Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK X CHAPTER LI

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 CHAPTER LI
 
 How King Mark let do counterfeit letters from the Pope, and
 how Sir Percivale delivered Sir Tristram out of prison.
 
 
 NOW turn we unto King Mark, that when he was escaped
 from Sir Sadok he rode unto the Castle of Tintagil, and
 there he made great cry and noise, and cried unto harness
 all that might bear arms.  Then they sought and found
 where were dead four cousins of King Mark's, and the
 traitor of Magouns.  Then the king let inter them in a
 chapel.  Then the king let cry in all the country that held
 of him, to go unto arms, for he understood to the war he
 must needs.  When King Mark heard and understood
 how Sir Sadok and Sir Dinas were arisen in the country of
 Liones he remembered of wiles and treason.  Lo thus he
 did: he let make and counterfeit letters from the Pope,
 and did make a strange clerk to bear them unto King
 Mark; the which letters specified that King Mark should
 make him ready, upon pain of cursing, with his host to
 come to the Pope, to help to go to Jerusalem, for to make
 war upon the Saracens.
 
 When this clerk was come by the mean of the king,
 anon withal King Mark sent these letters unto Sir Tristram
 and bade him say thus: that an he would go war upon
 the miscreants, he should be had out of prison, and to
 have all his power.  When Sir Tristram understood this
 letter, then he said thus to the clerk:  Ah, King Mark,
 ever hast thou been a traitor, and ever will be; but, Clerk,
 said Sir Tristram, say thou thus unto King Mark:  Since
 the Apostle Pope hath sent for him, bid him go thither
 himself; for tell him, traitor king as he is, I will not go
 at his commandment, get I out of prison as I may, for
 I see I am well rewarded for my true service.  Then the
 clerk returned unto King Mark, and told him of the
 answer of Sir Tristram.  Well, said King Mark, yet shall
 he be beguiled.  So he went into his chamber, and counterfeit
 letters; and the letters specified that the Pope desired
 Sir Tristram to come himself, to make war upon the
 miscreants.  When the clerk was come again to Sir
 Tristram and took him these letters, then Sir Tristram
 beheld these letters, and anon espied they were of King
 Mark's counterfeiting.  Ah, said Sir Tristram, false hast
 thou been ever, King Mark, and so wilt thou end.  Then
 the clerk departed from Sir Tristram and came to King
 Mark again.
 
 By then there were come four wounded knights within
 the Castle of Tintagil, and one of them his neck was nigh
 broken in twain.  Another had his arm stricken away, the
 third was borne through with a spear, the fourth had his
 teeth stricken in twain.  And when they came afore King
 Mark they cried and said:  King, why fleest thou not, for
 all this country is arisen clearly against thee? Then was
 King Mark wroth out of measure.
 
 And in the meanwhile there came into the country Sir
 Percivale de Galis to seek Sir Tristram.  And when he
 heard that Sir Tristram was in prison, Sir Percivale made
 clearly the deliverance of Sir Tristram by his knightly
 means.  And when he was so delivered he made great joy
 of Sir Percivale, and so each one of other.  Sir Tristram
 said unto Sir Percivale:  An ye will abide in these marches
 I will ride with you.  Nay, said Percivale, in this country
 I may not tarry, for I must needs into Wales.  So Sir
 Percivale departed from Sir Tristram, and rode straight
 unto King Mark, and told him how he had delivered Sir
 Tristram; and also he told the king that he had done
 himself great shame for to put Sir Tristram in prison, for
 he is now the knight of most renown in this world living.
 And wit thou well the noblest knights of the world love
 Sir Tristram, and if he will make war upon you ye may
 not abide it.  That is truth, said King Mark, but I may
 not love Sir Tristram because he loveth my queen and my
 wife, La Beale Isoud.  Ah, fie for shame, said Sir Percivale,
 say ye never so more.  Are ye not uncle unto Sir
 Tristram, and he your nephew?  Ye should never think
 that so noble a knight as Sir Tristram is, that he would do
 himself so great a villainy to hold his uncle's wife;
 howbeit, said Sir Percivale, he may love your queen sinless,
 because she is called one of the fairest ladies of the
 world.
 
 Then Sir Percivale departed from King Mark.  So
 when he was departed King Mark bethought him of more
 treason: notwithstanding King Mark granted Sir Percivale
 never by no manner of means to hurt Sir Tristram.  So
 anon King Mark sent unto Sir Dinas the Seneschal that he
 should put down all the people that he had raised, for he
 sent him an oath that he would go himself unto the Pope
 of Rome to war upon the miscreants; and this is a fairer
 war than thus to arise the people against your king.
 When Sir Dinas understood that King Mark would go
 upon the miscreants, then Sir Dinas in all the haste put
 down all the people; and when the people were departed
 every man to his home, then King Mark espied where
 was Sir Tristram with La Beale Isoud; and there by
 treason King Mark let take him and put him in prison,
 contrary to his promise that he made unto Sir Percivale.
 
 When Queen Isoud understood that Sir Tristram was
 in prison she made as great sorrow as ever made lady or
 gentlewoman.  Then Sir Tristram sent a letter unto La
 Beale Isoud, and prayed her to be his good lady; and if it
 pleased her to make a vessel ready for her and him, he
 would go with her unto the realm of Logris, that is this
 land.  When La Beale Isoud understood Sir Tristram's
 letters and his intent, she sent him another, and bade him
 be of good comfort, for she would do make the vessel
 ready, and all thing to purpose.
 
 Then La Beale Isoud sent unto Sir Dinas, and to
 Sadok, and prayed them in anywise to take King Mark,
 and put him in prison, unto the time that she and Sir
 Tristram were departed unto the realm of Logris.  When
 Sir Dinas the Seneschal understood the treason of King
 Mark he promised her again, and sent her word that King
 Mark should be put in prison.  And as they devised it so
 it was done.  And then Sir Tristram was delivered out of
 prison; and anon in all the haste Queen Isoud and Sir
 Tristram went and took their counsel with that they would
 have with them when they departed.