Thus was Sir Tramtrist long there well cherished with the king and the
queen, and namely with La Beale Isoud. So upon a day the queen and La
Beale Isoud made a bain for Sir Tramtrist. And when he was in his bain
the queen and Isoud, her daughter, roamed up and down in the chamber;
and therewhiles Gouvernail and Hebes attended upon Tramtrist, and the
queen beheld his sword thereas it lay upon his bed. And then by unhap
the queen drew out his sword and beheld it a long while, and both they
thought it a passing fair sword; but within a foot and an half of the
point there was a great piece thereof out-broken of the edge. And when
the queen espied that gap in the sword, she remembered her of a piece
of a sword that was found in the brain-pan of Sir Marhaus, the good
knight that was her brother. Alas then, said she unto her daughter, La
Beale Isoud, this is the same traitor knight that slew my brother,
thine eme. When Isoud heard her say so she was passing sore abashed,
for passing well she loved Tramtrist, and full well she knew the
cruelness of her mother the queen.
Anon therewithal the queen went unto her own chamber, and sought her
coffer, and there she took out the piece or the sword that was pulled
out of Sir Marhaus’ head after that he was dead. And then she ran with
that piece of iron to the sword that lay upon the bed. And when she put
that piece of steel and iron unto the sword, it was as meet as it might
be when it was new broken. And then the queen gripped that sword in her
hand fiercely, and with all her might she ran straight upon Tramtrist
where he sat in his bain, and there she had rived him through had not
Sir Hebes gotten her in his arms, and pulled the sword from her, and
else she had thrust him through.
Then when she was let of her evil will she ran to the King Anguish, her
husband, and said on her knees: O my lord, here have ye in your house
that traitor knight that slew my brother and your servant, that noble
knight, Sir Marhaus. Who is that, said King Anguish, and where is he?
Sir, she said, it is Sir Tramtrist, the same knight that my daughter
healed. Alas, said the king, therefore am I right heavy, for he is a
full noble knight as ever I saw in field. But I charge you, said the
king to the queen, that ye have not ado with that knight, but let me
deal with him.
Then the king went into the chamber unto Sir Tramtrist, and then was he
gone unto his chamber, and the king found him all ready armed to mount
upon his horse. When the king saw him all ready armed to go unto
horseback, the king said: Nay, Tramtrist, it will not avail to compare
thee against me; but thus much I shall do for my worship and for thy
love; in so much as thou art within my court it were no worship for me
to slay thee: therefore upon this condition I will give thee leave for
to depart from this court in safety, so thou wilt tell me who was thy
father, and what is thy name, and if thou slew Sir Marhaus, my brother.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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