ht with you because it behooved me to do so for the sake of the King of
Cornwall, who is my uncle."
Then Sir Bleoberis said, "Messire, I pray you tell me who you are?" "Lord,"
said Sir Tristram, "I am a very young knight hight Tristram, and I am the
son of King Meliadus of Lyonesse and the Lady Elizabeth, sister unto King
Mark of Cornwall."
[Sidenote: Sir Bleoberis gives the goblet to Sir Tristram] "Ha," said Sir
Bleoberis, "I have heard great report of you, Sir Tristram, and now I know
at mine own cost that you are one of the best knights in the world. Yea; I
have no doubt that at some time you will be the peer of Sir Launcelot of
the Lake himself, or of Sir Lamorak of Gales, and they two are, certes, the
best knights in the world. Now I believe that I would have given you this
goblet, even without your having to fight for it, had I known who you were;
and as it is I herewith give it to you very freely."
So Sir Bleoberis untied the goblet from where it hung at his saddle-bow,
and Sir Tristram took the goblet and gave him gramercy for it; and
therewith having recovered their horses, each knight mounted, and betook
his way whither he was going.
So a little after nightfall Sir Tristram came to the King of Cornwall and
his court, and he said to King Mark: "Here is your goblet which I have
brought back to you; and I would God that some of your knights who are so
much older than I had the courage to do for you what I have had to do." And
therewith he went away and left them all sitting ashamed.
Now it chanced some little while after these things happened as aforesaid,
that King Mark lay down upon his couch after his midday meal for to sleep a
little space during the heat of the day; and it likewise happened that the
window near by where he lay was open so that the air might come into the
room. Now at that time three knights of the court sat in the garden beneath
where the window was. These knights talked to one another concerning Sir
Tristram, and of how he had brought back that goblet from Sir Bleoberis de
Ganys, and of what honor it was to have such a champion in Cornwall for to
stand for the honor of that court. In their talk they said to one another
that if only the King of Cornwall were such a knight as Sir Tristram, then
there would be plenty of knights of good worth who would come to that
court, and Cornwall would no longer have to be ashamed of its chivalry as
it was nowadays. So they said: "Would God our Kin
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