The Death of King Arthur (16 page)

‘My gracious lord,' Tristram said, ‘of your great goodness to me, I cannot speak enough. So instead I will serve you to the full extent of my power.'

‘Gentle knight, I have never had more need of you than now. You know that I have been challenged by Sir Bleoberis and Sir Blamoure. These are hard men to beat. You have come upon Sir Bleoberis before, I believe.'

‘I will do battle for you, as long as you swear on oath that you had nothing to do with the death of their cousin.'

‘I do so swear.'

‘There is one other thing. If I win this battle for you, will you give me any reward that I believe to be reasonable?'

‘God help me, you will have whatever you wish.'

‘Well said, sir. You may proclaim that your champion is ready. I would rather die in this combat than be considered a coward.'

‘I have no doubts about you,' the king replied. Then he returned to court, and informed the judges that a knight had come forward to do battle on his behalf. Sir Tristram was called before them, to hear the charge against King Angwish. When the knights of the court saw Tristram they spoke much of him, extolling his exploits against several great warriors.

Sir Bleoberis came over to Sir Blamoure. ‘Brother,' he said, ‘remember what stock we come from. Sir Lancelot is our cousin. None of our kin has ever been defeated in battle. Suffer death rather than be shamed!'

‘Have no doubt about me, brother. I shall never shame one of our blood. I have heard that this knight here is as valiant as any other in the world, but I will never surrender to him. That vile word will not pass my lips. I would rather that he killed me.'

‘God be with you then. But be careful of him.'

‘I put my trust in God.'

So Blamoure and Tristram rode out to either end of the lists, and then galloped against each other with their spears thrust out. They came together with the noise of thunder, and Blamoure was dislodged from his horse. He took out his sword at once, telling Tristram to alight and face him on the field. ‘My horse has failed,' he cried, ‘but I trust to God that the earth is on my side!'

So Tristram leaped off his horse, and the two of them fell upon each other with their swords. The battle went this way and that, now favouring one and now inclining towards the other, as the blood of both men spread over the ground. Then Tristram delivered one astounding blow, and Blamoure fell to his knees before sinking down. Sir Tristram stood still and watched him.

When Blamoure could speak, he said this: ‘Sir Tristram de Liones, I require you, as a noble knight, and the best I have ever fought, to kill me now. I would rather die here with honour than live in shame. I will never surrender, not even if I were offered all the world. So come. Deliver the final blow.'

When Sir Tristram heard him speak so nobly, he was not sure what to do. For the sake of Sir Lancelot he was unwilling to slay Blamoure. Yet if he did not surrender, Tristram was duty bound to kill him.

Tristram went over to the judges and kneeled down before them. ‘I beg you, sirs,' he said, ‘to decide this matter. It would be, for me, shame and pity if this knight were to die. I know well enough that there will be no shame for him in living. He has discharged himself with honour. And I will ask the king, in whose cause I have fought, to take mercy on this man.'

King Angwish then stepped forward. ‘So help me God, Sir Tristram, I will be ruled by you. Let the judges here make their decision.'

The judges then called for Sir Bleoberis to speak with them. ‘My lords,' he said, ‘the body of my brother has been beaten this day. But his heart is as noble as ever. Let Sir Tristram now finish his task. Better to die than be dishonoured.'

‘That cannot be,' they cried out. ‘Both the king and his champion have taken pity upon him.'

‘As you will then,' Bleoberis replied. With that the judges came together and cleared King Angwish of the charges against him. Then they reconciled the parties of this combat. Tristram promised never to fight the two brothers again, and they in turn swore that they would always treat the noble knight with respect.

King Angwish and Tristram then returned to Ireland, where the king proclaimed the valour of his champion. No one was more joyful than Isolde herself, who loved Tristram more than any other man. Before long, the king asked Tristram a question.

‘Why, sir, have you not asked me for the boon I promised you?'

‘Now, my lord, has come the time. I ask for the hand of your daughter. Not for myself, but for my uncle, King Mark of Cornwall.'

‘Alas, Tristram, I would give all my lands if you would wed her yourself!'

