and thereat the knight was jealous, and was in will
suddenly to have run upon Sir Tristram with a sword, but he left it
for shame. Then the queen said to Sir Tristram: Tell me thy name, and I
shall suffer you to depart when ye will. Upon that covenant I tell you
my name is Sir Tristram de Liones. Ah, said Morgan le Fay, an I had wist
that, thou shouldst not have departed so soon as thou shalt. But sithen
I have made a promise I will hold it, with that thou wilt promise me to
bear upon thee a shield that I shall deliver thee, unto the castle of
the Hard Rock, where King Arthur had cried a great tournament, and there
I pray you that ye will be, and to do for me as much deeds of arms as
ye may do. For at the Castle of Maidens, Sir Tristram, ye did marvellous
deeds of arms as ever I heard knight do. Madam, said Sir Tristram, let
me see the shield that I shall bear. Then the shield was brought forth,
and the field was goldish, with a king and a queen therein painted, and
a knight standing above them, [one foot] upon the king's head, and the
other upon the queen's. Madam, said Sir Tristram, this is a fair shield
and a mighty; but what signifieth this king and this queen, and the
knight standing upon both their heads? I shall tell you, said Morgan
le Fay, it signifieth King Arthur and Queen Guenever, and a knight who
holdeth them both in bondage and in servage. Who is that knight? said
Sir Tristram. That shall ye not wit as at this time, said the queen.
But as the French book saith, Queen Morgan loved Sir Launcelot best, and
ever she desired him, and he would never love her nor do nothing at her
request, and therefore she held many knights together for to have taken
him by strength. And because she deemed that Sir Launcelot loved Queen
Guenever paramour, and she him again, therefore Queen Morgan le Fay
ordained that shield to put Sir Launcelot to a rebuke, to that intent
that King Arthur might understand the love between them. Then Sir
Tristram took that shield and promised her to bear it at the tournament
at the Castle of the Hard Rock. But Sir Tristram knew not that that
shield was ordained against Sir Launcelot, but afterward he knew it.

CHAPTER XLII. How Sir Tristram took with him the shield, and also how he
slew the paramour of Morgan le Fay.

SO then Sir Tristram took his leave of the queen, and took the shield
with him. Then came the knight that held Queen Morgan le Fay, his name
was Sir Hemison, and he made him re