[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xxij

NOw passe we oure matere / and leue We sire Gawayn and speke of Kynge Arthur that on a day sayd vn¦to Kynge Marke / Syr I pray yow gyue me a yefte that I shall axe yow / Syr said Kyng Mark I will gyue you what someuer ye desyre and hit be in my power / Syre gramercy sa∣id Arthur / This I wille aske yow that ye wille be good lo∣rd vnto sir Tristram / for he is a man of grete honour / and that ye wille take hym with yow in to Cornewaile / & lete hym see his frendes / and there cherysshe hym for my sake / Syre said Kynge Marke I promyse yow by the feythe of my body and by the feythe that I owe to god and to yow I shalle wor∣shippe hym for your sake in alle that I can or may / Syr said Arthur / and I wylle forgyue yow alle the euylle wylle that euer I oughte yow / and so be that ye swere that vpon a book afore me / with a good wille said Kynge Marke / and soo he there sware vpon a boook afore hym and alle his knyghtes / & ther with kynge Mark and sire Tristram toke eyther other by

the handes hard knyt to gyders / But for alle this kynge ma∣rke thought falsly / as it preued after / for he put sir Tristram in pryson / and cowardly wold haue slayne hym / Thenne so∣one after kynge Marke took his leue to ryde in to Cornewa∣yl / and sir Tristram made hym redy to ryde with hym / wherof the moost party of the round table were wrothe and heuy / & in especial sir launcelot and sire Lamorak and sir Dynadan were wrothe oute of mesure / For wel they wyst kyng Marke wold slee or destroye sir Tristram / Allas said Dynadan that my lord syr Tristram shalle departe / and sir Tristram toke suche sorowe that he was amasyd lyke a foole / ¶ Allas said sir Launcelot vnto kynge Arthur what haue ye done / for ye shall lese the moost man of worship that euer cam in to your court It was his owne desyre said Arthur / and therfore I myghte not doo with alle / for I haue done alle that I can and made them at accord / Accord said sir launcelot fy vpon that accord For ye shalle here that he shalle slee sir Tristram / or put hym in a pryson / for he is the moost coward and the vylaynst kyng and knyght that is now lyuyng / And there with sire Laun∣celot departed / and cam to kynge Mark / and said to hym thus Syr kyng wete thou wel the good knyght sir Tristram shalle goo with the / Beware I rede the of treason / for and thou me∣schyeue that knyght by ony maner of falshede or treson by the feythe I owe to god and to the ordre of knyghthode I shall slee the myn owne handes / Syr launcelot said the kyng ouer moche haue ye said to me / and I haue sworne and said ouer largely afore kynge Arthur in herynge of alle his knyghtes / that I shal not sle nor bitraye hym / It were to me ouer mo∣che shame to breke my promyse / ye saye wel said sir Launcelot but ye are called so fals and ful of treason that no man man byleue yow ¶For soth it is knowen wel wherfor ye came in to this countrey / and for none other cause but for slee sir tris¦tram / Soo with grete dole Kynge Marke and sir Tristram ro¦de to gyders / for hit was by sir Tristrams wil and his mea∣nes to goo with kyng Marke and all was for the entente to see la Beale Isoud / for without the syghte of her syr Tristrā myght not endure