_How Sir Suppinabiles told Sir Tristram how he was defamed in the court
of king Arthur, and of Sir Lamorak._
Then departed Sir Suppinabiles unto Britanny again, and there he found
Sir Tristram, and told him that he had been in king Arthur’s court.
Then said Sir Tristram, Heard ye any thing of me? Truly, said Sir
Suppinabiles, there I heard Sir Launcelot speak of you great shame, and
that ye be a false knight to your lady, and he bad me to do you to wit
that he will be your mortal enemy in every place where he may meet you.
That me repenteth, said Tristram, for of all knights I loved to be in
his fellowship. So Sir Tristram made great moan, and was ashamed that
noble knights should defame him for the sake of his lady. And in this
mean while La Beale Isoud made a letter unto queen Guenever,
complaining her of the untruth of Sir Tristram, and how he had wedded
the king’s daughter of Britanny. Queen Guenever sent her another
letter, and bad her be of good cheer, for she should have joy after
sorrow, for Sir Tristram was so noble a knight called, that by crafts
of sorcery ladies would make such noble men to wed them, but in the
end, queen Guenever said, it shall be thus, that he shall hate her, and
love you better than ever he did tofore.
So leave we Sir Tristram in Britanny, and speak we of Sir Lamorak de
Galis, that as he sailed his ship fell on a rock and perished all, save
Sir Lamorak and his squire, and there he swam mightily, and fishers of
the Isle of Servage took him up, and his squire was drowned, and the
shipmen had great labour to save Sir Lamorak’s life for all the comfort
that they could do. And the lord of that isle hight Sir Nabon le Noire,
a great mighty giant. And this Sir Nabon hateth all the knights of king
Arthur, and in no wise he would do them favor. And these fishers told
Sir Lamorak all the guise of Sir Nabon, how there came never knight of
king Arthur’s but he destroyed him. And at the last battle that he did
was slain Sir Nanowne le Petite, the which he put to a shameful death
in despite of king Arthur, for he was drawn limb-meal. That forthinketh
me, said Sir Lamorak, for that knight’s death, for he was my cousin.
And if I were at mine ease as well as ever I was, I would revenge his
death. Peace, said the fishers, and make here no words, for, or ye
depart from hence, Sir Nabon must know that ye have been here, or else
we should die for your sake. So that I be whole, said Lamorak, of my
disease that I have taken in the sea, I will that ye tell him that I am
a knight of king Arthur’s, for I was never afeard to deny my lord.