Mark

Mark was a King of Cornwall. He was the brother of queen Elizabeth.

## Meeting Balin and Merlin

When King Arthur was still a young King, Mark was riding near Camelot when he saw the bodies of Sir Lanceor and his lover Colombe, and Balin and Balan said how they were killed; Lanceor challenged Balin and then his damsel took her life. He made great sorrow for the true love between them and swore to stay there until he makes a worthy tomb for them. So he pitched his pavilions in that land and searched through all the country, until he found a fair and rich tomb in a church. He put them both in the earth and put the tomb above with their names. (2,vii)

While Mark was doing this, Merlin came to him and prophecised that in this place two knights will fight the greatest battle, but none will slay each other; and he wrote on the tomb their names with golden letters: Launcelot de Lake and Tristram. Mark marveled at how a boistous man can speak of such marvel and asked his name, but he replied that he won't tell it; only in the time when Tristram is teaken with his lady, Mark will learn his name, along with bad news. Then Balin and Balan took their leave of King Mark who asked for his name. Balan said that he bears two swords, so he may call him "Knight with the Two Swords". Then he went to Camelot to see Arthur. (2,viii)

## Independence from Ireland

Cornwall for many years paid truage to Ireland but Mark was behind for 7 years. King Anguish sent a messenger to ask for the pay, but Mark and his barons replied that they won't pay a truage, and challenged the King to send a champion to fight with theirs for these rights. Soon after Marhaus came to fight for Ireland, and Mark made great sorrow because he was one of the most renowned knights of the world and the Round Table and nobody dared to challenge him, and Marhaus every day sent him messages to pay the truage or find someone to fight with him. He let make cries everywhere in Cornwall asking for a knight to fight and save the truage of the land, with rewards for all his life. Some of his barons counselled him to seek Launcelot, the most marvelous knight of the world; but others said that Marhaus is also a knight of the Round Table and they would not fight, so all agreed they wouldn't seek a knight of Arthur. (8,iv)

A young man came to him and asked to be knighted to fight with Marhaus. Mark asked him what he is and from where, and he replied that he is a gentleman coming from his brother-in-law, Meliodas. He saw that he was young but very well made and big, so asked his name and origin, and the young replied that he is Tristram from Liones; Mark agreed to make him a knight if he does the battle. As he knight him, he sent letters to Marhaus saying that he found a knight to match him.

Marhaus in turn replied that he'd fight only with a knight with royal blood, and Mark asked for Tristram to tell him the answer. Tristram replied that he is the son of Meliodas and Mark's sister, and Mark gladly welcomed him as his nephew. In all haste he horsed and armed Tristram int he best manner, and sent also to Marhaus that a more royal man than himself would fight. By assent of both Mark and Marhaus they ordained to fight on an island and arranged for him a ship and supplied; as he with his barons saw him departing to risk himself for the right of Cornwall, all cried. (8,v)

After the battle the king and his barons came with procession to collect Tristram who was gravely wounded. Returning to the land, he took Tristram in his arms with Sir Dinas and they led him to Tintagil. He ordered to examine his wounds and he wept heartily with his lords and prayed, eager to lose all his lands to save his life. He summoned all kinds of healers and surgeons, men and women, but for more than a month he could not recover. A wise lady told to Mark and all his barons that Tristram could not be healed unless he was taken to the country where the venom came from. Hearing this, he prepared a fair vessel with supplies to send Tristram to Ireland.
(8,viii)

When Mark was whole in his prosperity came news that Tristram arrived to Tintagil from Ireland healed of his wounds and he was glad, as all his barons. (8,xiii)

## Strife with Tristram

After some time Tristram returned and stayed long with him; but eventually he noticed how the wife of earl Segwarides loved Tristram and he was jealous because he also wanted her, and there was jealousy and unkindness between them. One day he saw that the Lady's dwarf was with he Tristram and sent for him. He made him by force to tell him everything, and the dwarf revealed that they are going to meet the next day; Mark let him go and threatened his life if he ever says that they talked. (8,xiii)

The night when Tristram and the lady would meet, Mark armed and readied himself and chose 2 knights to ride and ambush on Tristram. As they saw him riding, they suddenly hurtled upon him, hurting him sore on the breast. Tristram smote Mark with his spear rashing him to the earth; Mark was bruised and lay still in a swoon and until he could wield himself, Tristram threw defeated the knights and rode away. (8,xiii)

One day he had ordered Sir Andred to go and bring forth if he can, Sir Sagramore and Dodinas. Sometime later Sir Bleoberis appeared and asked a bon from his court; Mark marveled of his demand, but because of his great renown as a knight of the Round Table, he granted him his asking. Bleoberis asked the fairest lady in the court and Mark told him to choose; Bleoberis chose Segwarides's wife and left with her. Mark and all the court was angry with that. Then within a while came one of Segwarides's squires, and told in the court that Sir Segwarides tried to rescue his lady but was defeated and lay near death. King Mark was heavy as all the court, and Tristram went after him. (8,xv)

Later Tristram returned to Tintagil, and later the lady, who told him how Tristram fought with Bleoberis to rescue her. (8,xviii) After that he always had in mind how to destroy Tristram.

