istram delivers the
reluctant bride into his uncle's hands.

Some legends claim that Iseult made her maid Brengwain take her place
by the king's side on their wedding night, and that, although the
Irish princess dwelt in the palace at Cornwall, she never proved
untrue to her lover Tristram. The romances now give us stolen
interviews, temporary elopements, and hair-breadth escapes from all
manner of dangers. Once, for instance, Iseult is summoned by her
husband to appear before the judges and clear herself from all
suspicion of infidelity by taking a public oath in their presence. By
Iseult's directions, Tristram, disguised as a mendicant, carries her
ashore from the boat, begging for a kiss as reward. This enables the
queen to swear truthfully that she has never been embraced by any man
save King Mark and the mendicant who carried her ashore!

Tristram--like Launcelot--deeply feels the baseness of his conduct
toward his uncle and often tries to tear himself away, but the spell
of the magic potion is too powerful to break. Once remorse and shame
actually drive him mad, and he roams around the country performing all
manner of crazy deeds.

He too, when restored to his senses, visits Arthur's court, is
admitted to the Round Table, and joins in the Quest for the Holy
Grail, which, of course, he cannot achieve. Then he does marvels in
the matter of hunting and fighting, and, having received another
dangerous wound, wonders who besides Iseult of Cornwall can cure it?
It is then he hears for the first time of Iseult of Brittany (or of
the White Hands), whose skill in such matters is proverbial, and,
seeking her aid, is soon made whole. But meantime the physician has
fallen in love with her patient, and fancies her love is returned
because every lay he sings is in praise of Iseult!

Her brother, discovering her innocent passion, reveals it to Tristram,
who, through gratitude or to drive the remembrance of his guilty
passion out of his mind, finally marries her. But even marriage cannot
make him forget Iseult of Cornwall. The time comes when, wounded
beyond the power of his wife's skill to cure, Tristram sends for
Iseult of Cornwall, who, either owing to treachery or to accident,
arrives too late, and dies of grief on her lover's corpse.

Some legends vary greatly in the manner of Tristram's death, for he is
sometimes slain by King Stark, who is justly angry to find him in his
wife's company. Most of the versions, however,