‘That cannot be. I will not be false to my lord. Therefore, sir, I beg you to keep the promise that you made me. Allow me to take her back to Cornwall.'

‘I place her entirely in your hands. You may do as you wish with her. If you decide to marry her yourself, that would please me most. If you must give her to King Mark, that is your choice.'

So, to cut matters short, La Belle Isolde was made ready for her journey together with her lady-in-waiting Dame Bragwaine. Before they left for Cornwall, Bragwaine and Gouvernail, Tristram's companion, had an audience with the queen. ‘Take this, both of you,' she told them. It was a flask of liquor, amber of hue. ‘On the wedding night, make sure that King Mark and my daughter drink this. When they have done so, they will love each other all the days of their lives.'

So they took the drink, and departed for the boat. They were not long at sea when Tristram and Isolde both grew thirsty. They saw the flask, on a table close to them, and Tristram took it up. He thought that it contained good wine, and he held it in his hands. ‘Madam Isolde,' he said, ‘we have been denied a blessing. Here is wine that our servants, Bragwaine and Gouvernail, were going to keep for themselves!' They both laughed and drank to each other; they had never tasted sweeter liquor in all their lives. And in that moment they fell so deeply in love that their hearts would never be divided. So the destiny of Tristram and Isolde was ordained.

They sailed on until they came close to the coast of Cornwall, and by chance landed near Castle Pleure, which in English means Castle of Weeping. It was an unhappy place to visit. They rode up, looking for welcome, but instead they were taken prisoner by six armed knights. They were led to a prison in the depths of the castle where they could see no light and hear no voices. While Tristram and Isolde languished in confinement, a knight and lady came to cheer them. ‘What is the reason for this treatment of us?' Tristram asked them. ‘I have never heard before of guests being taken and cast into prison.'

‘The master of this place,' the knight replied, ‘is Sir Brewnour. It is his custom. If a knight comes here, he must fight with him. And the weaker must lose his head. There is something else. If the lady he brings with him is less beautiful than Brewnour's wife, then his lady must also be beheaded.'

‘God knows that is a shameful custom. I have one consolation. The lady I bring with me is fair beyond any mortal creature. She will not lose her head. I know that well enough. So inform Sir Brewnour I will be ready to meet him in battle whenever he wishes.'

On the following morning he was led to the field, where he was furnished with his own horse and armour. Sir Brewnour came out, holding the hand of his wife, whose face was covered with a scarf. ‘Sir Tristram,' he said, ‘now comes the moment of truth. If your lady is fairer than mine, then I give you permission to take off my lady's head. If mine is more beautiful than yours, then I will behead your lady.'

‘This is a foul course you have chosen,' Tristram told him. ‘I would rather lose my own head than put any lady at risk.'

‘No. It cannot be. The ladies must be shown together.'

So Tristram brought forth Isolde, and with his sword turned her three times so that all might see her. Then Sir Brewnour took off the scarf, and presented his lady. As soon as Brewnour saw Isolde, however, he knew that she would be awarded the victory. And so it was. All the people that were present agreed that Isolde took the palm for beauty.

‘There we have it,' Tristram said. ‘It seems that my lady will not lose her head. As for yours, well, her case is a hard one. You and she have continued a barbaric custom here in this castle, and it would be no sin to behead you both.'

‘If you slay her, doubt not that I will slay you and keep your Isolde.'

‘We shall see.' And, with that, Tristram strode over to Sir Brewnour's wife and with one stroke of his sword took off her head.

‘Well, knight,' Brewnour said, ‘you have brought great dishonour to me. Mount your horse and let us fight it out.'

So they rode against each other, and Tristram knocked Brewnour to the ground. But he got up and thrust his spear between the sides of Tristram's horse, so that it fell dead. Tristram dismounted lightly, and they both traded blow for blow. They fought for two hours, until Tristram took Brewnour in his arms and threw him grovelling to the earth. He grabbed Brewnour's helmet, and his vizor, and tore them off before beheading him.

