ole castle rang with the sound thereof.

Now there were in the outer room several of the knights of the court of Sir
Tristram who had come thither with him as witnesses that he performed no
treason to the King. These, when Dame Bragwaine shrieked in that wise, came
running into the room and therewith beheld what had happened. Then all they
stood aghast at that sight.

[Sidenote: Sir Alexander slays King Mark] But there was in the court of
Sir Tristram a very young, gallant knight hight Sir Alexander. This knight
came to where King Mark stood looking down upon his handiwork as though
entranced with what he had done. Then Sir Alexander said to King Mark, "Is
this thy work?" And King Mark raised his eyes very heavily and looked at
Sir Alexander and he answered, "Ay!" Then Sir Alexander cried out, "Thou
hast lived too long!" And therewith drawing his misericordia, he catched
King Mark by the left wrist and lifted his arm. And Sir Alexander drave the
dagger into the side of King Mark, and King Mark groaned and sank down upon
the ground, and in a little while died where he lay.

Then those knights went to where the Lady Belle Isoult lay and lifted her
up; but, lo! the soul had left her, and she was dead. For I believe that it
was not possible for one of those loving souls to leave its body with out
the other quitting its body also, so that they might meet together in
Paradise. For there never were two souls in all the history of chivalry
that clave to one another so tenderly as did the souls of Tristram and
Isoult.

So endeth this story of Sir Tristram, with only this to say, that they two
were buried with the graves close together, and that it is said by many who
have written of them that there grew a rose-tree up from Sir Tristram's
grave, and down upon the grave of Belle Isoult; and it is said that this
rose-tree was a miracle, for that upon his grave there grew red roses, and
upon her grave there grew pure white roses. For her soul was white like to
thrice-carded wool, and so his soul was red with all that was of courage or
knightly pride.

And I pray that God may rest the souls of those two as I pray He may rest
the souls of all of us who must some time go the way that those two and so
many others have travelled before us. Amen.

The Book of Sir Percival

_Here beginneth the story of Sir Percival of Gales, who was considered to
be one of the three great knights of the Round Table at that time. For, if
Sir La