im told,
And taught;
For hauke silver he gold;
The fairest men him raught."
SCOTT, _Sir Tristrem_.

They had not gone far, however, before a terrible tempest arose, which
threatened to sink the vessel and drown all on board. The mariners,
supposing in their terror that this peril had come upon them because they
had acted dishonorably, made a solemn vow to liberate the youth if they
escaped.

The vow having been made, the wind ceased to blow; and anchoring in the
nearest bay, the Norsemen bade Tristan land, and paid him the sum he had
won at chess.

[Sidenote: Tristan in Cornwall.] Thus forsaken on an unknown shore, with
nothing but his harp and bow, Tristan wandered through an extensive forest,
where, coming across a party of huntsmen who had just slain a deer, he gave
them valuable and lengthy instructions in matters pertaining to the chase,
and taught them how to flay and divide their quarry according to the most
approved mediaeval style. Then, accompanying them to the court of their
master, King Mark, he charmed every one with his minstrelsy, and was
invited to tarry there as long as he pleased. His foster father, Kurvenal,
in the mean while, had set out to seek him; and in the course of his
wanderings he too came to Mark's court, where he was overjoyed to find
Tristan, whose parentage he revealed to the king.

Tristan now for the first time heard the story of his father's death, and
refused to rest until he had avenged him. He immediately set out, slew
Morgan, and recovered his father's estate of Lyonesse, which he intrusted
to Kurvenal's care, while he himself went back to Cornwall. On arriving at
Tintagel he was surprised to find all the court plunged in sorrow. Upon
inquiring the cause he was informed that Morold, brother of the King of
Ireland, had come to claim the usual tribute of three hundred pounds of
silver and tin and three hundred promising youths to be sold into slavery.

Indignant at this claim, which had been enforced ever since Mark had been
defeated in battle by the Irish king, Tristan boldly strode up to the
emissary, tore the treaty in two, flung the pieces in his face, and
challenged him to single combat. Morold, confident in his strength,--for he
was a giant,--and relying particularly upon his poisoned sword, immediately
accepted the challenge. When the usual preliminaries had been settled, the
battle began.

"Sir Morold rode upon hi