PART I
The Story of Sir Tristram and the Lady Belle Isoult
_Here followeth the story of Sir Tristram of Lyonesse, who, with Sir
Launcelot of the Lake, was deemed to be one of the two most worthy and
perfect knights champion of his day.
Likewise herein shall be told the story of the Lady Belle Isoult, who next
to Queen Guinevere, was reckoned to be the most fair, gentle lady in all of
the world._
[Illustration: Tristram succors the Lady Moeya]
Chapter First
_How the new Queen of Lyonesse sought Tristram's life; how he went to
France, and how he returned again to Lyonesse and was received with love at
that place._
So King Meliadus grieved very bitterly for the Lady Elizabeth for the space
of seven years, and in that time he took but little pleasure in life, and
still less pleasure in that son who had been born to him in that wise. Then
one day a certain counsellor who was in great favor with the King came to
him and said: "Lord, it is not fitting that you should live in this wise
and without a mate; for you should have a queen, and you should have other
children besides Tristram, else all the fate of this kingdom shall depend
upon the life of that one small child."
[Sidenote: King Meliadus taketh the Lady Moeya to second wife] And King
Meliadus took this counsel to heart, and after a while he said: "What you
tell me is true, and so I shall take another Queen, even though it is not
in me to love any other woman in all of the world but that dear one who is
dead and gone." So a while after that he took to wife the Lady Moeya, who
was the daughter of King Howell of Britain.
Now Queen Moeya had been married to an Earl of Britain, and by him she had
a son who was about the age of Tristram. So she brought this son to
Lyonesse with her, and he and Tristram were very good companions.
But the Lady Moeya took great hatred of Tristram, for she said in her
heart: "Except for this Tristram, mayhap my son might be King and overlord
of this land." And these thoughts brooded with her, so that after a while
she began to meditate how she might make away with Tristram so that her own
son might come into his inheritance.
Now at that time Tristram was about thirteen years of age and very large
and robust of form and of extraordinary strength of body and beauty of
countenance. But the son of Queen Moeya was not of such a sort, so the more
beautiful and noble Tristram was the more the Queen hated him. So one day
she called to her a very cunning chemist and she said to him: "Give me a
drink of such and such a sort, so that he who drinks thereof shall
certainly die, maugre help of any kind." And the chemist gave her what she
desired, and it was in a phial and was of a golden color.
[Sidenote: The Lady Moeya devises mischief against Tristram] Now Tristram
and the son of the Lady Moeya were wont to play ball in a certain court of
the castle, and when they would play there they would wax all of a heat
with their sport. This the Lady Moeya was well aware of; so one day she
took that phial of poison and she poured a part of it into a chalice and
she filled the chalice with clear water and she set the chalice upon a
bench where those two would play at ball. For she said to herself: "When
they grow warm with their play, Tristram will certainly drink of this water
to quench his thirst, and then my son will maybe enter into his
inheritance."
[Sidenote: The son of the Queen drinks of the poison] So the two youths
played very fiercely at their game, and they waxed exceedingly hot and
presently were both very violently athirst. Then Tristram said, "I would I
had somewhat to drink," and his stepbrother said, "Look, yonder is a
chalice of water; drink! and when thou hast quenched thy thirst, then I
will drink also." But Tristram said: "Nay, brother, drink thou first, for
thou art more athirst than I." Then at first the son of the Lady Moeya
would not have it so, but would have Tristram drink; but afterward he did
as Tristram bade him, and, taking the chalice in both hands, he drank
freely of that poison which his own mother had prepared. Then when he had
drunk his fill, Tristram took the chalice and would have drunk too; but the
other said, "Stay, Tristram, there is great bitterness in that chalice";
and then he said, "Methinks I feel a very bitter pang within my vitals,"
and then he cried out, "Woe is me! I am in great pain!" Therewith he fell
down upon the ground and lay there in a great passion of agony. Then
Tristram cried aloud for help in a piercing voice; but when help came
thither it was too late, for the son of the Lady Moeya was dead.
Then the Lady Moeva was in great torment of soul, and beat her breast and
tore her hair and King Meliadus had much ado for to comfort her. And after
this she hated Tristram worse than ever before, for she would say to
herself: "Except for this Tristram, my own son would yet be alive!"
