Le Morte Darthur / by Syr Thomas Malory ; the original edition of William Caxton now reprinted and edited with an introduction and glossary by H. Oskar Sommer ; with an essay on Malory's prose style by Andrew Lang

¶ Capitulum xj

THus was sir Tramtryst longe there wel cherysshed / with the kynge and the quene / and namely with la beale Isoud / So vpon a daye / the quene and la beale Isoud made a bayne for syre Tramtryst / And whan he was in his bayne / the quene and Isoud her doughter romed vp & doune in the chamber / and there whyles Gouernail and Heles attendyd vpon Tramtryst / & the quene beheld his swerd there as it laye vpon his bedde / And thēne by vnhap the quene drewe oute his swerd / and beheld it a longe whyle / and bothe they thoughte it a passynge fayre swerd / but within a foote and an half of the poynte there was a grete pyece there of oute broken of the edge / And whan the quene aspyed that gap in the swerd / she remembryd her of a pyece of a swerd / that was foūde in the brayne pan of syre Marhaus the good knyght that was her broder / Allas thenne said she vnto her doughter la beale Isoud / this is the same traytour knyghte that slewe my broder thyn eme / Whanne Isoud herd her saye

[leaf 145v] soo / she was passynge sore abasshed / for passyng wel she loued Tramtryst / and ful wel she knewe the cruelnes of her moder the quene / Anon there with alle the quene went vnto her owne chamber / and soughte her cofre / and there she toke oute the pyece of the swerd that was pulled out of syr Marhaus hede after that he was dede / And thenne she ranne with that pyece of yron to the swerd that laye vpon the bedde / And whanne she putte that pyece of stele and yron vnto the swerd / hit was as mete as it myghte be / whan it was newe broken / And thēne the quene gryped that swerd in her hand fyersly / & with alle her myghte she ranne streyghte vpon Tramtryst where he sat in his bayne / And there she hadde ryued hym thorou hadde not syr Heles goten her in his armes / and pulled the suerd from her / and els she hadde threst him thorou / Thenne whanne she was lettyd of her euyl wylle / she ranne to the kynge Anguyssh her husband and sayde on her knees / O my lord here haue ye in your hous that traitour knyght that slewe my broder and your seruaunt that noble knyght syr Marhaus / Who is that said kynge Anguysshe and where is he / Syr she said hit is syr Tramtryst the same knyght that my doughter helyd Allas said the kynge therfore am I ryght heuy / for he is a ful noble knyght as euer I sawe in felde /

¶ But I charge you said the kyng to the quene that ye haue not ado with that knyght / but lete me dele with hym / Thenne the kynge went in to the chambre vnto syr Tramtryst / and thenne was he gone vnto his chambre / and the kynge fond hym al redy armed to mounte vpon his hors / Whanne the kynge sawe hym al redy armed to goo vnto horsbak / the kynge said nay Tramtryst hit wille not auaile to compare the ageynst me / But thus moche I shalle doo for my worship and for thy loue in soo moch as thou arte within my courte / hit were no worship for me to slee the / Therfore vpon this condycyon I wille gyue the leue for to departe from this courte in saufte / so thou wilt telle me who was thy fader / and what is thy name / and yf thou slewe syr Marhaus my broder