Then all the company of the castle came out, praising Tristram for breaking the power of evil company and evil custom. It so happened that one of the knights then galloped to the castle of Sir Galahalt, son of Brewnour, and told him the news. So Galahalt took off in the company of the King of the Hundred Knights, and sent out a challenge to Tristram. It was accepted, of course, and the weapons of the two warriors soon clashed. When Galahalt stumbled, and was likely to be slain, the King of the Hundred Knights rode out with all his companions.

Tristram turned to Galahalt. ‘This is great shame to you,' he said, ‘to send all your fellowship against me.'

‘There is no other way. Either you must yield to me or die.'

‘So. I surrender. But not to you. To the might of these men massed against me.' And, with that, he put the pommel of his sword in his opponent's hands. At that moment the king and his company charged Tristram.

‘Hold back!' Galahalt cried out. ‘I have promised this man his life.'

‘More shame on you,' the king replied. ‘He has killed your father and your mother.'

‘As for that, I cannot blame him. My father obliged him to do battle.' Then he told the king of his father's shameful custom of beheading the ladies who came to the castle. ‘That is why,' Sir Galahalt said, ‘I would never fight on his behalf.'

‘You were right,' the king said. ‘It was a wicked practice.'

Then Galahalt turned to Tristram. ‘Tell me, sir, what is your name?'

‘I am Sir Tristram de Liones. I have been sent by King Mark of Cornwall to bring back this lady here. She is Isolde, daughter of the King of Ireland.'

‘Well met! I give you leave to ride wherever you wish, on condition that you look out for Sir Lancelot and join his fellowship.'

‘I promise you. As soon as I see him, I will ask to become one of his company. Of all the knights in the world, I most desire to serve him.' Then Tristram took his leave of Galahalt and, with Isolde, put out to sea again. The two lovers sailed to the court of King Mark at Tintagel, where they were greeted by all the lords and ladies waiting on the shore. As the ship came in sight the courtiers waved to them, and called out blessings upon them. Isolde was then given to King Mark in matrimony, and there was much feasting. Yet, as the old books tell us, Tristram and Isolde were steadfast in their love.

It so happened that two of the ladies of the court had conceived a great hatred for Dame Bragwaine, Isolde's chief companion, and plotted to destroy her. She was sent into a nearby wood, in search of some rare herbs, where she was then attacked and tied to a tree for three days. Quite by chance Sir Palomides was hunting in the same wood, and came upon the lady in distress. He released her and took her to a nunnery, where she could recover in peace.

As soon as Isolde missed her companion, she grew melancholy. They had come from Ireland together, as we have seen, and Bragwaine was the lady whom she loved and trusted most. In her grief Isolde wandered in the gardens of the Castle of Tintagel, where she encountered Sir Palomides. He knew the reason for her woe. ‘Dear madam,' he said, ‘if you grant me a promise, I will return Dame Bragwaine to you.'

‘Gladly,' she replied. ‘I cannot refuse you.'

‘Well, madam, I will bring her to you within an hour.'

‘I shall wait here for you, sir.'

So Palomides rode to the nunnery, and persuaded Bragwaine to go back with him – even though she was still fearful for her life. When Queen Isolde saw her, she wept with happiness. ‘Now madam,' Palomides said, ‘remember your promise to me. I have fulfilled my part.'

‘I do not know what you will ask of me, sir,' she replied. ‘I will do whatever is in my power. But I tell you this. I will do nothing to my dishonour.'

‘You will learn in due course, lady.'

‘Come before my husband, the king. Then let me know what you wish.'

So they walked into the presence chamber, and Sir Palomides bowed before the king. ‘Sire,' he said, ‘I ask you to give me justice.'

‘Tell me your cause.'

‘I promised your lady, Queen Isolde, that I would return Dame Bragwaine to her on condition that she granted me a wish.'

King Mark turned to his wife. ‘What do you say, dear lady?'

‘He speaks the truth, so help me God. I was so eager to see Bragwaine again that I promised him whatever he wished.'

‘Well, madam,' the king replied, ‘you may repent your haste. But you must perform your promise. What is it that you want, Sir Palomides?'