's court,
and there told what had happened to him in the wildwood.

"Let all beware," he said, "how they come near that forest well. For it
is haunted by a naked madman, and that fool soused me, King Arthur's
fool, and had nearly slain me."

"That must be Sir Matto le Breune," said King Mark, "who lost his wit
because Sir Gaheris robbed him of his lady."

Meanwhile, Kehydius had been ordered out of Cornwall by Queen Isolde,
who blamed him for all that had happened, and with a dolorous heart he
obeyed. By chance he met Palamides, to whom the damsel had reported the
sad condition of the insane knight, and for days they sought him
together, but in vain.

But at Tintagil a foul scheme was laid by Andred, Tristram's cousin and
foe, to gain possession of his estates. This villain got a lady to
declare that she had nursed Tristram in a fatal illness, that he had
died in her care, and had been buried by her near a forest well; and she
further said that before his death he had left a request that King Mark
would make Andred king of Lyonesse, of which country Tristram now was
lord.

On hearing these tidings, King Mark made a great show of grief, weeping
and lamenting as if he had lost his best friend in the world. But when
the news came to La Belle Isolde, so deep a weight of woe fell upon her
that she nearly went out of her mind. So deeply did she grieve, indeed,
that she vowed to destroy herself, declaring bitterly that she would not
live if Tristram was dead.

So she secretly got a sword and went with it into her garden, where she
forced the hilt into a crevice in a plum-tree so that the naked point
stood out breast high. Then she kneeled down and prayed piteously:
"Sweet Lord Jesus, have pity on me, for I may not live after the death
of Sir Tristram. My first love he was, and he shall be my last."

All this had been seen by King Mark, who had followed her privily, and
as she rose and was about to cast herself on the sword he came behind
and caught her in his arms. Then he tore the sword from the tree, and
bore her away, struggling and moaning, to a strong tower, where he set
guards upon her, bidding them to watch her closely. After that she lay
long sick, and came nigh to the point of death.

Meanwhile, Tristram ran wildly through the forest, with Dagonet's sword
in his hand, till he came to a hermitage, where he lay down and slept.
While he slumbered, the hermit, who knew of his madness, stole the sword
from him an