y desire, that ye will give me La Beale Isoud to go with me
into Cornwall for to be wedded to King Mark, mine uncle. As for that,
said King Anguish, ye shall have her with you to do with her what it
please you; that is for to say if that ye list to wed her yourself, that
is me liefest, and if ye will give her unto King Mark, your uncle, that
is in your choice. So, to make short conclusion, La Beale Isoud was made
ready to go with Sir Tristram, and Dame Bragwaine went with her for her
chief gentlewoman, with many other.

Then the queen, Isoud's mother, gave to her and Dame Bragwaine, her
daughter's gentlewoman, and unto Gouvernail, a drink, and charged them
that what day King Mark should wed, that same day they should give him
that drink, so that King Mark should drink to La Beale Isoud, and then,
said the queen, I undertake either shall love other the days of their
life. So this drink was given unto Dame Bragwaine, and unto Gouvernail.
And then anon Sir Tristram took the sea, and La Beale Isoud; and when
they were in their cabin, it happed so that they were thirsty, and they
saw a little flasket of gold stand by them, and it seemed by the colour
and the taste that it was noble wine. Then Sir Tristram took the flasket
in his hand, and said, Madam Isoud, here is the best drink that ever
ye drank, that Dame Bragwaine, your maiden, and Gouvernail, my servant,
have kept for themselves. Then they laughed and made good cheer, and
either drank to other freely, and they thought never drink that ever
they drank to other was so sweet nor so good. But by that their drink
was in their bodies, they loved either other so well that never their
love departed for weal neither for woe. And thus it happed the love
first betwixt Sir Tristram and La Beale Isoud, the which love never
departed the days of their life.

So then they sailed till by fortune they came nigh a castle that hight
Pluere, and thereby arrived for to repose them, weening to them to have
had good harbourage. But anon as Sir Tristram was within the castle they
were taken prisoners; for the custom of the castle was such; who that
rode by that castle and brought any lady, he must needs fight with the
lord, that hight Breunor. And if it were so that Breunor won the field,
then should the knight stranger and his lady be put to death, what that
ever they were; and if it were so that the strange knight won the field
of Sir Breunor, then should he die and his lady both. This custo