CHAPTER XI

OF THE BIRTH OF SIR TRISTRAM


In the days of Arthur, there ruled over the kingdom of Liones the
good knight Sir Meliodas; and his Queen was the fair Elizabeth,
sister of King Mark of Cornwall.

Now there was a lady, an enchantress, who had no good-will towards
King Meliodas and his Queen; so one day, when the King was
hunting, she brought it to pass by her charms that Meliodas chased
a hart till he found himself, far from all his men, alone by an old
castle, and there he was taken prisoner by the lady's knights.

When King Meliodas did not return home, the Queen was nigh crazed
with grief. Attended only by one of the ladies of her court, she
ran out into the forest to seek her lord. Long and far she
wandered, until she could go no further, but sank down at the foot
of a great tree, and there, in the midst of the forest, was her
little son born. When the Queen knew that she must die, she kissed
the babe and said: "Ah! little son, sad has been thy birth,
wherefore thy name shall be Tristram; but thou shalt grow to be a
brave knight and a strong." Then she charged her gentlewoman to
take care of the child and to commend her to King Meliodas; and
after that she died. All too late came many of the barons seeking
their Queen, and sorrowfully they bore her back to the castle where
presently the King arrived, released by the skill of Merlin from
the evil spells of the enchantress. Great indeed was his grief for
the death of his Queen. He caused her to be buried with all the