HowSrTrstramservednwarKngHowelofBrttany,andslewhsadversarynthefeld。
THEREwasanearlthathghtGrp,andthsearlmadegreatwaruponthekng,andputthekngtotheworse,andbesegedhm。
AndonatmeSrKehydus,thatwassontoKngHowel,ashessuedouthewassorewounded,nghtothedeath。ThenGouvernalwenttothekngandsad:Sr,counselyoutodesremylord,SrTrstram,asnyourneedtohelpyou。
wlldobyyourcounsel,sadthekng。AndsoheyedeuntoSrTrstram,andprayedhmnhswarstohelphm:Formyson,SrKehydus,maynotgontothefeld。Sr,sadSrTrstram,wllgotothefeldanddowhatmay。ThenSrTrstramssuedoutofthetownwthsuchfellowshpashemghtmake,andddsuchdeedsthatallBrttanyspakeofhm。Andthen,atthelast,bygreatmghtandforce,heslewtheEarlGrpwthhsownhands,andmorethananhundredknghtsheslewthatday。
AndthenSrTrstramwasrecevedworshpfullywthprocesson。
ThenKngHowelembracedhmnhsarms,andsad:SrTrstram,allmykngdomwllresgntothee。Goddefend,sadSrTrstram,forambeholdenuntoyouforyourdaughter’ssaketodoforyou。
ThenbythegreatmeansofKngHowelandKehydushsson,bygreatproffers,theregrewgreatlovebetwxtsoudandSrTrstram,forthatladywasbothgoodandfar,andawomanofnoblebloodandfame。AndforbecauseSrTrstramhadsuchcheerandrches,andallotherpleasauncethathehad,almosthehadforsakenLaBealesoud。AndsouponatmeSrTrstramagreedtowedsoudlaBlancheMans。Andatthelasttheywerewedded,andsolemnlyheldthermarrage。AndsowhentheywereabedbothSrTrstramrememberedhmofhsoldladyLaBealesoud。Andthenhetooksuchathoughtsuddenlythathewasalldsmayed,andothercheermadehenonebutwthclppngandkssng;asforotherfleshlylustsSrTrstramneverthoughtnorhadadowthher:suchmentonmakeththeFrenchbook;alsotmakethmentonthattheladyweenedtherehadbeennopleasurebutkssngandclppng。AndnthemeantmetherewasaknghtnBrttany,hsnamewasSuppnables,andhecameovertheseantoEngland,andthenhecamentothecourtofKngArthur,andtherehemetwthSrLauncelotduLake,andtoldhmofthemarrageofSrTrstram。ThensadSrLauncelot:Feuponhm,untrueknghttohslady,thatsonobleaknghtasSrTrstramsshouldbefoundtohsfrstladyfalse,LaBealesoud,QueenofCornwall;butsayyehmths,sadSrLauncelot,thatofallknghtsntheworldlovedhmmost,andhadmostjoyofhm,andallwasforhsnobledeeds;andlethmwtthelovebetweenhmandmesdoneforever,andthatgvehmwarnngfromthsdayforthashsmortalenemy。
HowSrSuppnablestoldSrTrstramhowhewasdefamednthecourtofKngArthur,andofSrLamorak。
THENdepartedSrSuppnablesuntoBrttanyagan,andtherehefoundSrTrstram,andtoldhmthathehadbeennKngArthur’scourt。ThensadSrTrstram:Heardyeanythngofme?SoGodmehelp,sadSrSuppnables,thereheardSrLauncelotspeakofyougreatshame,andthatyebeafalseknghttoyourladyandhebademedoyoutowtthathewllbeyourmortalenemyneveryplacewherehemaymeetyou。Thatmerepenteth,sadTrstram,forofallknghtslovedtobenhsfellowshp。SoSrTrstrammadegreatmoanandwasashamedthatnobleknghtsshoulddefamehmforthesakeofhslady。AndnthsmeanwhleLaBealesoudmadealetteruntoQueenGuenever,complanngheroftheuntruthofSrTrstram,andhowhehadweddedthekng’sdaughterofBrttany。QueenGueneversentheranotherletter,andbadeherbeofgoodcheer,forsheshouldhavejoyaftersorrow,forSrTrstramwassonobleaknghtcalled,thatbycraftsofsorceryladeswouldmakesuchnoblementowedthem。Butntheend,QueenGueneversad,tshallbethus,thatheshallhateher,andloveyoubetterthaneverheddto-fore。
SoleaveweSrTrstramnBrttany,andspeakweofSrLamorakdeGals,thatashesaledhsshpfellonarockandpershedall,saveSrLamorakandhssqure;andthereheswammghtly,andfshersofthesleofServagetookhmup,andhssqurewasdrowned,andtheshpmenhadgreatlabourtosaveSrLamorak’slfe,forallthecomfortthattheycoulddo。
