CHAPTER XI
 
 How the queen espied that Sir Tristram had slain her brother
 Sir Marhaus by his sword, and in what jeopardy he was.
 
 THUS was Sir Tramtrist long there well cherished with the king
 and the queen, and namely with La Beale Isoud.  So upon a day the
 queen and La Beale Isoud made a bain for Sir Tramtrist.  And when
 he was in his bain the queen and Isoud, her daughter, roamed up
 and down in the chamber; and therewhiles Gouvernail and Hebes
 attended upon Tramtrist, and the queen beheld his sword thereas
 it lay upon his bed.  And then by unhap the queen drew out his
 sword and beheld it a long while, and both they thought it a
 passing fair sword; but within a foot and an half of the point
 there was a great piece thereof out-broken of the edge.  And when
 the queen espied that gap in the sword, she remembered her of a
 piece of a sword that was found in the brain-pan of Sir Marhaus,
 the good knight that was her brother.  Alas then, said she unto
 her daughter, La Beale Isoud, this is the same traitor knight
 that slew my brother, thine eme.  When Isoud heard her say so she
 was passing sore abashed, for passing well she loved Tramtrist,
 and full well she knew the cruelness of her mother the queen.
 
 Anon therewithal the queen went unto her own chamber, and sought
 her coffer, and there she took out the piece or the sword that
 was pulled out of Sir Marhaus' head after that he was dead.  And
 then she ran with that piece of iron to the sword that lay upon
 the bed.  And <297>when she put that piece of steel and iron unto
 the sword, it was as meet as it might be when it was new broken. 
 And then the queen gripped that sword in her hand fiercely, and
 with all her might she ran straight upon Tramtrist where he sat
 in his bain, and there she had rived him through had not Sir
 Hebes gotten her in his arms, and pulled the sword from her, and
 else she had thrust him through.
 
 Then when she was let of her evil will she ran to the King
 Anguish, her husband, and said on her knees:  O my lord, here
 have ye in your house that traitor knight that slew my brother
 and your servant, that noble knight, Sir Marhaus.  Who is that,
 said King Anguish, and where is he?  Sir, she said, it is Sir
 Tramtrist, the same knight that my daughter healed.  Alas, said
 the king, therefore am I right heavy, for he is a full noble
 knight as ever I saw in field.  But I charge you, said the king
 to the queen, that ye have not ado with that knight, but let me
 deal with him.
 
 Then the king went into the chamber unto Sir Tramtrist, and then
 was he gone unto his chamber, and the king found him all ready
 armed to mount upon his horse.  When the king saw him all ready
 armed to go unto horseback, the king said:  Nay, Tramtrist, it
 will not avail to compare thee against me; but thus much I shall
 do for my worship and for thy love; in so much as thou art within
 my court it were no worship for me to slay thee: therefore upon
 this condition I will give thee leave for to depart from this
 court in safety, so thou wilt tell me who was thy father, and
 what is thy name, and if thou slew Sir Marhaus, my brother.