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 xviij

THenne came ther many Erles and Barons and noble knyghtes and praid that knyghte to saue his lyf and take hym to your prysoner / And all they felle vpon their knees and prayd hym of mercy / and that he wolde saue his lyf / and syr they all sayd it were fairer of hym to take homage and feaute / and lete hym holde his landes of you than for to slee hym / by his deth ye shal haue none auauntage and his mysdedes that ben done maye not ben vndone / And therfor he shal make amendys to al partyes & we al wil become your men and doo you homage and feaute / Fayre lordes said Beaumayns / wete you wel I am ful lothe to slee this knyȝt neuertheles he hath done passyng ylle and shamefully / But in soo moche al that he dyd was at a ladyes request I blame hym the lesse / and so for your sake I wil releace hym that he shal haue his lyf vpon this couenaunt / that he goo within the castel / and yelde hym there to the lady / And yf she wil forgyue and quyte hym / I wil wel / with this he make her amendys of al the trespas he hath done ageynst her and her landes /

¶ And also whanne that is done that ye goo vnto the courte of kyng Arthur / and there that ye aske syr Launcelot mercy / & syr Gawayn for the euyl wil ye haue had ageynst them / sire said the reed knyght of the reed laundes / al this wil I do as ye commaunde / and syker assuraunce and borowes ye shal haue / And soo thenne whan the assuraunce was made / he made

[leaf 121r] his homage and feaute / and alle tho erles and barons wyth hym / And thenne the mayden Lynet came to syre Beaumayns / and vnarmed hym and serched his woundes / and stynted his blood / and in lyke wyse she dyd to the rede knyghte of the reed laundes / and there they soiourned ten dayes in their tentes / and the reed knyghte made his lordes and seruauntes to doo alle the pleasyre that they myghte vnto syre Beaumayns / And soo within a whyle the reed knyghte of the reed laundes yede vnto the castel / and putte hym in her grace And soo she receyued hym vpon suffysaunt seurte / so alle her hurtes were wel restored of al that she coude complayne / and thenne he departed vnto the Courte of kyne Arthur / and there openly the reed knyghte of the reed laundes putte hym in the mercy of syre Launcelot and syr Gawayne / and there he told openly how he was ouercome and by whome / and also he told alle the batails from the begynnynge vnto the endynge / Ihesu mercy sayd kynge Arthur and sire Gawayne we merueylle moche of what blood he is come / for he is a noble knyghte / Haue ye no merueille saide sire Launcelot / for ye shal ryght wel wete that he is comen of a ful noble blood / and as for his myghte and hardynes ther ben but fewe now lyuynge that is so myghty as he is / and so noble of prowesse It semeth by yow said kynge Arthur that ye knowe his name / and fro whens he is come / and of what blood he is / I suppose I doo so said Launcelot / or els I wold not haue yeuen hym thordre of knyȝthode / but he gaf me suche charge at that tyme that I shold neuer discouer hym vntyl he requyred me or els it be knowen openly by some other