Mark and Sir Dinas,were they never so loath,they withdrew them to the Castle of Tintagil with great slaughter of people;and the Sessoins followed on fast,that ten of them were put within the gates and four slain with the portcullis.
Then King Mark sent for Sir Tristram by a varlet,that told him all the mortality.Then he sent the varlet again,and bade him:Tell King Mark that I will come as soon as I am whole,for erst I may do him no good.Then King Mark had his answer.Therewith came Elias and bade the king yield up the castle:For ye may not hold it no while.Sir Elias,said the king,so will I yield up the castle if I be not soon rescued.Anon King Mark sent again for rescue to Sir Tristram.By then Sir Tristram was whole,and he had gotten him ten good knights of Arthur's;and with them he rode unto Tintagil.And when he saw the great host of Sessoins he marvelled wonder greatly.And then Sir Tristram rode by the woods and by the ditches as secretly as he might,till he came nigh the gates.And there dressed a knight to him when he saw that Sir Tristram would enter;and Sir Tristram smote him down dead,and so he served three more.And everych of these ten knights slew a man of arms.So Sir Tristram entered into the Castle of Tintagil.And when King Mark wist that Sir Tristram was come he was glad of his coming,and so was all the fellowship,and of him they made great joy.
CHAPTER XXIX
How Sir Tristram overcame the battle,and how Elias desired a man to fight body for body.
SO on the morn Elias the captain came,and bade King Mark:Come out and do battle;for now the good knight Sir Tristram is entered it will be shame to thee,said Elias,for to keep thy walls.When King Mark understood this he was wroth and said no word,but went unto Sir Tristram and asked him his counsel.Sir,said Sir Tristram,will ye that I give him his answer?I will well,said King Mark.