MEDIAEVAL GARDENS 



romance of Tristan and Isolde^ where Tristan, 

 to apprise his mistress that he is at their tryst- 

 ing-place in the garden, drops into the water 

 small pieces of bark and twigs, which are 

 quickly carried to the chamber where Isolde is 

 waiting and watching. And one eventide a 

 perilous encounter befalls. Tristan has been 

 banished the Court, for evil tongues have 

 whispered in King Mark's ear of his love for 

 Isolde, and have further whispered of secret 

 meetings in the garden, beside the fountain. 

 Now near the fountain is a pine-tree, into which 

 King Mark resolves to climb, and perchance to 

 discover the meeting of the lovers. As daylight 

 fades, Tristan scales the wall, and hastens to 

 throw into the water the little signals for his 

 lady. But as he stoops over the pool he sees, 

 reflected in its clear surface, the image of the 

 king, with bow ready bent. Can he stop the 

 floating twigs as they are hurried along on their 

 mission ? No. The water carries them away 

 out of sight, and Isolde must come. She comes, 

 but Tristan does not go to meet her as was his 

 wont, but remains standing by the water. She 

 wonders at her lover's seeming unconcern, but 

 as she approaches him, suddenly, in the bright 

 moonlight, she, too, sees in the water the 

 reflection of the king, and the lovers are saved. 



A pine-tree is so often mentioned as a special 

 feature in a mediaeval garden that one is led to 

 think that its use may either have been a survival 

 from the days of Tree Worship, seeing that the 



179 