So she brooded upon these things until she could not rest, whether by day
or night. Then one day she took the rest of the poison that was in the
phial and poured it into a goblet of yellow wine. This goblet she gave to
one of her pages, saying: "Take this to Tristram, and offer it to him when
I shall tell you to do so!"
[Sidenote: The Lady Moeya seeks Tristram's life a second time] Therewith
she went down to the hall where Tristram was, and she said, "Tristram, let
there be peace betwixt us." And Tristram said: "Lady, that meets my wishes,
for I have never had in my heart aught but loving-kindness toward you, and
so I would have it in your heart toward me." With this the page came in the
hall with that goblet of yellow wine. Then the Lady Moeya took the goblet
and said: "Take this cup, and drink of the wine that is in it, and so there
shall be peace betwixt us forever." And as she said that she looked very
strangely upon Tristram, but Tristram was altogether innocent of any evil
against him. So he reached out his hand to take the cup which the page
brought to him.
Now at that moment King Meliadus came into the hall fresh from the chase,
and he was much heated and greatly athirst, wherefore, when he saw that cup
of wine he said: "Stay, Tristram, let me drink, for I am greatly athirst.
After I have quenched my thirst, then thou shalt drink."
Therewith he took the goblet of wine and made to lift it to his lips. But
at that the Lady Moeya cried out, in a very loud and piercing voice, "Do
not drink of that wine!" The King said, "Why should I not drink of it?" "No
matter," said the Lady Moeya, "thou shalt not drink of it, for there is
death in it."
Therewith she ran to the King and catched him by the hand, and she plucked
away the goblet so that the wine was spilled out of it upon the ground.
[Sidenote: King Meliadus threatens to slay the Queen] Then King Meliadus
gazed at the Lady Moeya, and he thought of many things in very little time.
Thereupon he seized her by the hair and dragged her forward, so that she
fell down upon her hands and knees to the pavement of the hall. And King
Meliadus drew his great sword so that it flashed like lightning, and he
cried: "Tell me what thou hast done, and tell me quickly, or thou shalt not
be able to tell me at all!" Then the Lady Moeya clutched King Meliadus
about the thighs, and she cried out: "Do not slay me with thine own hand,
or else my blood will stain thee with dishonor! I will tell thee all, and
then thou mayst deal with me according to the law, for indeed I am not fit
to live." So therewithal the Lady Moeya confessed everything to the King.
Then King Meliadus shouted aloud and called the attendants and said: "Take
this woman and cast her into prison, and see that no harm befall her there;
for the lords of this country shall adjudge her, and not I." And therewith
he turned away and left her.
And thereafter, in due season, the Lady Moeya was brought to trial and was
condemned to be burned at the stake.
[Sidenote: Tristram begs mercy for the Queen] Now when the day came that
she was to be burnt, Tristram was very sorry for her. So when he beheld her
tied fast to the stake he came to where King Meliadus was and he kneeled
before him, and he said, "Father, I crave a boon of thee." Thereupon King
Meliadus looked upon Tristram, and he loved him very tenderly and he said:
"My son, ask what thou wilt, and it shall be thine." Then Tristram said:
"Father, I pray thee, spare the life of this lady, for methinks she hath
repented her of her evil, and surely God hath punished her very sorely for
the wickedness she hath tried to do."
Then King Meliadus was very wroth that Tristram should interfere with the
law; but yet he had granted that boon to his son and could not withdraw. So
after a while of thought he said: "Well, I have promised, and so I will
perform my promise. Her life is thine; go to the stake and take her. But
when thou hast done so I bid thee go forth from this place and show thy
face here no more. For thou hast interfered with the law, and hast done ill
that thou, the son of the King, should save this murderess. So thou shalt
leave this place, for I mistrust that between you two some murder will
befall in this country."
So Tristram went weeping to where the Queen was bound to the stake; and he
cut her bonds with his dagger and set her free. And he said: "Lady, thou
art free; now go thy way, and may God forgive thee as I do." Then the Queen
wept also, and said, "Tristram, thou art very good to me." And because she
was barefoot and in her shift, Tristram took his cloak and wrapped it about
her.
[Sidenote: Tristram departs from Lyonesse] After that, Tristram
straightway left Lyonesse, and King Meliadus appointed that a noble and
honorable lord of the court, hight Gouvernail, should go with him. They two
went to France, and there they were made very welcome at the court of the
King. So Tristram dwelt in France till he was eighteen years old, and
everyone at the court of the King of France loved him and honored him so
that he dwelt there as though he were of the blood of France.
