The Romance of Tristan and Iseult Part 7

Iseult took the sword, and kissed the hilt of gold, and Tristan saw her weeping.

?Friend,? said he, ?if I could make my peace with the King; if he would allow me to sustain in arms that neither by act nor word have I loved you with a wrongful love, any knight from the Marshes of Ely right away to Dureaume that would gainsay me, would find me armed in the ring. Then if the King would keep you and drive me out I would cross to the Lowlands or to Brittany with Gorvenal alone. But wherever I went and always, Queen, I should be yours; nor would I have spoken thus, Iseult, but for the wretchedness you bear so long for my sake in this desert land.?

?Tristan,? she said, ?there is the hermit Ogrin. Let us return to him, and cry mercy to the King of Heaven.?

They wakened Gorvenal; Iseult mounted the steed, and Tristan led it by the bridle, and all night long they went for the last time through the woods of their love, and they did not speak a word. By morning they came to the Hermitage, where Ogrin read at the threshold, and seeing them, called them tenderly:

?Friends,? he cried, ?see how Love drives you still to further wretchedness. Will you not do penance at last for your madness??

?Lord Ogrin,? said Tristan, ?hear us. Help us to offer peace to the King, and I will yield him the Queen, and will myself go far away into Brittany or the Lowlands, and if some day the King suffer me, I will return and serve as I should.?

And at the hermit?s feet Iseult said in her turn:

?Nor will I live longer so, for though I will not say one word of penance for my love, which is there and remains forever, yet from now on I will be separate from him.?

Then the hermit wept and praised G.o.d and cried: ?High King, I praise Thy Name, for that Thou hast let me live so long as to give aid to these!?

And he gave them wise counsel, and took ink, and wrote a little writ offering the King what Tristan said.

That night Tristan took the road. Once more he saw the marble well and the tall pine-tree, and he came beneath the window where the King slept, and called him gently, and Mark awoke and whispered:

?Who are you that call me in the night at such an hour??

?Lord, I am Tristan: I bring you a writ, and lay it here.?

Then the King cried: ?Nephew! nephew! for G.o.d?s sake wait awhile,? but Tristan had fled and joined his squire, and mounted rapidly. Gorvenal said to him:

?O, Tristan, you are mad to have come. Fly hard with me by the nearest road.?

So they came back to the Hermitage, and there they found Ogrin at prayer, but Iseult weeping silently.

THE FORD

Mark had awakened his chaplain and had given him the writ to read; the chaplain broke the seal, saluted in Tristan?s name, and then, when he had cunningly made out the written words, told him what Tristan offered; and Mark heard without saying a word, but his heart was glad, for he still loved the Queen.

He summoned by name the choicest of his baronage, and when they were all a.s.sembled they were silent and the King spoke:

?My lords, here is a writ, just sent me. I am your King, and you my lieges. Hear what is offered me, and then counsel me, for you owe me counsel.?

The chaplain rose, unfolded the writ, and said, upstanding

?My lords, it is Tristan that first sends love and homage to the King and all his Barony, and he adds, ?O King, when I slew the dragon and conquered the King of Ireland?s daughter it was to me they gave her. I was to ward her at will and I yielded her to you. Yet hardly had you wed her when felons made you accept their lies, and in your anger, fair uncle, my lord, you would have had us burnt without trial. But G.o.d took compa.s.sion on us; we prayed him and he saved the Queen, as justice was: and me also?though I leapt from a high rock, I was saved by the power of G.o.d. And since then what have I done blameworthy? The Queen was thrown to the lepers; I came to her succour and bore her away. Could I have done less for a woman, who all but died innocent through me? I fled through the woods. Nor could I have come down into the vale and yielded her, for there was a ban to take us dead or alive. But now, as then, I am ready, my lord, to sustain in arms against all comers that never had the Queen for me, nor I for her a love dishonourable to you. Publish the lists, and if I cannot prove my right in arms, burn me before your men. But if I conquer and you take back Iseult, no baron of yours will serve you as will I; and if you will not have me, I will offer myself to the King of Galloway, or to him of the Lowlands, and you will hear of me never again. Take counsel, King, for if you will make no terms I will take back Iseult to Ireland, and she shall be Queen in her own land.??

When the barons of Cornwall heard how Tristan offered battle, they said to the King:

?Sire, take back the Queen. They were madmen that belied her to you.