Andthelordofthatsle,hghtSrNabonleNore,agreatmghtygant。AndthsSrNabonhatedalltheknghtsofKngArthur’s,andnnowsehewoulddothemfavour。AndthesefsherstoldSrLamorakalltheguseofSrNabon;howtherecameneverknghtofKngArthur’sbuthedestroyedhm。AndatthelastbattlethatheddwasslanSrNanownelePette,thewhchheputtoashamefuldeathndespteofKngArthur,forhewasdrawnlmb-meal。Thatforthnkethme,sadSrLamorak,forthatknght’sdeath,forhewasmycousn;andfwereatmneeaseaswellaseverwas,wouldrevengehsdeath。
Peace,sadthefshers,andmakeherenowords,fororeveryedepartfromhenceSrNabonmustknowthatyehavebeenhere,orelseweshoulddeforyoursake。Sothatbewhole,sadLamorak,ofmydseasethathavetakennthesea,wllthatyetellhmthatamaknghtofKngArthur’s,forwasneverafeardtoreneyemylord。
HowSrTrstramandhswfearrvednWales,andhowhemettherewthSrLamorak。
NOWturnweuntoSrTrstram,thatuponadayhetookalttlebarget,andhswfesoudlaBlancheMans,wthSrKehydusherbrother,toplaythemnthecoasts。Andwhentheywerefromtheland,therewasawnddrovethemntothecoastofWalesuponthssleofServage,whereaswasSrLamorak,andtherethebargetallto-rove;andthereDamesoudwashurt;andaswellastheymghttheygatntotheforest,andtherebyawellhesawSegwardesandadamosel。Andthenethersalutedother。Sr,sadSegwardes,knowyouforSrTrstramdeLones,themanntheworldthathavemostcausetohate,becauseyedepartedthelovebetweenmeandmywfe;butasforthat,sadSrSegwardes,wllneverhateanobleknghtforalghtlady;
andtherefore,prayyou,bemyfrend,andwllbeyoursuntomypower;forwtyewellyearehardbesteadnthsvalley,andweshallhaveenoughtodoetherofustosuccourother。AndthenSrSegwardesbroughtSrTrstramtoaladytherebythatwasbornnCornwall,andshetoldhmalltheperlsofthatvalley,andhowtherecameneverknghttherebutheweretakenprsonerorslan。Wtyouwell,farlady,sadSrTrstram,thatslewSrMarhausanddelveredCornwallfromthetruageofreland,andamhethatdelveredtheKngofrelandfromSrBlamoredeGans,andamhethatbeatSrPalamdes;andwtyewellamSrTrstramdeLones,thatbythegraceofGodshalldelverthswofulsleofServage。SoSrTrstramwaswelleased。
ThenonetoldhmtherewasaknghtofKngArthur’sthatwaswreckedontherocks。Whatshsname?sadSrTrstram。Wewotnot,sadthefshers,buthekeepethtnocounselbutthathesaknghtofKngArthur’s,andbythemghtylordofthsslehesettethnought。prayyou,sadSrTrstram,anyemay,brnghmhtherthatmayseehm,andfhebeanyoftheknghtsofArthur’sshallknowhm。Thentheladyprayedthefsherstobrnghmtoherplace。Soonthemorrowtheybroughthmththernafsher’srament;andassoonasSrTrstramsawhmhesmleduponhmandknewhmwell,butheknewnotSrTrstram。Farsr,sadSrTrstram,meseemethbyyourcheeryehavebeendseasedbutlate,andalsomethnketh
shouldknowyouheretofore。wllwell,sadSrLamorak,thatyehaveseenmeandmetwthme。Farsr,sadSrTrstram,tellmeyourname。Uponacovenantwlltellyou,sadSrLamorak,thats,thatyewlltellmewhetheryebelordofthsslandorno,thatscalledNabonleNore。Forsooth,sadSrTrstram,amnothe,norholdnotofhm;amhsfoeaswellasyebe,andsoshallbefoundordepartoutofthssle。Well,sadSrLamorak,snceyehavesadsolargelyuntome,mynamesSrLamorakdeGals,sonuntoKngPellnore。
Forsooth,trowwell,sadSrTrstram,foranyesadother
knowthecontrary。Whatareye,sadSrLamorak,thatknowethme?amSrTrstramdeLones。Ah,sr,rememberyenotofthefallyeddgvemeonce,andafteryerefusedmetofghtonfoot。Thatwasnotforfearhadofyou,sadSrTrstram,butmeshamedatthattmetohavemoreadowthyou,formeseemedyehadenough;but,SrLamorak,formykndnessmanyladesyeputtoareproofwhenyesentthehornfromMorganleFaytoKngMark,whereasyeddthsndespteofme。Well,sadhe,antweretodoagan,sowoulddo,forhadleferstrfeanddebatefellnKngMark’scourtratherthanArthur’scourt,forthehonourofbothcourtsbenotalke。Astothat,sadSrTrstram,knowwell;butthatthatwasdonetwasfordespteofme,butallyourmalce,thankGod,hurtnotgreatly。
