So King Mark could not find any knight in Cornwall to stand against Sir
Marhaus. Nor could he easily find any knight outside of Cornwall to do
battle with him. For Sir Marhaus, being a knight of the Round Table, no
other knight of the Round Table would fight against him--and there were no
other knights so great as that famous brotherhood of the Table Round.
Accordingly, King Mark knew not where to turn to find him a champion to do
battle in his behalf.
In this strait, King Mark sent a letter by a messenger to Lyonesse, asking
if there was any knight at Lyonesse who would stand his champion against
Sir Marhaus, and he offered great reward if such a champion would undertake
his cause against Ireland.
[Sidenote: Tristram asks leave to go to Cornwall] Now when young Tristram
heard this letter of his uncle King Mark, he straightway went to his father
and said: "Sire, some whiles ago you desired that I should become a knight.
Now I would that you would let me go to Cornwall upon this occasion. For
when I come there I will beseech my uncle King Mark to make me a knight,
and then I will go out against Sir Marhaus.
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