CHAPTER XXVIII
 
 How Sir Tristram was hurt, and of a war made to King
 Mark; and of Sir Tristram how he promised to rescue
 him.
 
 
 NOW turn we again unto Sir Tristram and to King Mark.
 As Sir Tristram was at jousts and at tournament it fortuned
 he was sore hurt both with a spear and with a sword, but
 yet he won always the degree.  And for to repose him he
 went to a good knight that dwelled in Cornwall, in a castle,
 whose name was Sir Dinas le Seneschal.  Then by misfortune
 there came out of Sessoin a great number of men of
 arms, and an hideous host, and they entered nigh the Castle
 of Tintagil; and their captain's name was Elias, a good
 man of arms.  When King Mark understood his enemies
 were entered into his land he made great dole and sorrow,
 for in no wise by his will King Mark would not send for
 Sir Tristram, for he hated him deadly.
 
 So when his council was come they devised and cast
 many perils of the strength of their enemies.  And then they
 concluded all at once, and said thus unto King Mark:  Sir,
 wit ye well ye must send for Sir Tristram, the good knight,
 or else they will never be overcome.  For by Sir Tristram
 they must be foughten withal, or else we row against the
 stream.  Well, said King Mark, I will do by your counsel;
 but yet he was full loath thereto, but need constrained him
 to send for him.  Then was he sent for in all haste that
 might be, that he should come to King Mark.  And when
 he understood that King Mark had sent for him, he
 mounted upon a soft ambler and rode to King Mark.
 And when he was come the king said thus:  Fair nephew
 Sir Tristram, this is all.  Here be come our enemies of
 Sessoin, that are here nigh hand, and without tarrying they
 must be met with shortly, or else they will destroy this
 country.  Sir, said Sir Tristram, wit ye well all my power
 is at your commandment.  And wit ye well, sir, these
 eight days I may bear none arms, for my wounds be not
 yet whole.  And by that day I shall do what I may.  Ye
 say well, said King Mark; then go ye again and repose
 you and make you fresh, and I shall go and meet the
 Sessoins with all my power.
 
 So the king departed unto Tintagil, and Sir Tristram
 went to repose him.  And the king made a great host
 and departed them in three; the first part led Sir Dinas
 the Seneschal, and Sir Andred led the second part, and Sir
 Argius led the third part; and he was of the blood of
 King Mark.  And the Sessoins had three great battles,
 and many good men of arms.  And so King Mark by the
 advice of his knights issued out of the Castle of Tintagil
 upon his enemies.  And Dinas, the good knight, rode out
 afore, and slew two knights with his own hands, and then
 began the battles.  And there was marvellous breaking of
 spears and smiting of swords, and slew down many good
 knights.  And ever was Sir Dinas the Seneschal the best
 of King Mark's party.  And thus the battle endured long
 with great mortality.  But at the last King Mark and Sir
 Dinas, were they never so loath, they withdrew them to
 the Castle of Tintagil with great slaughter of people; and
 the Sessoins followed on fast, that ten of them were put
 within the gates and four slain with the portcullis.
 
 Then King Mark sent for Sir Tristram by a varlet,
 that told him all the mortality.  Then he sent the varlet
 again, and bade him:  Tell King Mark that I will come as
 soon as I am whole, for erst I may do him no good.  Then
 King Mark had his answer.  Therewith came Elias and
 bade the king yield up the castle:  For ye may not hold
 it no while.  Sir Elias, said the king, so will I yield up the
 castle if I be not soon rescued.  Anon King Mark sent
 again for rescue to Sir Tristram.  By then Sir Tristram
 was whole, and he had gotten him ten good knights of
 Arthur's; and with them he rode unto Tintagil.  And
 when he saw the great host of Sessoins he marvelled wonder
 greatly.  And then Sir Tristram rode by the woods and
 by the ditches as secretly as he might, till he came nigh
 the gates.  And there dressed a knight to him when he
 saw that Sir Tristram would enter; and Sir Tristram
 smote him down dead, and so he served three more.  And
 everych of these ten knights slew a man of arms.  So
 Sir Tristram entered into the Castle of Tintagil.  And
 when King Mark wist that Sir Tristram was come he was
 glad of his coming, and so was all the fellowship, and of
 him they made great joy.