Then the chiefest of those fisher-folk spake and said, “Who are you, and how came you here?” Him Sir Lamorack answered:  “Alas! friend!  I am a poor soul who was cast ashore from a shipwreck, naked as you see me.  Now I pray you, give me some clothes to cover my nakedness, and give me some food to eat, and lend me such succor as man may give to man in distress.”

Then the chief fisherman perceived the ring upon Sir Lamorack’s finger that Sir Tristram had given him, and he said, “How got you that ring upon your finger?” Sir Lamorack said, “He who was my friend gave it to me.”  “Well,” quoth the fisherman, “I will give you clothes to wear and food to eat, but if I do so you must give me that ring that I see upon your hand.  As for lending you aid, I must tell you that the lord of this island hath ordained upon peril of our lives that all who come hither must straightway be brought before him to be dealt with as he may deem fitting.  Wherefore, after I have fed you and clothed you I must immediately take you to him.”

[Sidenote:  The fisher-folk give Sir Lamorack clothes and food] “Alas!” quoth Sir Lamorack, “this is certes an inhospitable land into which I have come!  Ne’ertheless, as I am naked and starving, I see that I have no choice other than that which ye put upon me.”  So therewith he gave the chief of the fisher-folk the ring that Sir Tristram had given him, and in return the fishermen gave him such garments as they could spare to cover his nakedness; and they gave him black bread and cheese to eat, and bitter ale to drink from a skin that they carried with them.  After that they tied Sir Lamorack’s hands behind his back, and so, having made him prisoner, they brought him to the castle of Sir Nabon, and before Sir Nabon who was there at that time.

Now it chanced that the swineherd of Sir Nabon’s castle had been slain in a quarrel with one of his fellows, so that when Sir Nabon beheld Sir Lamorack, that he was big and sturdy of frame, he said:  “I will spare this fellow his life, but I will make him my swineherd.  So take ye him away and let him herd my swine.”

[Sidenote:  Sir Lamorack turns swineherd] So they led Sir Lamorack away, and he became swineherd to Sir Nabon surnamed le Noir, and presently in a little while he grew so rough and shaggy that his own mother would hardly have known him had she beheld him.

So endeth this adventure of Sir Lamorack.  And now it shall be told how it befel with Sir Tristram after Sir Lamorack had left Tintagel as aforetold.

[Illustration:  Sir Tristram cometh to ye castle of Sir Nabon]

Chapter Second

How Sir Tristram started to go to Camelot, and how he stayed by the way to do battle with Sir Nabon le Noir.

Now after Sir Lamorack had quit the court of King Mark of Cornwall as aforetold, Sir Tristram was very sad at heart for a long while.  Nevertheless, he tried to comfort himself by saying:  “Well, it was not by my will that I did battle with my friend and brother-in-arms, for I had no choice as to that which I was compelled to do.”  So he spake to himself, and took what comfort he was able from such considerations, and that comfort was not very great.