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 ij

THenne felle hit soo that tyme / ther was a poure knyght with kynge Arthur / that had byn prysoner with hym half a yere & more for sleynge of a knyghte / the whiche was cosyn vnto kynge Arthur / the name of this knyght was called Balen / and by good meanes of the barons he was delyuerd oute of pryson / for he was a good man named of his body / and he was borne in northumberland / and soo he wente pryuely in to the Courte / and sawe this aduenture / werof hit reysed his herte / and wolde assaye it as other knyghtes dyd / but for he was poure and pourely arayed he put hym not ferre in prees / But in his herte he was fully assured to doo as wel yf his grace happed hym as ony knyght that there was / And as the damoysel toke her leue of Arthur and of alle the barons so departyng / this knyght Balen called vnto her and sayd Damoysel I praye yow of your curtosy / suffre me as wel to assay as these lordes though that I be so pourely clothed / in my herte me semeth I am fully assured as somme of these other / And me semeth in my herte to spede ryght wel / The damoysel beheld the poure knyght / and sawe he was a lykely man / but for his poure arrayment she thoughte he shold be of no worship withoute vylonye or trechery / And thēne she sayd vnto the knyght / sir it nedeth not to put me to more payn or labour / for it semeth not yow to spede there as other haue failled / A fayr Damoysel said Balen worthynes and good tatches and good dedes are not only in arrayment / but manhood and worship is hyd within mans persone and many a worshipful knyghte is not knowen

[leaf 39v] vnto alle people / and therfore worship and hardynesse is not in arayment / By god sayd the damoysel ye say sothe / therfor ye shal assaye to do what ye may / Thenne Balen took the swerd by the gyrdel and shethe / and drewe it out easyly / and when he loked on the swerd hit pleasyd hym moche / thenne had the kynge and alle the barons grete merueille that Balen hadde done that auenture / many knyghtes had grete despyte af Balen / Certes said the damoysel / this is a passynge good knyght and the best that euer I found and moost of worship withoute treson / trechery or vylony / and many merueylles shalle he do / Now gentyl and curtois knyght yeue me the swerd ayene nay said Balen / for this swerd wylle I kepe but it be taken from me with force / wel saide the damoysel ye are not wyse to kepe the swerd from me / for ye shalle slee with the swerd the best frende that ye haue and the man that ye moste loue in the world / and the swerd shalle be your destruction / I shal take the aduenture sayd Balen that god wille ordeyne me / but the swerd ye shalle not haue at this tyme by the feythe of my body / ye shalle repente hit within short tyme sayd the damoysel/ For I wold haue the swerd more for your auaylle than for myne / for I am passyng heuy for your sake / For ye wil not byleue that swerd shal be youre destruction / and that is grete pyte / with that the damoysel departed makynge grete sorowe / Anone after Balen sente for his hors and armour / and soo wold departe fro the Courte and toke his leue of kynge Arthur / nay sayd the kynge I suppose ye wyll not departe so liȝtely fro this felauship / I suppose ye are displeased that I haue shewed yow vnkyndenes / Blame me the lasse / for I was mys senformed ageynst yow / but I wende ye had not ben suche a knyght as ye are of worship and prowesse / and yf ye wyll abyde in this courte among my felauship / I shalle so auaunce yow as ye shalle be pleased / god thanke your hyhenes said Balen / your bounte and hyhenes may no man preyse half to the valewe / but at this tyme I must nedes departe / bysechyng yow alwey of your good grace / Truly said the kynge I am ryght wrothe for your departyng / I pray yow faire knyghte / that ye tary not long / and ye shal be ryght welcome to me / & to my barons / and I shalle amende all mysse that I haue

[leaf 40r] done ageynst yow / god thanke your grete lordship said Balen / and therwith made hym redy to departe / Thenne the moost party of the knyghtes of the round table sayd that Balen did not this auenture al only by myghte but by wytchecraft