her for weal or for woe.

So they sailed on till by fortune they came into Cornwall. There all
the barons met them, and anon King Mark and the Fair Isoud were richly
wedded with great splendour. But ever, as the French book saith, Sir
Tristram and the Fair Isoud loved each other truly, and his life long
he was her loyal and honourable knight.

[1] Lievest: dearest.

CHAPTER XXI

HOW SIR TRISTRAM DEPARTED FROM TINTAGIL,
AND WAS LONG IN THE FOREST

There were great jousts and tourneying at that time in Cornwall, and
Sir Tristram was most praised of all the knights. But some were
jealous because of his prowess, and especially Sir Andred, that was
cousin unto Sir Tristram, ever lay in a watch to wait betwixt him and
the Fair Isoud, for to take them and slander them. So upon a day Sir
Tristram talked with Isoud in a window, and that espied Sir Andred, and
told it to the king.

Then King Mark took a sword in his hand and came to Sir Tristram, and
called him false traitor, and would have stricken him. But Sir
Tristram ran under his sword, and took it out of his hand. And then
the king cried, "Where are my knights and my men? I charge you slay
this traitor."

But there was not one would move for his words. When Sir Tristram saw
there was not one would be against him, he shook the sword to the king,
and made as though he would strike him. And then King Mark fled, for
he was a coward, and Sir Tristram followed him, and smote upon him five
or six strokes with the flat of his sword on the neck so that he made
him fall upon the nose. Sir Tristram then went his way and armed
himself, and took his horse and his man, and so he rode into the forest.

King Mark called his council unto him and asked advice of his barons
what was best to do with Sir Tristram. Their counsel was to send for
him, that they might be friends, for in a quarrel, if Sir Tristram were
hard bestead, many men would hold with him against the king; and if so
peerless a knight should depart from King Mark's court and go to King
Arthur's he would get himself such friends there that Cornwall would be
in ill repute.

So the barons sent for Sir Tristram under a safe conduct, and he was
welcomed back by King Mark. But his enemies ever plotted against him,
and on a day Sir Andred and some of the barons set upon him secretly,
seized him, and took him, bound hand and foot, unto a chapel which
stood upon the sea rocks. When Sir Tristram saw t