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 Tercium

ANd anone as he had vnshet the wyndowe the enchaūtement was gone / thēne he knewe hym self that he had done amys / Allas he sayd that I haue lyued so long now I am shamed / Soo thenne he gat his swerd in his hand and said thow traitresse what arte thow that I haue layn by alle this nyghte / thow shalt dye ryghte here of my handes / Thenne this fayr lady Elaye skypped oute of her bedde al naked and kneled doune afore sir launcelot / and sayd Fair curteis knyghte comen of kynges blood / I requyre yow haue mercy vpon me /

¶ And as thow arte renoumed the moost noble

[leaf 288r] knyghte of the world / slee me not / for I haue in my wombe hym by the / that shal be the moost noblest knyȝte of the world A fals traitresse said syr launcelot why hast thow bytrayed me / anone telle me what thow arte / Syr she said I am Elayn the doughter of Kynge pelles / wel said sire Launcelot I wyl forgyue yow this dede / and there with he took her vp in his armes / and kyssed her / for she was as fayr a lady and there to lusty and yonge and as wyse as ony was that tyme lyuyng So god me helpe said sir launcelot I may not wyte thys to yow / but her that made this enchauntement vpon me as bytwene yow and me / and I may fynde her that same lady Brysen she shalle lese her hede for wytchecraftes / for there was neuer knyghte deceyued soo as I am this nyghte / And soo syre Launcelot arayed hym / and armed hym / and toke his leue myldely at that lady yonge Elayne / and soo he departed / Thenne she said my lord sir launcelot I biseche yow see me as soone as ye may / for I haue obeyed me vnto the prophecy that my fader teld me / And by his commaūdement to fulfille this prophecy I haue gyuen the grettest rychesse and the fayrest floure that euer I had / and that is my maydenhode that I shalle neuer haue ageyne / and therfore gentyl knyȝt owe me youre good wille / And soo syr launcelot arayed hym and was armed / and toke his leue myldely at that yonge lady Elayne / & soo he departed / and rode tyl he came to the Castel of Corbyn/ where her fader was / and as fast as her tyme came she was delyuerd of a fayr chylde / and they crystened hym Galahalt / & wete ye wel that child was wel kepte and wel nourisshed / & he was named Galahalt by cause syr Launcelot was so named at the fontayne stone / And after that the lady of the lake confermed hym sir Launcelot du lake / Thenne after this lady was delyuerd and chirched / there came a knyghte vnto her / his name was sire Bromel la pleche / the whiche was a grete lord and he hadde loued that lady longe / and he euermore desyred her to wedde her / and soo by no meane she coude putte hym of / Tyl on a day she said to syr Bromel / wete thow wel sir knyȝt I wille not loue yow / for my loue is set vpon the best knyȝt of the world / Who is he said syr Bromel . syr she said it is syre Launcelot du lake that I loue and none other / and therfore

[leaf 288v] wowe me no lenger / ye saye wel said sir Bromel / And sythen ye haue told me soo moche / ye shalle haue but lytel Ioye of sir launcelot / for I shal slee hym where someuer I mete hym / sire said the lady Elayne / doo to hym no treason / wete ye wel my lady said Bromel / and I promyse yow this twelue moneth I shalle kepe the pounte of Corbyn for syr launcelots sake / that he shalle neyther come ne goo vnto yow / but I shall mete with hym /