[Sidenote:  How Sir Tristram fell into despair] Then Sir Tristram perceived how he had been betrayed and he put aside his harp and rose from where he sat.  And he gazed for a long while at King Mark, and his countenance was wonderfully white like that of a dead man.  Then by and by he said:  “Sir, I know not why you have put this upon me, nor do I know why you have betrayed me.  For I have ever served you truly as a worthy knight and a kinsman should.  Wherefore I know not why you have done this unto me, nor why you seek to compass my death.  For you know very well that if I return to Ireland I shall very likely be slain either by the Queen or by some of her kindred, because that for your sake I slew in battle Sir Marhaus, the Queen’s brother of Ireland.  Yet, so far as that is concerned, I would rather lose my life than succeed in this quest, for if so be I do not lose my life, then I must do that which I would liever die than do.  Yea; I believe that there was never any knight loved a lady as I love the Lady Belle Isoult.  For I love her not only because of her beauty and graciousness, but because she healed mine infirmities and lent ease unto my great sufferings and brought me back from death unto life.  Wherefore that which you bid me fulfil is more bitter to me than death.”

“Well,” said King Mark, “I know nothing of all this—­only I know that you have given me your knightly word to fulfil this quest.”

“Very well,” said Sir Tristram, “if God will give me His good help in this matter, then I will do that which I have pledged my knighthood to undertake.”  Therewith he turned and went out from that place in such great despair that it was as though his heart had been turned into ashes.  But King Mark was filled with joy that he should have caused Sir Tristram all that pain, and he said to his heart:  “This is some satisfaction for the hate which I feel for this knight; by and by I shall maybe have greater satisfaction than that.”

After that Sir Tristram did not come any more where King Mark was, but he went straight away from the King’s court and into a small castle that King Mark had given him some while since for his own.  There he abided for several days in great despair of soul, for it seemed to him as though God had deserted him entirely.  There for a while Gouvernail alone was with him and no one else, but after a while several knights came to him and gave him great condolence and offered to join with him as his knights-companion.  And there were eighteen of these knights, and Sir Tristram was very glad of their comradeship.

These said to him:  “Sir, you should not lend yourself to such great travail of soul, but should bend yourself as a true knight should to assume that burden that God hath assigned you to bear.”

So they spoke, and by and by Sir Tristram aroused himself from his despair and said to himself:  “Well, what these gentlemen say is true, and God hath assuredly laid this very heavy burden upon me; as that is so, I must needs assume it for His sake.”