ht, the
Red Knight, and all the others that had yielded themselves to Sir
Gareth, and did homage and fealty to hold their lands of him for ever,
and desired to serve him at the feast. And the kings and queens,
princes, earls, and barons, and many bold knights went unto meat, and
well may ye wit that there was all manner of meat plenteously, all
manner of revels, and games, with all manner of minstrelsy that was
used in those days. So they held the court forty days with great
solemnity.

And this Sir Gareth was a noble knight, and a well ruled, and fair
languaged.

CHAPTER XVII

HOW YOUNG TRISTRAM SAVED THE LIFE OF THE QUEEN OF LYONESSE

There was a king called Meliodas, as likely a knight as any living, and
he was lord of the country of Lyonesse. At that time King Arthur
reigned supreme over England, Wales, Scotland, and many other realms,
howbeit there were many lords of countries that held their lands under
King Arthur. So also was the King of France subject to him, and the
King of Brittany, and all the lordships as far as Rome. The wife of
this King Meliodas was a full good and fair lady, called Elizabeth, the
sister of King Mark of Cornwall. Well she loved her lord, and he her
again, and there was much joy betwixt them. There was a lady in that
country who bore ill will towards this king and queen, and therefore
upon a day, as he rode on hunting, for he was a great chaser, she by an
enchantment made him chase a hart by himself alone till he came to an
old castle, where anon she had him taken prisoner.

When Queen Elizabeth missed her lord she was nigh out of her wit, and
she took a gentlewoman with her and ran into the forest to seek him.
When she was far in the forest and might go no farther, she sank down
exhausted. For the default of help she took cold there, and she soon
knew that she must die. So she begged her gentlewoman to commend her
to King Meliodas, and to say that she was full sorry to depart out of
this world from him, and that their little child, that was to have such
sorrow even in his infancy, should be christened Tristram.

Therewith this queen gave up the ghost and died. The gentlewoman laid
her under the shadow of a great tree, and right so there came the
barons, following after the queen. When they saw that she was dead
they had her carried home, and much dole[1] was made for her.

The morn after his queen died King Meliodas was delivered out of
prison, and the sorrow he