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 Duodecimum

WYth this sir Persant of ynde had aspyed them as they houed in the felde / and knyȝtly he sente to them whether he came in werre or in pees / say to thy lord said beaumayns I take no force / but whether as hym lyst hym self / Soo the messager went ageyne vnto syr Persaunt / and told hym alle this ansuer / wel thenne will I haue adoo with hym to the vtteraunce / and soo he purueyed hym and rode ageynst hym / And Beaumayns sawe hym and made hym redy / & ther they mette with all that euer theyr horses myght renne / and braste their speres eyther in thre pyeces / & their horses rassed so to gyders that bothe their horses felle dede to the erthe & lyȝtly they auoyded their horses / and put their sheldes afore them / & drewe their swerdes / and gaf many grete strokes that somtyme they hurtled to gyder that they felle grouelyng on the ground Thus they fought two houres and more that their sheldes & theyr hauberkes were al forhewen / & in many stedys they were wounded / So at the last syr Beaumayns smote hym thorou the cost of the body / & thenne he retrayed hym here & there & knyghtly mayntened his batail long tyme / And at the last though hym lothe were Beaumayns smote sir Persant aboue vpon the helme that he felle grouelyng to the erthe / & thenne he lepte vpon hym ouerthwart and vnlaced his helme to haue slayne hym / Thenne syr Persant yelded hym & asked hym mercy / with that cam þe damoisel & praid to saue his lyf / I wil wel / for it were pyte this noble knyȝt shold dye / gramercy sayd Persaunt gentyl knyȝt & damoysel / For certeynly now I

[leaf 116r] wote wel it was ye that slewe my broder the black knyghte / at the black thorne / he was a ful noble knyȝte / his name was syr Perard / Also I am sure that ye are he that wanne myn other brother the grene knyght / his name was syre Pertolepe Also ye wanne my broder the reed knyght syr Perrymones / And now syn ye haue wonne these / this shal I do for to please you ye shal haue homage & feaute of me / & an C knyghtes to be alweyes at your commaundement to go & ryde where ye wil commaunde vs / & so they wente vnto sir Persauntes pauelione & dranke the wyne / & ete spyeces / & afterward sire Persaunte made hym to reste vpon a bedde vntyl souper tyme / and after souper to bedde ageyne / whan Beaumayns was abedde syr Persaunt had a lady a faire douȝter of xviij yere of age and there he called her vnto hym / & charged her & commaunded her vpon his blessynge to go vnto the knyghtes bedde / and lye doun by his syde / & make hym no straunge chere / but good chere / and take hym in thyne armes & kysse hym / & loke that this be done I charge you as ye wil haue my loue & my good wil So syr Persants doughter dyd as her fader bad her / and soo she wente vnto syr Beaumayns bed / & pryuely she dispoylled her / & leid her doune by hym / & thenne he awoke & sawe her & asked her what she was / syre she said I am sir Persants douȝter that by the commaundement of my fader am come hyder / Be ye a mayde or a wyf said he / sir she said I am a clene maiden / God defende sayd he that I shold defoyle you to doo syre Persaunt suche a shame / therfore fayre damoysel aryse oute of this bedde or els I wille / Syre she said I cam not to you by myn owne wille but as I was commaunded / Allas said syr Beaumayns I were a shameful knyghte and I wolde do your fader ony disworship / and so he kyst her and soo she departed and came vnto syr Persant her fader / & told hym alle how she had spedde / Truly saide syre Persaunt what someuer he be / he is comen of a noble blood / and soo we leue hem there tyl on the morne