“I am glad to hear of your courage and fearlessness,” quoth King Mark, “for meseems it is a great shame to all of us that this gentleman, who is a stranger amongst us, should win so much credit to the disadvantage of all the knights of Cornwall.  Now, as you say you have no fear of him, I pray you go down into the field and do battle with him in our behalf.”  So said King Mark, for he thought to himself:  “Perhaps Sir Lamorack may overthrow Sir Tristram, and so bring him into disrepute with those who praise him so greatly.”

But Sir Tristram said:  “No; I will not go down to battle against Sir Lamorack this day whatever I may do another day.  For I have sworn brotherhood to that noble and gentle champion, and it would ill beseem me to assault him now, when he is weary and short of breath from this great battle which he hath done to-day against such odds.  For if I should overthrow him now, it would bring great shame upon him.  Some other day and in some other place I may assay him in friendliness, with honor and credit both to myself and him.”

[Sidenote:  King Mark commands Sir Tristram to do battle] “Well,” said King Mark, “as for that, I do not choose to wait.  Nor am I pleased that you should sit by and suffer this knight to carry away all the credit of arms from Cornwall in despite of the knights of Cornwall.  For not only would this be a great shame to the knights of Cornwall (of whom you are the acknowledged champion), but it would be equally a shame unto this lady whom you have fetched hither from Ireland to be Queen of Cornwall.  So I lay this command upon you—­not only because I am your King, but because I am he who made you knight—­that you straightway go down into yonder meadow and do battle with this knight who beareth himself so proudly in our midst.”

Then Sir Tristram looked upon King Mark with great anger and bitterness, and he said:  “This is great shame and despite which you seek to put upon me by giving such commands unto me.  Verily, it would seem that in all ways you seek to put shame and sorrow upon me.  And yet I have ever been your true knight, and have saved your kingdom from truage to Ireland and have served you very faithfully in all ways.  Would to God I had been made knight by any man in the world rather than by you.”

At this King Mark smiled very bitterly upon Tristram.  “Sirrah,” quoth he, “meseems you speak very outrageously to me who am your King.  Now I herewith command you to go straightway down into that field without any further words and to do my bidding against yonder knight.”

Then Sir Tristram groaned in spirit, and then he said, “I go.”