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 vij

THenne Kynge Marke had grete despyte of the renoume of sir Tristram / and Thanne he chaced hym oute of Cornewaile / yet was he neuewe vnto Kynge Marke / but he had grete suspecyon vnto sire Tristram by cause of his Quene la Beale Isoud / for hym semed that there was to moche loue bitwene them bothe / Soo whan sir Tristram departed oute of Cornewaile in to Englond / kynge marke herd of the grete prowesse that sir Tristram dyd there / the whiche greued hym sore / Soo he sente on his party men to aspye what dedes he dyd / And the Quene sente pryuely on her party spyes to knowe what dedes he had done / for grete loue was bitwene them tweyn Soo whan the messagers were come home / they told the trouth as they had herd that he passed alle other knyghtes / but yf it were sir launcelot / Thenne kynge Marke was ryght heuy of these tydynges / and as glad was la Beale Isoud / Thenne in grete despyte he took with hym two good Knyȝtes / and two squyers / and desguysed hym self / and took his way to Englond to the entente for to slee sir Tristram / and one of these ij Knyghtes hyght Bersules / and the other Knyȝt was called Amant / Soo as they rode Kynge marke asked a knyght that he met where he shold fynde Kynge Arthur / he said at Camelot / Also he asked that Knyghte after sire Tristram whether he herd of hym in the courte of Kynge Arthur / wete you wel said that Knyȝt ye shall fynde sir Tristram ther for a man of as grete worship as is now lyuyng for thurȝ his prowesse he wā the turnement of the castel of maydens / that standeth by the hard roche / And sythen he hath wonne with his owne handes thyrtty Knyghtes that were men of grete honour /

¶ And the laste batail that euer he dyde / he foughte with syre

[leaf 212v] Launcelot / and that was a merueilous bataille / And not by force syr launcelot brought sir Tristram to the Courte / and of hym kynge Arthur made passynge grete ioye / and soo maade hym knyght of the table round / and his seate was where the good Knyghtes sir Marhaus seate was / Thenne was Kyng Marke passynge sory whanne he herd of the honour of sir Tristram / and soo they departed / Thenne said Kyng Marke vnto his two Knyghtes / Now wille I telle you my counceylle ye are the men that I trust moost to on lyue / and I wille that ye wete my comynge hyder is to this entente / for to destroye sir Tristram by wyles or by treason / and hit shalle be hard yf euer he escape our handes / Allas said sir Bersules what mene you / for ye be sette in suche a waye / ye are disposed shamefully For sir Tristram is the Knyȝt of moost worship that we knowe lyuynge / And therfor I warne you playnly I wyll neuer consente to doo hym to the dethe / and therfor I wyll yelde my seruyse / and forsake you whan kynge Mark herd hym say so / Sodenly he drewe his swerd and said A traitour / & smote syr Bersules on the hede that the suerd wente to his teeth / Whanne Amant the knyghte sawe hym doo that vylaynous dede / and his squyers / they said hit was foul done / and meschyeuously / wherfore we wille doo the no more seruyse / and wete ye wel / we wil appeche the of treason afore Arthur / Thenne was Kynge Marke wonderly wrothe / and wold haue slayne Amant / but he and the two squyers held them to gyders / and sette nought by his malyce / whanne Kynge marke sawe he myght not be reuenged on them / he said thus vnto the Knyght Amant / wete thou wel / and thou apoeche me of treason / I shalle therof defende me afore Kynge Arthur / but I requyre the that thou telle not my name that I am Kyng mark what someuer come of me / As for that said sir Amant I wil not discouer your name / and soo they departed / and Amant and his felawes took the body of Bersules and buryed hit