n King Mark understood that the good and noble knight Sir Marhaus
was come to fight for Ireland, he made great sorrow, for he knew no
knight that durst have ado with him. Sir Marhaus remained on his ship,
and every day he sent word unto King Mark that he should pay the
tribute or else find a champion to fight for it with him.

Then they of Cornwall let make cries in every place, that what knight
would fight to save the tribute should be rewarded so that he should
fare the better the term of his life. But no one came to do the
battle, and some counselled King Mark to send to the court of King
Arthur to seek Sir Launcelot of the Lake, that at that time was named
for the marvellousest knight of all the world. Others said it were
labour in vain to do so, because Sir Marhaus was one of the knights of
the Round Table, and any one of them would be loath to have ado with
other. So the king and all his barons at the last agreed that it was
no boot to seek any knight of the Round Table.

Meanwhile came the language and the noise unto young Tristram how Sir
Marhaus abode battle fast by Tintagil, and how King Mark could find no
manner of knight to fight for him. Then Sir Tristram was wroth and
sore ashamed that there durst no knight in Cornwall have ado with Sir
Marhaus, and he went unto his father, King Meliodas, and said: "Alas,
that I am not made knight; if I were, I would engage with him. I pray
you give me leave to ride to King Mark to be made knight by him."

"I will well," said the father, "that ye be ruled as your courage will
rule you."

So Tristram went unto his uncle, who quickly gave him the order of
knighthood, and anon sent a messenger unto Sir Marhaus with letters
that said he had found a young knight ready to take the battle to the
uttermost. Then in all haste King Mark had Sir Tristram horsed and
armed in the best manner that might be had or gotten for gold or
silver, and he was put into a vessel, both his horse and he, and all
that to him belonged both for his body and for his horse, to be taken
to an island nigh Sir Marhaus' ships, where it was agreed that they
should fight. And when King Mark and his barons beheld young Sir
Tristram depart to fight for the right of Cornwall, there was neither
man nor woman of honour but wept to see so young a knight jeopard
himself for their right.

When Sir Tristram was arrived at the island, he commanded his servant
Gouvernail to bring his horse to the land and to