When they had come there, Sir Tristram made
demand to have speech with the King, and therewith they in attendance
ushered him in to where the King Angus was.
[Sidenote: King Angus welcomes Sir Tristram] But when King Angus saw Sir
Tristram who he was, and when he beheld a face that was both familiar and
kind, he gave a great cry of joy, and ran to Sir Tristram and flung his
arms about him, and kissed him upon the cheek; for he was rejoiced beyond
measure to find a friend in that unfriendly place.
Then Sir Tristram said, "Lord, what cheer have you?" Unto that King Angus
replied: "Tristram, I have very poor cheer; for I am alone amongst enemies
with no one to befriend me, and unless I find some knight who will stand my
champion to-morrow or the next day I am like to lose my life for the murder
of Sir Bertrand de la Riviere Rouge. And where am I to find any one to act
as my champion in defence of my innocence in this place, where I behold an
enemy in every man whom I meet? Alas, Tristram! There is no one in all the
world who will aid me unless it be you, for you alone of all the knights in
the world beyond the circle of the knights of the Round Table may hope to
stand against so excellent and so strong a hero!"
"Lord," quoth Sir Tristram, "I know very well what great trouble overclouds
you at this time, and it is because of that that I am come hither for to
visit you.
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