During the time that he was in France he became the greatest hunter in the
world, and he wrote many books on venery that were read and studied long
after he had ceased to live. Also he became so skilful with the harp that
no minstrel in the world was his equal. And ever he waxed more sturdy of
frame and more beautiful of countenance, and more well-taught in all the
worship of knighthood. For during that time he became so wonderfully
excellent in arms that there was no one in France who was his equal.
Thus Tristram dwelt at peace in that land for five years, but even he
longed for his own home with all the might and main of his heart. So one
day he said to Gouvernail: "Gouvernail, I cannot deny myself any longer
from seeing my father and my own country, for I feel that I must see them
or else my heart will certainly break because of its great longing." Nor
would he listen to anything that Gouvernail might say contrary to this. So
they two took their departure from France, and Tristram travelled as a
harper and Gouvernail as his attendant. Thus they came to Lyonesse in that
wise.
[Sidenote: How Tristram returns to Lyonesse] One day whilst King Meliadus
sat at meat, they two came into the hall, and Gouvernail wore a long white
beard which altogether disguised him so that no one knew him. But Tristram
shone with such a great radiance of beauty and of youth that all who looked
upon him marvelled at him. And the heart of King Meliadus went out to
Tristram very strongly, and he said before all of his court, "Who art thou,
fair youth? And whence comest thou?" To which Tristram made reply: "Lord, I
am a harper, and this is my man, and we have come from France." Then King
Meliadus said to Tristram: "Sir, have you seen a youth in France whom men
call Tristram?" And Tristram replied, "Yea, I have seen him several times."
King Meliadus said, "Doth he do well?" "Yea," said Tristram, "he doeth very
well, though at times he is sore oppressed with a great desire for his own
country." At this King Meliadus turned away his face, for his heart went
very strongly out at the thought of his son. Then by and by he said to
Tristram, "Wilt thou play upon thy harp?" And Tristram said, "Yea, if it
will please thee to hear me." Therewith he took his harp and he set it
before him, and he struck the strings and played upon it, and he sang in
such a wise that no one who was there had ever heard the like thereof.
Then King Meliadus' heart was melted at Tristram's minstrelsy, and he said:
"That is wonderful harping. Now ask what thou wilt of me, and it shall be
thine, whatever it may be."
To this Tristram said, "Lord, that is a great thing that thou sayest."
"Nevertheless," said King Meliadus, "it shall be as I say." Then Tristram
left his harp and he came to where King Meliadus sat, and he kneeled down
before him and he said: "Lord, if so be that is the case, then that which I
ask of thee is this: that thou wilt forgive me and bring me back into thy
favor again."
[Sidenote: King Meliadus is reconciled to Tristram] At that King Meliadus
was filled with a great wonder, and he said: "Fair youth, who art thou, and
what have I to forgive thee?" "Lord," said Tristram, "I am thy son, and ask
thee to forgive me that I should have saved the life of that lady who is
thy Queen."
At this King Meliadus cried out with joy, and he came down from where he
sat and he took Tristram into his arms and kissed him upon the face, and
Tristram wept and kissed his father upon the face.
So they were reconciled.
After that, Tristram abode in peace in Lyonesse for some while, and during
that time he made peace betwixt King Meliadus and Queen Moeya, and the
Queen loved him because he was so good to her.
[Sidenote: Tristram refuses knighthood] Now after the return of Tristram
as aforesaid, King Meliadus would have made him a knight, but Tristram
would not suffer the honor of knighthood to be bestowed upon him at that
time, but always said: "Lord, think not ill of me if I do not accept
knighthood at this time. For I would fain wait until the chance for some
large adventure cometh; then I would be made a knight for to meet that
adventure, so that I might immediately win renown. For what credit could
there be to our house if I should be made knight, only that I might sit in
hall and feast and drink and make merry?"
So spoke Sir Tristram, and his words sounded well to King Meliadus,
wherefore from thenceforth King Meliadus refrained from urging knighthood
upon him.
Now the way that Sir Tristram achieved knighthood shall be told in that
which followeth, and also it shall then be told how he fought his first
battle, which was one of the most famous that ever he fought in all of his
life.
[Illustration: King Mark of Cornwall]
