CHAPTER VII
 
 How Sir Tristram fought against Sir Marhaus and achieved
 his battle, and how Sir Marhaus fled to his ship.
 
 AND then Sir Marhaus avised Sir Tristram, and said thus:  Young
 knight, Sir Tristram, what dost thou here? me sore repenteth of
 thy courage, for wit thou well I have been assayed, and the best
 knights of this land have been assayed of my hand; and also I
 have matched with the best knights of the world, and therefore by
 my counsel return again unto thy vessel.  And fair knight, and
 well-proved knight, said Sir Tristram, thou shalt well wit I may
 not forsake thee in this quarrel, for I am for thy sake made
 knight.  And thou shalt well wit that I am a king's son born, and
 gotten upon a queen; and such promise I have made at my uncle's
 request and mine own seeking, that I shall fight with thee unto
 the uttermost, and deliver Cornwall from the old truage.  And
 also wit thou well, Sir Marhaus, that this is the greatest cause
 that thou couragest me to have ado with thee, for thou art called
 one of the most renowned knights of the world, and because of
 that noise and fame that thou hast thou givest me courage to have
 ado with thee, for never yet was I proved with good knight; and
 sithen I took the order of knighthood this day, I am well pleased
 that I may have ado with so good a knight as thou art.  And now
 wit thou well, Sir Marhaus, that I cast me to get worship on thy
 body; and if that I be not proved, I trust to God that I shall be
 worshipfully proved upon thy body, and to <289>deliver the
 country of Cornwall for ever from all manner of truage from
 Ireland for ever.
 
 When Sir Marhaus had heard him say what he would, he said then
 thus again:  Fair knight, sithen it is so that thou castest to
 win worship of me, I let thee wit worship may thou none lose by
 me if thou mayest stand me three strokes; for I let thee wit for
 my noble deeds, proved and seen, King Arthur made me Knight of
 the Table Round.
 
 Then they began to feutre their spears, and they met so fiercely
 together that they smote either other down, both horse and all. 
 But Sir Marhaus smote Sir Tristram a great wound in the side with
 his spear, and then they avoided their horses, and pulled out
 their swords, and threw their shields afore them.  And then they
 lashed together as men that were wild and courageous.  And when
 they had stricken so together long, then they left their strokes,
 and foined at their breaths and visors; and when they saw that
 that might not prevail them, then they hurtled together like rams
 to bear either other down.  Thus they fought still more than half
 a day, and either were wounded passing sore, that the blood ran
 down freshly from them upon the ground.  By then Sir Tristram
 waxed more fresher than Sir Marhaus, and better winded and
 bigger; and with a mighty stroke he smote Sir Marhaus upon the
 helm such a buffet that it went through his helm, and through the
 coif of steel, and through the brain-pan, and the sword stuck so
 fast in the helm and in his brain-pan that Sir Tristram pulled
 thrice at his sword or ever he might pull it out from his head;
 and there Marhaus fell down on his knees, the edge of Tristram's
 sword left in his brain-pan.  And suddenly Sir Marhaus rose
 grovelling, and threw his sword and his shield from him, and so
 ran to his ships and fled his way, and Sir Tristram had ever his
 shield and his sword.
 
 And when Sir Tristram saw Sir Marhaus withdraw him, he said:  Ah!
 Sir Knight of the Round Table, why withdrawest thou thee? thou
 dost thyself and thy kin great shame, for I am but a young
 knight, or now I was never proved, and rather than I should
 withdraw me from <290>thee, I had rather be hewn in an hundred
 pieces.  Sir Marhaus answered no word but yede his way sore
 groaning.  Well, Sir Knight, said Sir Tristram, I promise thee
 thy sword and thy shield shall be mine; and thy shield shall I
 wear in all places where I ride on mine adventures, and in the
 sight of King Arthur and all the Round Table.