Then it befell that King Anguish of Ireland sent unto King Mark of
Cornwall for his truage, that Cornwall had paid many winters. And all
that time King Mark was behind of the truage for seven years. And King
Mark and his barons gave unto the messenger of Ireland these words and
answer, that they would none pay; and bade the messenger go unto his
King Anguish, and tell him we will pay him no truage, but tell your
lord, an he will always have truage of us of Cornwall, bid him send a
trusty knight of his land, that will fight for his right, and we shall
find another for to defend our right. With this answer the messengers
departed into Ireland. And when King Anguish understood the answer of
the messengers he was wonderly wroth. And then he called unto him Sir
Marhaus, the good knight, that was nobly proved, and a Knight of the
Table Round. And this Marhaus was brother unto the queen of Ireland.
Then the king said thus: Fair brother, Sir Marhaus, I pray you go into
Cornwall for my sake, and do battle for our truage that of right we
ought to have; and whatsomever ye spend ye shall have sufficiently,
more than ye shall need. Sir, said Marhaus, wit ye well that I shall
not be loath to do battle in the right of you and your land with the
best knight of the Table Round; for I know them, for the most part,
what be their deeds; and for to advance my deeds and to increase my
worship I will right gladly go unto this journey for our right.
So in all haste there was made purveyance for Sir Marhaus, and he had
all things that to him needed; and so he departed out of Ireland, and
arrived up in Cornwall even fast by the Castle of Tintagil. And when
King Mark understood that he was there arrived to fight for Ireland,
then made King Mark great sorrow when he understood that the good and
noble knight Sir Marhaus was come. For they knew no knight that durst
have ado with him. For at that time Sir Marhaus was called one of the
famousest and renowned knights of the world. And thus Sir Marhaus abode
in the sea, and every day he sent unto King Mark for to pay the truage
that was behind of seven year, other else to find a knight to fight
with him for the truage. This manner of message Sir Marhaus sent daily
unto King Mark.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account