## Marriage

As he always praised the beauty and goodness of La Beale Isoud, Mark sent him back to Ireland with the proposal to marry her as a message, but with the intend to slay Tristram. (8,xix)

Much later Tristram indeed returned with Isoud. Soon they were richly wedded with great nobility, and there was a long feast with great jousts and tourneying.

Soon after the feast, Isoud came to him, with Sir Palamides after her, who approached the King and asked him to judge his right. Mark asked to hear his cause. (8,xxix) Palamides said about his covenant to bring Bragwaine to Isoud in exchange of a boon, which without grudging or advisement she agreed. Mark asked his wife and she confirmed his saying. Mark said that even if she was hasty to grant him a reward, he advised her to fulfill her promise. Palamides then said that his desire is to have Isoud. Hearing this he stood still and thought that Tristram would rescue her, and gave his permission to take her, along with anything that would befall to him, warning that he won't enjoy her long. When they left, Mark looked for Tristram but he was away hunting, and felt shamed for giving his own queen to be devoured. Then came to him Sir Lambegus, a knight of Tristram and offered to rescue her for his sake. Mark thanked him and promised his gratitude all his life. (8,xxx) Lambegus failed and Tristram returned and ran after them. (8,xxxii)

Tristram returned with Isoud and there was great joy. But one day Sir Andred told to the King that he saw them talking in a window. He took a sword and came to Tristram, calling him false traitor; he made move to strike but Tristram moved fast and took the sword from his hand. Mark cried for his knights and men to slay him but nobody moved against Tristram. Instead he shook the sword against Mark, who fled, with Tristram behind, smiting him 5-6 times flatling on the neck, making him fall on his nose. Tristram then left the court. (8,xxxii)

Sometime later Tristram wounded 30 knights, and one knight came before Mark and Isoud holding the head of his brother, cut by Tristram, and fell dead before him. Mark then called his council and asked advice what do do with him. The barons, especially Sir Dinas advised him that Tristram is peerless except of Launcelot and if he went to King Arthur he would make friends there, and the best would be to call him back to the court. Mark agreed and the barons sent for him under safe conduct to be friends again. (8,xxxii)

Indeed Tristram returned and was welcomed without rehearsal and there was game and play. Mark with Isoud and Tristram went to a hunt. (8,xxxii) The couple made their pavilions and their in beside a river in the forest, and there was daily hunting and jousting.
Knights came and jousted with 30 knights of Mark. One of those who came defeated all of them, and Mark marvelled at that knight. Tristram said his name, Sir Lamorak, and Mark felt it would be shame to win everyone, and wished someone better should meet him. Tristram said it would be shame to now that he is weary to bematched with someone who is fresh, but Mark ordered him, for the love of him and the queen, to joust with Lamorak. Tristram reluctantly obeyed his commandment causing enmity between them. (8,xxxiii)

Soon a knight came and delivered to him a horn on Lamorak's behalf saying that it it can test the fidelity of a lady as only one who is faithful to her husband can drink from it normally. So Mark made Isoud to drink, and 100 ladies, and only 4 of those could drink. Mark swore to burn all of them, and Lamorak did this to harm Tristram; the barons however gathered and objected to kill those ladies after an object of sorcery. (8,xxxiv)

Eventually Tristram was arrested with Isoud (8,xxxiv) and Isoud was put in a leper-hut.; However he learned that They had escaped and were living together in a manor in the forest. Quickly he came with many knights to slay him, but he was gone away. So he took Isoud home with her, and kept her confined that she could not communicate with him. (8,xxxv)

Shen Segwarides returned, he told to Mark and Isoud about Tristram's deeds on the Isle of Servage. (8,xxxix)

During the War with Rome, Sir Tristram was left with King Mark for the love of Beale Isoud. **This is probably an anachronism because Marhaus was probably still alive during the War.** (5,iii)

## Trivia

It is not clear how Mark didn't know Balin's name in 2,viii, yet he already had written it on Lanceor's tomb. (2,vii)