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 quintum

THenne was the hyghe feeste made redy / and the kynge was wedded att Camelott vnto Dame Gweneuer in the chirche of saynt steuyns with grete solempnyte / And as euery man was set after his degree / Merlyn wente to alle the knyghtes of the round table / and bad hem sytte styll that none of hem remeue / for ye shalle see a straunge and a merueillous aduenture / Ryght so as they sat ther came rennyng in a whyte hert in to the halle and a whyte brachet next hym and xxx couple of black rennyng houndes cam after with a greete crye / and the hert went aboute the table round as he went by other boordes / the whyte brachet boot hym by the buttok & pulled oute a pees / where thurgh the herte lepte a grete lepe / and ouerthrewe a knyght that sat at the boord syde / and therwith the knyȝt aroos & toke vp the brachet / & so went forth oute of the halle & toke his hors & rode his wey with the brachet / right so anone cam in a lady on a whyte palfrey & cryed aloude for the kyng Arthur / Syre suffre me not to haue this despyte for the brachet was myn that the knyght lad aweye / I maye not doo therwith said the kynge

¶ With this there came a knyght rydynge al armed on a grete hors / and tooke the lady awey with hym with force / and euer she cryed and made grete dole / whanne she was gone the kynge was glad for she

[leaf 53r] made suche a noyse / Nay said merlyn / ye may not leue this advētures so lyghtely / For these aduentures must be brought agayne or els it wold be disworship to yow and to your feest I wyll said the kynge that al be done by your aduys / Thenne saide merlyn lete calle syr gauayne / for he must brynge ageyne the whyte herte / Also syr ye must lete calle Syre Tor / for he must brynge ageyne the brachet / and the knyght or els slee hym / Also lete calle kynge Pellinore for he must brynge ageyne the lady and the knyght or els slee hym / and these thre knyghtes shalle doo merueillous auētures or they come ageyn Thenne were they called al thre as it reherceth afore / and eueryche of hem toke his charge / and armed them surely / But sir gauayne had the fyrst request / and therfore we wille begynne at hym /