the King's feet he still complained:

"Remember the Queen; for if any man of your household make so bold as
to maintain the lie that I loved her unlawfully I will stand up armed
to him in a ring. Sire, in the name of God the Lord, have mercy on
her."

Then the barons bound him with ropes, and the Queen also. But had
Tristan known that trial by combat was to be denied him, certainly he
would not have suffered it.

For he trusted in God and knew no man dared draw sword against him in
the lists. And truly he did well to trust in God, for though the
felons mocked him when he said he had loved loyally, yet I call you to
witness, my lords who read this, and who know of the philtre drunk
upon the high seas, and who, understand whether his love were
disloyalty indeed. For men see this and that outward thing, but God
alone the heart, and in the heart alone is crime and the sole final
judge is God. Therefore did He lay down the law that a man accused
might uphold his cause by battle, and God himself fights for the
innocent in such a combat.

Therefore did Tristan claim justice and the right of battle and
therefore was he careful to fail in nothing of the homage he owed King
Mark, his lord.

But had he known what was coming, he would have killed the felons.

THE CHANTRY LEAP

Dark was the night, and the news ran that Tristan and the Queen were
held and that the King would kill them; and wealthy burgess, or common
man, they wept and ran to the palace.

And the murmurs and the cries ran through the city, but such was the
King's anger in his castle above that not the strongest nor the
proudest baron dared move him.

Night ended and the day drew near. Mark, before dawn, rode out to the
place where he held pleas and judgment. He ordered a ditch to be dug
in the earth and knotty vine-shoots and thorns to be laid therein.

At the hour of Prime he had a ban cried through his land to gather the
men of Cornwall; they came with a great noise and the King spoke them
thus:

"My lords, I have made here a faggot of thorns for Tristan and the
Queen; for they have fallen."

But they cried all, with tears:

"A sentence, lord, a sentence; an indictment and pleas; for killing
without trial is shame and crime."

But Mark answered in his anger:

"Neither respite, nor delay, nor pleas, nor sentence. By God that made
the world, if any dare petition me, he shall burn first!"

He ordered the fire to be lit, and Tristan to be called.