But as for Tristan, let him go and war it in Galloway, or in the Lowlands. Bid him bring back Iseult on such a day and that soon.

Then the King called thrice clearly:

?Will any man rise in accusation against Tristan??

And as none replied, he said to his chaplain:

?Write me a writ in haste. You have heard what you shall write. Iseult has suffered enough in her youth. And let the writ be hung upon the arm of the red cross before evening. Write speedily.?

Towards midnight Tristan crossed the Heath of Sand, and found the writ, and bore it sealed to Ogrin; and the hermit read the letter; ?How Mark consented by the counsel of his barons to take back Iseult, but not to keep Tristan for his liege. Rather let him cross the sea, when, on the third day hence, at the Ford of Chances, he had given back the Queen into King Mark?s hands.? Then Tristan said to the Queen:

?O, my G.o.d! I must lose you, friend! But it must be, since I can thus spare you what you suffer for my sake. But when we part for ever I will give you a pledge of mine to keep, and from whatever unknown land I reach I will send some messenger, and he will bring back word of you, and at your call I will come from far away.?

Iseult said, sighing:

?Tristan, leave me your dog, Toothold, and every time I see him I will remember you, and will be less sad. And, friend, I have here a ring of green jasper. Take it for the love of me, and put it on your finger; then if anyone come saying he is from you, I will not trust him at all till he show me this ring, but once I have seen it, there is no power or royal ban that can prevent me from doing what you bid?wisdom or folly.?

?Friend,? he said, ?here give I you Toothold.?

?Friend,? she replied, ?take you this ring in reward.?

And they kissed each other on the lips.

Now Ogrin, having left the lovers in the Hermitage, hobbled upon his crutch to the place called The Mount, and he bought ermine there and fur and cloth of silk and purple and scarlet, and a palfrey harnessed in gold that went softly, and the folk laughed to see him spending upon these the small moneys he had ama.s.sed so long; but the old man put the rich stuffs upon the palfrey and came back to Iseult.

And ?Queen,? said he, ?take these gifts of mine that you may seem the finer on the day when you come to the Ford.?

Meanwhile the King had had cried through Cornwall the news that on the third day he would make his peace with the Queen at the Ford, and knights and ladies came in a crowd to the gathering, for all loved the Queen and would see her, save the three felons that yet survived.

On the day chosen for the meeting, the field shone far with the rich tents of the barons, and suddenly Tristan and Iseult came out at the forest?s edge, and caught sight of King Mark far off among his Barony:

?Friend,? said Tristan, ?there is the King, your lord?his knights and his men; they are coming towards us, and very soon we may not speak to each other again. By the G.o.d of Power I conjure you, if ever I send you a word, do you my bidding.?

?Friend,? said Iseult, ?on the day that I see the ring, nor tower, nor wall, nor stronghold will let me from doing the will of my friend.?

?Why then,? he said, ?Iseult, may G.o.d reward you.?

Their horses went abreast and he drew her towards him with his arm.

?Friend,? said Iseult, ?hear my last prayer: you will leave this land, but wait some days; hide till you know how the King may treat me, whether in wrath or kindness, for I am afraid. Friend, Orri the woodman will entertain you hidden. Go you by night to the abandoned cellar that you know and I will send Perinis there to say if anyone misuse me.?

?Friend, none would dare. I will stay hidden with Orri, and if any misuse you let him fear me as the Enemy himself.?

Now the two troops were near and they saluted, and the King rode a bow-shot before his men and with him Dinas of Lidan; and when the barons had come up, Tristan, holding Iseult?s palfrey by the bridle, bowed to the King and said:

?O King, I yield you here Iseult the Fair, and I summon you, before the men of your land, that I may defend myself in your court, for I have had no judgment. Let me have trial at arms, and if I am conquered, burn me, but if I conquer, keep me by you, or, if you will not, I will be off to some far country.?

But no one took up Tristan?s wager, and the King, taking Iseult?s palfrey by the bridle, gave it to Dinas, and went apart to take counsel.

Dinas, in his joy, gave all honour and courtesy to the Queen, but when the felons saw her so fair and honoured as of old, they were stirred and rode to the King, and said:

?King, hear our counsel. That the Queen was slandered we admit, but if she and Tristan re-enter your court together, rumour will revive again. Rather let Tristan go apart awhile. Doubtless some day you may recall him.?