s were arisen in the country of Liones he remembered
of wiles and treason. Lo thus he did: he let make and counterfeit
letters from the Pope, and did make a strange clerk to bear them unto
King Mark; the which letters specified that King Mark should make him
ready, upon pain of cursing, with his host to come to the Pope, to help
to go to Jerusalem, for to make war upon the Saracens.

When this clerk was come by the mean of the king, anon withal King Mark
sent these letters unto Sir Tristram and bade him say thus: that an he
would go war upon the miscreants, he should be had out of prison, and
to have all his power. When Sir Tristram understood this letter, then
he said thus to the clerk: Ah, King Mark, ever hast thou been a traitor,
and ever will be; but, Clerk, said Sir Tristram, say thou thus unto
King Mark: Since the Apostle Pope hath sent for him, bid him go thither
himself; for tell him, traitor king as he is, I will not go at his
commandment, get I out of prison as I may, for I see I am well rewarded
for my true service. Then the clerk returned unto King Mark, and told
him of the answer of Sir Tristram. Well, said King Mark, yet shall he be
beguiled. So he went into his chamber, and counterfeit letters; and the
letters specified that the Pope desired Sir Tristram to come himself,
to make war upon the miscreants. When the clerk was come again to Sir
Tristram and took him these letters, then Sir Tristram beheld these
letters, and anon espied they were of King Mark's counterfeiting. Ah,
said Sir Tristram, false hast thou been ever, King Mark, and so wilt
thou end. Then the clerk departed from Sir Tristram and came to King
Mark again.

By then there were come four wounded knights within the Castle of
Tintagil, and one of them his neck was nigh broken in twain. Another
had his arm stricken away, the third was borne through with a spear, the
fourth had his teeth stricken in twain. And when they came afore King
Mark they cried and said: King, why fleest thou not, for all this
country is arisen clearly against thee? Then was King Mark wroth out of
measure.

And in the meanwhile there came into the country Sir Percivale de Galis
to seek Sir Tristram. And when he heard that Sir Tristram was in prison,
Sir Percivale made clearly the deliverance of Sir Tristram by his
knightly means. And when he was so delivered he made great joy of
Sir Percivale, and so each one of other. Sir Tristram said unto Sir
Percivale: An ye will a