Therefore,sadSrTrstram,yeshallleaveallyourmalce,andsowll,andletusassayhowwemaywnworshpbetweenyouandmeuponthsgantSrNabonleNorethatslordofthssland,todestroyhm。Sr,sadSrLamorak,now
understandyourknghthood,tmaynotbefalsethatallmensay,forofyourbounty,noblesse,andworshp,ofallknghtsyearepeerless,andforyourcourtesyandgentlenessshowedyouungentleness,andthatnowmerepenteth。
HowSrTrstramfoughtwthSrNabon,andovercamehm,andmadeSrSegwardeslordofthesle。
NthemeantmetherecamewordthatSrNabonhadmadeacrythatallthepeopleofthatsleshouldbeathscastletheffthdayafter。AndthesamedaythesonofNabonshouldbemadeknght,andalltheknghtsofthatvalleyandthereaboutshouldbetheretojoust,andallthoseoftherealmofLogrsshouldbetheretojoustwththemofNorthWales:andththercamefvehundredknghts,andtheyofthecountrybroughtththerSrLamorak,andSrTrstram,andSrKehydus,andSrSegwardes,fortheydurstnoneotherwsedo;andthenSrNabonlentSrLamorakhorseandarmouratSrLamorak’sdesre,andSrLamorakjoustedandddsuchdeedsofarmsthatNabonandallthepeoplesadtherewasneverknghtthatevertheysawdosuchdeedsofarms;for,astheFrenchbooksath,hefor-joustedallthatwerethere,forthemostpartoffvehundredknghts,thatnoneabodehmnhssaddle。
ThenSrNabonprofferedtoplaywthhmhsplay:Forsawnevernoknghtdosomuchuponaday。wllwell,sadSrLamorak,playasmay,butamwearyandsorebrused。Andthereethergataspear,butNabonwouldnotencounterwthSrLamorak,butsmotehshorsentheforehead,andsoslewhm;
andthenSrLamorakyedeonfoot,andturnedhssheldanddrewhssword,andtherebeganstrongbattleonfoot。ButSrLamorakwassosorebrusedandshortbreathed,thathetracedandtraversedsomewhataback。Farfellow,sadSrNabon,holdthyhandandshallshowtheemorecourtesythanevershowedknght,becausehaveseenthsdaythynobleknghthood,andthereforestandthouby,andwllwtwhetheranyofthyfellowswllhaveadowthme。ThenwhenSrTrstramheardthat,hesteppedforthandsad:Nabon,lendmehorseandsurearmour,andwllhaveadowththee。Well,fellow,sadSrNabon,gothoutoyonderpavlon,andarmtheeofthebestthoufndestthere,andshallplayamarvellousplaywththee。
ThensadSrTrstram:Lookyeplaywell,orelseperadventureshalllearnyouanewplay。Thatswellsad,fellow,sadSrNabon。SowhenSrTrstramwasarmedashmlkedbest,andwellsheldedandsworded,hedressedtohmonfoot;forwellheknewthatSrNabonwouldnotabdeastrokewthaspear,thereforehewouldslayallknghts’horses。Now,farfellow,SrNabon,letusplay。Sothentheyfoughtlongonfoot,tracngandtraversng,smtngandfonnglongwthoutanyrest。AtthelastSrNabonprayedhmtotellhmhsname。
SrNabon,telltheemynamesSrTrstramdeLones,aknghtofCornwallunderKngMark。Thouartwelcome,sadSrNabon,forofallknghtshavemostdesredtofghtwththeeorwthSrLauncelot。
Sothentheywenteagerlytogether,andSrTrstramslewSrNabon,andsoforthwthheleapttohsson,andstruckoffhshead;andthenallthecountrysadtheywouldholdofSrTrstram。Nay,sadSrTrstram,wllnotso;heresaworshpfulknght,SrLamorakdeGals,thatformeheshallbelordofthscountry,forhehathdoneheregreatdeedsofarms。
Nay,sadSrLamorak,wllnotbelordofthscountry,for
havenotdeservedtaswellasye,thereforegveyetwhereyewll,forwllnonehave。Well,sadSrTrstram,snceyenorwllnothavet,letusgvettohmthathathnotsowelldeservedt。Doasyelst,sadSegwardes,forthegftsyours,forwllnonehaveanhaddeservedt。SowastgventoSegwardes,whereofhethankedthem;andsowashelord,andworshpfullyheddgovernt。AndthenSrSegwardesdelveredallprsoners,andsetgoodgovernancenthatvalley;