“Messire,” said King Angus, “I perceive that you are no ordinary knight, but somebody of high nobility and estate, so it shall be as you desire.”  And then King Angus said:  “I pray you, tell me your name and whence you come.”

Upon this, Sir Tristram communed within his own mind, saying:  “An I say my name is Tristram, haply there may be someone here will know me and that I was the cause why the brother of the Queen of this place hath died.”  So he said:  “Lord, my name is Sir Tramtris, and I am come from a country called Lyonesse, which is a great distance from this.”

Quoth King Angus, “Well, Sir Tramtris, I am glad that you have come to this place.  Now it shall be done to you as you desire, for to-morrow the Lady Belle Isoult shall search your wound to heal it if possible.”

[Sidenote:  My Lady Belle Isoult searches the wound] And so it was as King Angus said, for the next day the Lady Belle Isoult came with her attendants to where Sir Tristram lay, and one of the attendants bare a silver basin and another bare a silver ewer, and others bare napkins of fine linen.  So the Lady Belle Isoult came close to Sir Tristram and kneeled beside the couch whereon he lay and said, “Let me see the wound.”  Therewith Sir Tristram laid bare his bosom and his side and she beheld it.  Then she felt great pity for Sir Tristram because of that dolorous wound, and she said:  “Alas, that so young and so fair and so noble a knight should suffer so sore a wound as this!” Therewith still kneeling beside Sir Tristram she searched the wound with very gentle, tender touch (for her fingers were like to rose leaves for softness) and lo! she found a part of the blade of a spear-head embedded very deep in the wound of Sir Tristram.

This she drew forth very deftly (albeit Sir Tristram groaned with a great passion of pain) and therewithafter came forth an issue of blood like a crimson fountain, whereupon Sir Tristram swooned away like one who had gone dead.  But he did not die, for they quickly staunched the flow, set aromatic spices to his nostrils, so that in a little he revived in spirit to find himself at great ease and peace in his body (albeit it was for a while like to the peace of death).

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram is healed] Thus it was that the Lady Belle Isoult saved the life of Sir Tristram, for in a little while he was able to be about again, and presently waxed almost entirely hale and strong in limb and body.

And now it is to be told how Sir Tristram loved the Lady Belle Isoult and how she loved Sir Tristram.  Also how a famous knight, hight Sir Palamydes the Saracen, loved Belle Isoult and of how she loved not him.