t Lord
Jesu, have mercy upon me, for I may not live after the death of Sir
Tristram de Liones, for he was my first love and he shall be the last.
And with these words came King Mark and took her in his arms, and then
he took up the sword, and bare her away with him into a tower; and there
he made her to be kept, and watched her surely, and after that she lay
long sick, nigh at the point of death.

This meanwhile ran Sir Tristram naked in the forest with the sword in
his hand, and so he came to an hermitage, and there he laid him down and
slept; and in the meanwhile the hermit stole away his sword, and laid
meat down by him. Thus was he kept there ten days; and at the last he
departed and came to the herdmen again. And there was a giant in that
country that hight Tauleas, and for fear of Sir Tristram more than seven
year he durst never much go at large, but for the most part he kept him
in a sure castle of his own; and so this Tauleas heard tell that Sir
Tristram was dead, by the noise of the court of King Mark. Then this
Tauleas went daily at large. And so he happed upon a day he came to the
herdmen wandering and langering, and there he set him down to rest among
them. The meanwhile there came a knight of Cornwall that led a lady with
him, and his name was Sir Dinant; and when the giant saw him he went
from the herdmen and hid him under a tree, and so the knight came to
that well, and there he alighted to repose him. And as soon as he was
from his horse this giant Tauleas came betwixt this knight and his
horse, and took the horse and leapt upon him. So forthwith he rode unto
Sir Dinant and took him by the collar, and pulled him afore him upon his
horse, and there would have stricken off his head. Then the herdmen said
unto Sir Tristram: Help yonder knight. Help ye him, said Sir Tristram.
We dare not, said the herdmen. Then Sir Tristram was ware of the sword
of the knight thereas it lay; and so thither he ran and took up the
sword and struck off Sir Tauleas' head, and so he yede his way to the
herdmen.

CHAPTER XXI. How King Mark found Sir Tristram naked, and made him to be
borne home to Tintagil, and how he was there known by a brachet.

THEN the knight took up the giant's head and bare it with him unto King
Mark, and told him what adventure betid him in the forest, and how a
naked man rescued him from the grimly giant, Tauleas. Where had ye
this adventure? said King Mark. Forsooth, said Sir Dinant, at the fair
f