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 x

THenne as the Frenssh booke maketh mencyon there was a good knyghte in the land of Hongre his name was syr Vrre and he was an aduenturous knyghte and in al places where he myghte here of ony dedes of worshyp ther wold he be / Soo it happend in Spayne there was an Erles sone his name was Alphegus / and at a grete turnement in spayn this syre Vrre knyghte of Hongry and sir Alphegus of spayne encountred to gyders for veray enuy / and soo eyther vndertook other to the Vtteraunce / and by fortune sire Vrre slewe syr Alphegus the erles sone of Spayn / but this knyghte that was slayne had yeuen syre Vrre or euer he was slayne seuen grete woundes / thre on the hede / and four on his body / & vpon his lyfte hand / and this syr Alphegus had a moder / the whiche was a grete sorceresse / and she for the despyte of her sones dethe wrought by her subtyl craftes that syr Vrre shold neuer be hole / but euer his woundes shold one tyme feyster & another tyme blede / so that he shold neuer be hole vntyl the best knyghte of the world had serched his woundes / and thus she made her auaunt where thurgh it was knowen that syre Vrre

[leaf 395r] shold neuer be hole / Thenne his moder lete make an hors lytter / and put hym theryn vnder two palfroyes/ and thenne she took syr Vrres syster with hym a ful fayr damoysel / whos name was Felelolye / and thenne she took a page with hym to kepe their horses / and soo they ledde sir Vrre thurgh many countreyes / For as the Frensshe book sayth she ledde hym so seuen yere thurgh alle landes crystened / and neuer she coude fynde no knyghte that myghte ease her sone / Soo she came in to Scotland and in to the bandes of England / and by fortune she came nyghe the feeste of pentecoste vntyl Arthurs Courte that at that tyme was holden at Carleil / And whan she came there thenne she made it openly to be knowen how that she was come in to that land for to hele her sone

¶ Thenne kynge Arthur lete calle that lady / and asked her the cause why she broughte that hurte knyghte in to that land My moost noble kynge sayd that lady / wete yow wel I broughte hym hydder for to be heled of his woundes / that of alle this seuen yere he myghte not be hole / & thenne she told the kynge where he was wounded and of whome / and how his moder had discouerd in her pryde / how she had wroughte that by enchauntement / soo that he shold neuer be hole vntyl the best knyghte of the world had serched his woundes / and soo I haue passed thurgh alle the landes crystned to haue hym heled / excepte this land / And yf I fayle to hele hym here in this land I wylle neuer take more payne vpon me / and that is pyte for he was a good knyghte and of grete noblenes / what is his name sayd Arthur / My good and gracyous lord she sayde / his name is syr Vrre of the mounte / In good tyme sayd the Kynge / and sythe ye are come in to this land / ye are ryght wel come / and wete yow wel here shal your sone be helyd / and euer ony crysten man may hele hym / And for to gyue alle other men of worshyp courage / I my self wille assay to handle your sone / and soo shalle alle the kynges dukes and Erles that ben here presente with me at this tyme thereto wylle I commaunde them / and wel I wote they shalle obeye and doo after my commaundement And wete yow wel sayd kynge Arthur vnto Vrres syster I shalle begynne to handle hym and serche vnto my power

[leaf 395v] not presumyng vpon me that I am soo worthy to hele youre sone by my dedes / but I wille courage other men of worshyp to doo as I wylle doo / And thenne the kynge commaunded alle the kynges dukes and erles & alle noble knyȝtes of the Round table that were there that tyme presente to come in to the medowe of Carleil / and so at that tyme there were but an honderd and ten of the roūd table / for xl knyghtes were that tyme awey / and soo here we muste begynne at kynge Arthur as is kyndely to begynne at hym / that was the moost man of worshyp that was crystned at that tyme