_How it was noised how Sir Tristram was dead, and how La Beale Isoud
would have slain herself._
Then Sir Andred that was cousin unto Sir Tristram, made a lady that was
his paramour to say and noise it that she was with Sir Tristram or ever
he died. And this tale she brought unto king Mark’s court, that she
buried him by a well, and that or he died he besought king Mark to make
his cousin, Sir Andred, king of the country of Liones, of the which Sir
Tristram was lord of. All this did Sir Andred because he would have had
Sir Tristram’s lands. And when king Mark heard tell that Sir Tristram
was dead, he wept and made great dole. But when queen Isoud heard of
these tidings, she made such sorrow that she was nigh out of her mind.
And so upon a day she thought to slay herself, and never to live after
Sir Tristram’s death. And so upon a day La Beale Isoud gat a sword
privily, and bare it into her garden, and there she pight the sword
through a plum tree up to the hilts, so that it stack fast, and it
stood breast high. And as she would have run upon the sword and to have
slain herself, all this espied king Mark, how she kneeled down and
said, Sweet Lord Jesu have mercy upon me, for I may not live after the
death of Sir Tristram de Liones, for he was my first love, and he shall
be the last. And with these words came king Mark and took her in his
arms, and then he took up the sword, and bare her away with him into a
strong tower, and there he made her to be kept, and watched her surely.
And after that she lay long sick, nigh at the point of death. This mean
while ran Sir Tristram naked in the forest with the sword in his hand,
and so he came to an hermitage, and there he laid him down and slept,
and in the mean while the hermit stale away his sword, and laid meat
down by him. Thus was he kept there a ten days, and at the last he
departed and came to the herdmen again. And there was a giant in that
country that hight Tauleas, and for fear of Sir Tristram more than
seven years he durst never much go at large, but for the most part he
kept him in a sure castle of his own. And so this Tauleas heard tell
that Sir Tristram was dead, by the noise of the court of king Mark.
Then this Tauleas went daily at large. And so it happed upon a day he
came to the herdmen wandering and lingering, and there he set him down
to rest among them. The mean while there came a knight of Cornwall that
led a lady with him, and his name was Sir Dinant. And when the giant
saw him, he went from the herdmen and hid him under a tree, and so the
knight came to the well, and there he alight to repose him. And as soon
as he was from his horse, the giant Tauleas came betwixt this knight
and his horse, and took the horse and lept upon him. So forthwith he
rode unto Sir Dinant and took him by the collar, and pulled him afore
him upon his horse, and there would have stricken off his head. Then
the herdmen said unto Sir Tristram, Help yonder knight. Help ye him,
said Sir Tristram. We dare not, said the herdmen. Then Sir Tristram was
ware of the sword of the knight there as it lay, and so thither he ran,
and took up the sword and strake off Sir Tauleas’s head, and so he went
his way to the herdmen again.