the king understood nothing of her treason.
Notwithstanding the queen would not leave this, but eft she let ordain
more poison, and put it in a piece. And by fortune King Meliodas, her
husband, found the piece with wine where was the poison, and he that was
much thirsty took the piece for to drink thereout. And as he would have
drunken thereof the queen espied him, and then she ran unto him, and
pulled the piece from him suddenly. The king marvelled why she did so,
and remembered him how her son was suddenly slain with poison. And then
he took her by the hand, and said: Thou false traitress, thou shalt
tell me what manner of drink this is, or else I shall slay thee. And
therewith he pulled out his sword, and sware a great oath that he should
slay her but if she told him truth. Ah! mercy, my lord, said she, and
I shall tell you all. And then she told him why she would have slain
Tristram, because her children should rejoice his land. Well, said King
Meliodas, and therefore shall ye have the law. And so she was condemned
by the assent of the barons to be burnt; and then was there made a great
fire, and right as she was at the fire to take her execution, young
Tristram kneeled afore King Meliodas, and besought him to give him a
boon. I will well, said the king again. Then said young Tristram, Give
me the life of thy queen, my stepmother. That is unrightfully asked,
said King Meliodas, for thou ought of right to hate her, for she would
have slain thee with that poison an she might have had her will; and for
thy sake most is my cause that she should die.

Sir, said Tristram, as for that, I beseech you of your mercy that you
will forgive it her, and as for my part, God forgive it her, and I do;
and so much it liked your highness to grant me my boon, for God's love
I require you hold your promise. Sithen it is so, said the king, I will
that ye have her life. Then, said the king, I give her to you, and go ye
to the fire and take her, and do with her what ye will. So Sir Tristram
went to the fire, and by the commandment of the king delivered her from
the death. But after that King Meliodas would never have ado with her,
as at bed and board. But by the good means of young Tristram he made the
king and her accorded. But then the king would not suffer young Tristram
to abide no longer in his court.

CHAPTER III. How Sir Tristram was sent into France, and had one to
govern him named Gouvernail, and how he learned to harp, hawk,