soud with him, then was he passing glad.
So because of Sir Tristram King Arthur let make a cry, that on May Day
should be a jousts before the castle of Lonazep; and that castle was
fast by Joyous Gard. And thus Arthur devised, that all the knights of
this land, and of Cornwall, and of North Wales, should joust against all
these countries, Ireland, Scotland, and the remnant of Wales, and
the country of Gore, and Surluse, and of Listinoise, and they of
Northumberland, and all they that held lands of Arthur on this half the
sea. When this cry was made many knights were glad and many were unglad.
Sir, said Launcelot unto Arthur, by this cry that ye have made ye will
put us that be about you in great jeopardy, for there be many knights
that have great envy to us; therefore when we shall meet at the day of
jousts there will be hard shift among us. As for that, said Arthur, I
care not; there shall we prove who shall be best of his hands. So when
Sir Launcelot understood wherefore King Arthur made this jousting, then
he made such purveyance that La Beale Isoud should behold the jousts in
a secret place that was honest for her estate.
Now turn we unto Sir Tristram and to La Beale Isoud, how they made great
joy daily together with all manner of mirths that they could devise;
and every day Sir Tristram would go ride a-hunting, for Sir Tristram was
that time called the best chaser of the world, and the noblest blower of
an horn of all manner of measures; for as books report, of Sir Tristram
came all the good terms of venery and hunting, and all the sizes and
measures of blowing of an horn; and of him we had first all the terms of
hawking, and which were beasts of chase and beasts of venery, and which
were vermins, and all the blasts that long to all manner of games. First
to the uncoupling, to the seeking, to the rechate, to the flight, to the
death, and to strake, and many other blasts and terms, that all manner
of gentlemen have cause to the world's end to praise Sir Tristram, and
to pray for his soul.
CHAPTER LIII. How by the counsel of La Beale Isoud Sir Tristram rode
armed, and how he met with Sir Palomides.
SO on a day La Beale Isoud said unto Sir Tristram: I marvel me much,
said she, that ye remember not yourself, how ye be here in a strange
country, and here be many perilous knights; and well ye wot that King
Mark is full of treason; and that ye will ride thus to chase and to
hunt unarmed ye might be destroyed. M
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