THEN upon a day King Anguish asked Sir Tristram why he asked not his boon,for whatsomever he had promised him he should have it without fail.Sir,said Sir Tristram,now is it time;this is all that I will desire,that ye will give me La Beale Isoud,your daughter,not for myself,but for mine uncle,King Mark,that shall have her to wife,for so have I promised him.Alas,said the king,I had liefer than all the land that I have ye would wed her yourself.Sir,an I did then I were shamed for ever in this world,and false of my promise.Therefore,said Sir I Tristram,I pray you hold your promise that ye promised me;for this is my desire,that ye will give me La Beale Isoud to go with me into Cornwall for to be wedded to King Mark,mine uncle.As for that,said King Anguish,ye shall have her with you to do with her what it please you;that is for to say if that ye list to wed her yourself,that is me liefest,and if ye will give her unto King Mark,your uncle,that is in your choice.So,to make short conclusion,La Beale Isoud was made ready to go with Sir Tristram,and Dame Bragwaine went with her for her chief gentlewoman,with many other.
Then the queen,Isoud's mother,gave to her and Dame Bragwaine,her daughter's gentlewoman,and unto Gouvernail,a drink,and charged them that what day King Mark should wed,that same day they should give him that drink,so that King Mark should drink to La Beale Isoud,and then,said the queen,I undertake either shall love other the days of their life.So this drink was given unto Dame Bragwaine,and unto Gouvernail.And then anon Sir Tristram took the sea,and La Beale Isoud;and when they were in their cabin,it happed so that they were thirsty,and they saw a little flasket of gold stand by them,and it seemed by the colour and the taste that it was noble wine.Then Sir Tristram took the flasket in his hand,and said,Madam Isoud,here is the best drink that ever ye drank,that Dame Bragwaine,your maiden,and Gouvernail,my servant,have kept for themselves.Then they laughed and made good cheer,and either drank to other freely,and they thought never drink that ever they drank to other was so sweet nor so good.But by that their drink was in their bodies,they loved either other so well that never their love departed for weal neither for woe.And thus it happed the love first betwixt Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud,the which love never departed the days of their life.
So then they sailed till by fortune they came nigh a castle that hight Pluere,and thereby arrived for to repose them,weening to them to have had good harbourage.But anon as Sir Tristram was within the castle they were taken prisoners;for the custom of the castle was such;who that rode by that castle and brought any lady,he must needs fight with the lord,that hight Breunor.And if it were so that Breunor won the field,then should the knight stranger and his lady be put to death,what that ever they were;and if it were so that the strange knight won the field of Sir Breunor,then should he die and his lady both.This custom was used many winters,for it was called the Castle Pluere,that is to say the Weeping Castle.
CHAPTER XXV
How Sir Tristram and Isoud were in prison,and how he fought for her beauty,and smote of another lady's head.
THUS as Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud were in prison,it happed a knight and a lady came unto them where they were,to cheer them.I have marvel,said Tristram unto the knight and the lady,what is the cause the lord of this castle holdeth us in prison:
it was never the custom of no place of worship that ever Icame in,when a knight and a lady asked harbour,and they to receive them,and after to destroy them that be his guests.Sir,said the knight,this is the old custom of this castle,that when a knight cometh here he must needs fight with our lord,and he that is weaker must lose his head.And when that is done,if his lady that he bringeth be fouler than our lord's wife,she must lose her head:and if she be fairer proved than is our lady,then shall the lady of this castle lose her head.So God me help,said Sir Tristram,this is a foul custom and a shameful.But one advantage have I,said Sir Tristram,I have a lady is fair enough,fairer saw I never in all my life-days,and I doubt not for lack of beauty she shall not lose her head;and rather than Ishould lose my head I will fight for it on a fair field.
Wherefore,sir knight,I pray you tell your lord that I will be ready as to-morn with my lady,and myself to do battle,if it be so I may have my horse and mine armour.Sir,said that knight,Iundertake that your desire shall be sped right well.And then he said:Take your rest,and look that ye be up betimes and make you ready and your lady,for ye shall want no thing that you behoveth.And therewith he departed,and on the morn betimes that same knight came to Sir Tristram,and fetched him out and his lady,and brought him horse and armour that was his own,and bade him make him ready to the field,for all the estates and commons of that lordship were there ready to behold that battle and judgment.
Then came Sir Breunor,the lord of that castle,with his lady in his hand,muffled,and asked Sir Tristram where was his lady:
For an thy lady be fairer than mine,with thy sword smite off my lady's head;and if my lady be fairer than thine,with my sword Imust strike off her head.And if I may win thee,yet shall thy lady be mine,and thou shalt lose thy head.Sir,said Tristram,this is a foul custom and horrible;and rather than my lady should lose her head,yet had I liefer lose my head.Nay,nay,said Sir Breunor,the ladies shall be first showed together,and the one shall have her judgment.Nay,I will not so,said Sir Tristram,for here is none that will give righteous judgment.
But I doubt not,said Sir Tristram,my lady is fairer than thine,and that will I prove and make good with my hand.And whosomever he be that will say the contrary I will prove it on his head.