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 xxiij

THenne they blewe to the felde / and there the kyng of northgalys encountred with the kynge of scottes / & there the kynge of Scottes had a falle / and the kyng of Irland smote doune kynge Vryens / and the kyng of Northumberland smote doune kynge Howel of Bretayne / and sir Galahaut the haute prynce smote doune Chalenge of Claraunce / And thene kynge Arthur was woode wroth / and ranne to the kynge with the honderd knyȝtes / and there kyng Arthur smote hym doune / and after with that same spere kynge Arthur smote doune thre other knyghtes / And thenne whan his spere was broken / kynge Arthur dyd passyngly wel / and soo there with alle came in syr Gawayne and sir Gaheryse / sire Agrauayne and sir mordred / and there eueryche of them smote doune a knyghte / and sir Gawayne smote doune four knyȝtes and thene there beganne a stronge medle / for thenne there came in the knyghtes of launcelots blood / and sir Gareth and sire Palomydes with them / and many knyghtes of the table round/ and they beganne to holde the foure kynges and the myghty duke soo hard that they were discomfyte / but this duke Galahad that haut prynce was a noble knyght / and by his myghty prowesse of armes / he helde the knyghtes of the table round strayte ynough / Alle this doynge sawe sir launcelot / & thenne he came in to the felde with syr Lauayne as hit had ben thonder / And thenne anone syre Bors and the kynghtes of his blood aspyed sir launcelot / and said to them alle I warne yow beware of hym with the sleue of gold vpon his hede / for he is hym self sir launcelot du lake / and for grete goodenes sir

[leaf 384r] Bors warned syr Gareth / I am wel apayed said sir Gareth that I may knowe hym / but who is he sayd they alle that rydeth with hym in the same aray / That is the good and gentyl knyght sir Lauayne said sir Bors / Soo sire Launcelot encoūtred with sir Gawayne / and there by force syr launcelot smote doune sir Gawayne and his hors to the erthe / and soo he smote doune sir Agrauayne and sire Gaherys / and also he smote doune sir Mordred / and alle this was with one spere

¶ Thene sir Lauayne mette with sir Palomydes / and eyther mette other soo hard and so fyersly that bothe their horses felle to the erthe / And thenne were they horsed ageyne / and thenne mette sir Launcelot with sir Palomydes / and there sire Palomydes had a falle / and soo sir launcelot or euer he stynte as fast as he myghte gete speres / he smote doun thyrtty knyghtes and the moost party of them were knyȝtes of the table round and euer the knyghtes of his blood withdrewe them / & made hem adoo in other places where sir launcelot came not / and thenne kyng Arthur was wrothe whan he sawe sir Launcelot doo suche dedes / and thenne the kynge called vnto hym sir gawayn sir Mordred / sir kay / sir Gryflet / sir Lucan the butteler / syre Pedeuer / sir Palomydes / Sir Safyr his broder / and so the kynge with these nyne knyghtes made hem redy to sette vpon sir Launcelot / and vpon syr Lauayne / Alle this aspyed sir bors and sir Gareth / Now I drede me sore said sir Bors that my lord syr launcelot wylle hard be matched / By my hede sayd syr Gareth I wylle ryde vnto my lord sir launcelot for to helpe hym / falle of hym what falle may / for he is the same man that made me knyghte / ye shalle not soo said sir Bors by my counceylle / onles that ye were desguysed / ye shalle see me dysguysed said syre Gareth / and there with al he aspyed a wallysshe knyghte where he was to repose hym / and he was sore hurte afore hurte by syr Gawayne / and to hym syre Gareth rode / and praid hym of his knyghthode to lene hym his shelde for his / I wille wel said the walysshe knyghte / And whanne sir Gareth had his shelde / the book saith / it was grene wyth a mayden that semed in hit / Thenne syr Gareth came dryuynge to sir Launcelot al that he myghte / and said knyghte kepe thy self / for yonder cometh kyng Arthur with nyne noble knyȝtes

[leaf 384v] with hym to putte yow to a rebuke / and so I am come to bere yow felaushyp for old loue ye haue shewed me / Gramercy said sir launcelot / syr sayd sir Gareth / encountre ye with sir Gawayne / and I shalle encountre with syre Palomydes / and lete sir Lauayne matche with the noble kynge Arthur /

¶ And whan we haue delyuerd hem / lete vs thre hold vs sadly to gyders / Thenne came kynge Arthur with his nyne knyȝtes with hym / and sir launcelot encountred with sir Gawayne / & gafe hym suche a buffet / that the arson of his sadel brast / and syre Gawayne felle to the erthe / Thenne sir Gareth encountred with the good knyghte sir Palomydes / and he gaf hym suche a buffet that bothe his hors and he dasshed to the erthe / Thenne encountred kynge Arthr with sire Lauayne / and there eyther of hem smote other to the erthe hors and alle that they lay a grete whyle / Thenne sir launcelot smote doune syr Agrauayne & syre Gaheryse / and syr Mordred / and syr Gareth smote doune syr kay / and syr Safyr and syr Gryflet / And thenne syr lauayne was horsed ageyne / and he smote doune syre Lucan the butteler and syr Bedeuer / and thenne there beganne grete thrange of good knyghtes / Thenne syre Launcelot hurtlyd here and there / and racyd and pulled of helmes / soo that at that tyme there myght none sytte hym a buffet with spere nor with suerd / and syr Gareth dyd suche dedes of armes that all men merueylled what knyghte he was with the grene sheld / For he smote doune that daye and pulled doune moo than thyrtty knyghtes / And as the frensshe book sayth syr Launcelot merueylled whan he beheld syr Gareth doo suche dedes what knyghte he myghte be / and syr Lauayne pulled doune and smote doune twenty knyghtes /

¶ Also syr launcelot knewe not syr Gareth / for and syr Tristram de lyones / outher syr lamorak de galys had ben alyue / syr launcelot wold haue demed he had ben one of them tweyne / Soo euer as syr launcelot/ syr Gareth / syr lauayn faughte / and on the one syde syr bors syr Ector de marys / syr lyonel / syr lamorak de galys / syr bleoberys / syr Galyhud / syr Galyhodyn / syr Pelleas / and wyth moo other of kynge Bans blood foughte vpon another party and helde the kynge with the honderd knyghtes and the kyng of Northumberland ryght strayte /