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 xx

THenne it felle that sire Bleoberys and sire Blamore de ganys that were bretheren they hadde assomoned the kyng Anguysshe or Irland for to come to Arthurs Court vpon payne of forfeture of kyng Arthurs good grace And yf the kynge of Irland came not in at the day assigned and sette / the kynge shold lese his landes / So by hit happend that at the day assigned kyng Arthur neither sire Launcelot myght not be there for to gyue the Iugement / for kynge Arthur was with sir launcelot at the castel ioyous gard / And so

[leaf 152r] kynge Arthur assigned kyng Carados and the kyng of scottes to be there that day as Iuges / So whan the kynges were at Camelot / kynge Anguysshe of Irland was come to knowe is accusars / Thenne was there Blamore de ganys and appeled the kynge of Irland of treason / that he hadde slayne a cosyn of his in his courte in Irland by treason / The kyng was sore abasshed of his accusacion / for why / he was come att the somons of kynge Arthur / And or that he came at Camelot / he wist not wherfore has was sente after / And whanne the kyng herd sir Blamor saye his wille / he vnderstood wel there was none other remedy but to ansuere hym knyghtly / for the custome was suche in tho dayes / that and ony man were appealed of ony treason or murther / he shold fyghte body for body / or els to fynde another knyght for hym / And alle maner of Murtherers in tho dayes were callid treason / So whan kyng Anguysshe vnderstood his accusynge / he was passynge heuy / for he knewe sir Blamor de ganys that he was a noble knyght / and of noble knyghtes comen / Thenne the kynge of Irland was symply purueyed of his ansuere / therfore the Iuges gaf hym respyte by the thyrdde daye to gyue his ansuere / Soo the kynge departed vnto his lodgynge / the mean whyle ther came a lady by sir Trystrams pauelione makyng grete dole / what eyleth you said sir Tristram that ye make suche dole / A fayre knyght said the lady I am ashamed onles that som good knyght helpe me / for a grete lady of worship sente by me a fayre child and a ryche vnto sir launcelot du lake / and here by there mette with me a knyghte and threwe me doune fro my palfray and took aweye the child from me / wel my lady said syr Tristram / and for my lord syr Launcelots sake I shalle gete you that child ageyne / or els I shalle be beten for hit / And soo sire Tristram tooke his hors / and asked the lady whiche wey the knyght rode / And thenne she tolde hym And he rode after hym / and within a whyle he ouertoke that knyght / And thenne syr Tristram badde hym come and gyue ageyne the child