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 ix

THenne Merlyn lodged them in a wode amonge leuys besyde the hyhe way & toke of the brydels of their horses & put hem to gras & leid hem doun to reste hem tylle it was nyhe mydnyȝt / Thenne Merlyn badde hem ryse / & make hem redy / for the the kynge was nygh them that was stolen awey from his hoost with a iij score horses of his best knyȝtes & xx of hem rode to fore to warne the lady de Vance that the kyng was comyng / for that nyȝt kyng Ryons shold haue layn with her / whiche is the kyng said Balyn / abyde said Merlyn here in a streyte wey ye shal mete with hym & therwith he shewed Balyn & his broder where he rode / anon balyn & his broder mette with the kyng & smote hym doune & wounded hym fyersly & leid hym to the ground / & there they slewe on the ryght hand & the lyfte hand & slewe moo than xl of his men / & the remenaunt fled / thenne went they ageyne to kyng Ryons & wold haue slayn hym had he not yelded hym vnto her grace Thenne said he thus knyghtes ful of prowesse slee me not / for by my lyf ye may wynne / & by my dethe ye shalle wynne noo thynge / Thenne sayd these two knyghtes ye say sothe & trouth

[leaf 43v] and so leyd hym on on hors lyttar / with that Merlyn was vanysshed and came to kyng Arthur afore hand & told hym how his most enemy was taken and discomfyted / by whome said kynge Arthur / by two knyghtes said Merlyn that wold please your lordship / and to morowe ye shalle knowe what knyghtes they are / Anone after cam the knyght with the two swerdes and balan his broder / and brought with hem kynge Ryons of Northwalys and there delyuerd hym to the porters and charged hem with hym / & soo they two retorned ageyne in the daunyng of the day / kynge Arthur cam thenne to kyng Ryons and said Syr kynge ye are welcome / by what auenture come ye hyder / syr said kyng Ryons I cam hyther by an hard auenture / who wanne yow said kyng Arthur / syre said the kyng the knyght with the two swerdes & his broder whiche are two merueillous knyghtes of prowesse / I knowe hem not sayd arthur but moche I am beholden to them / A said merlyn I shal telle yow it is balen that encheued the swerd & his broder balan a good knyght / ther lyueth not a better of prowesse & of worthynesse / and it shal be the grettest dole of hym that euer I knewe of knyght / for he shalle not long endure / Allas saide kynge Arthur that is grete pyte for I am moche beholdyng vnto hym / & I haue yll deserued it vnto hym for his kyndenes / nay said Merlyn he shal do moche more for yow / and that shal ye knowe in hast / but syr are ye purueyed said Merlyn for to morne the hooste of Nero kynge Ryons broder wille sette on yow or none with a grete hoost and therfor make yow redy for I wyl departe from yow