[Sidenote:  The Lady Moeya devises mischief against Tristram] Now Tristram and the son of the Lady Moeya were wont to play ball in a certain court of the castle, and when they would play there they would wax all of a heat with their sport.  This the Lady Moeya was well aware of; so one day she took that phial of poison and she poured a part of it into a chalice and she filled the chalice with clear water and she set the chalice upon a bench where those two would play at ball.  For she said to herself:  “When they grow warm with their play, Tristram will certainly drink of this water to quench his thirst, and then my son will maybe enter into his inheritance.”

[Sidenote:  The son of the Queen drinks of the poison] So the two youths played very fiercely at their game, and they waxed exceedingly hot and presently were both very violently athirst.  Then Tristram said, “I would I had somewhat to drink,” and his stepbrother said, “Look, yonder is a chalice of water; drink! and when thou hast quenched thy thirst, then I will drink also.”  But Tristram said:  “Nay, brother, drink thou first, for thou art more athirst than I.”  Then at first the son of the Lady Moeya would not have it so, but would have Tristram drink; but afterward he did as Tristram bade him, and, taking the chalice in both hands, he drank freely of that poison which his own mother had prepared.  Then when he had drunk his fill, Tristram took the chalice and would have drunk too; but the other said, “Stay, Tristram, there is great bitterness in that chalice”; and then he said, “Methinks I feel a very bitter pang within my vitals,” and then he cried out, “Woe is me!  I am in great pain!” Therewith he fell down upon the ground and lay there in a great passion of agony.  Then Tristram cried aloud for help in a piercing voice; but when help came thither it was too late, for the son of the Lady Moeya was dead.

Then the Lady Moeva was in great torment of soul, and beat her breast and tore her hair and King Meliadus had much ado for to comfort her.  And after this she hated Tristram worse than ever before, for she would say to herself:  “Except for this Tristram, my own son would yet be alive!”

So she brooded upon these things until she could not rest, whether by day or night.  Then one day she took the rest of the poison that was in the phial and poured it into a goblet of yellow wine.  This goblet she gave to one of her pages, saying:  “Take this to Tristram, and offer it to him when I shall tell you to do so!”

[Sidenote:  The Lady Moeya seeks Tristram’s life a second time] Therewith she went down to the hall where Tristram was, and she said, “Tristram, let there be peace betwixt us.”  And Tristram said:  “Lady, that meets my wishes, for I have never had in my heart aught but loving-kindness toward you, and so I would have it in your heart toward me.”  With this the page came in the hall with that goblet of yellow wine.  Then the Lady Moeya took the goblet and said:  “Take this cup, and drink of the wine that is in it, and so there shall be peace betwixt us forever.”  And as she said that she looked very strangely upon Tristram, but Tristram was altogether innocent of any evil against him.  So he reached out his hand to take the cup which the page brought to him.