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 xxvij

NOw tourne we vnto syr Vwāyne that rode westwarde with his damoysel of thre score wynter of age / and she broughte hym there as was a turnement nyghe the marche of walys / and at that tornement syre Vwayne smote doune xxx knyghtes / therfore was gyuen hym the pryse / and that was a gerfaukon / and a whyte stede trapped with clothe of gold / Soo thenne syr Vwayn dyd many straunge auentures by the meanes of the old damoysel / and so she broughte hym to a lady that was called the lady of the roche / the which was moche curtois / So there were in the countrey two knyȝtes that were bretheren / and they were called two peryllous knyghtes / the one knyghte hyght syre Edward of the reed castel / &

[leaf 79r] the other syr Hue of the reed castel / And these two bretheren had disheryted the lady of the roche of a Baronry of landes by their extorsion / And as this knyȝt was lodged with this lady she made her compleynt to hym of these two knyghtes / Madame sayd syr Vwayne / they are to blame / for they doo ageynst the hyghe ordre of knyghthode & the othe that they made / And yf hit lyke yow I wille speke with hem by cause I am a knyghte of kynge Arthurs / and I wylle entrete them with fayrenesse / And yf they wylle not I shalle doo bataille with them and in the deffense of youre ryghte / gramercy sayd the lady / and there as I maye not acquyte yow / god shalle / Soo on the morne the two knyghtes were sente for / that they shold come thyder to speke with the lady of the roche / and wete ye wel they fayled not / for they cam with an C hors / But whan this lady sawe them in this maner soo bygge / she wold not suffre syr Vwayne to goo oute to them vpon to surete ne for no fayr langage / but she made hym speke with them ouer a toure / but fynally these two bretheren wold not be entreated and ansuerd that they wold kepe that they had / wel said syr Vwayne / thenne wylle I fyghte with one of yow / and preue that ye doo this lady wronge / that wille we not said they For and we doo bataille we two wyl fyghte with one knyȝt at ones / and therfore yf ye wille fyghte soo we wille be redy at what houre ye wille assigne / And yf ye wynne vs in bataille the lady shal haue her landes ageyne / ye say wel sayd sir Vwayne / therfor make yow redy so that ye be here to morne in the defence of the ladyes ryght