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 xxxix

IN the meane tyme there cam word that sir Nabon had made a crye that alle the peple of that yle shold be at his castel the fyfthe day after /

¶ And the same daye the sone of Nabon shold be made knyghte / and alle the knyghtes of that valey and there about shold be there to Iuste and all tho of the Royamme of Logrys shold be there to Iuste with them of Northwalys / and thyder came fyue honderd knyghtes / and they of the countrey brought thyder syre Lamorak and sir Tristram and syre kehydyus and sire Segwarides / for they durst none other wyse doo / and thenne sir Nabon lent sire Lamorak hors and armour at sire Lamoraks desyre / and sire Lamorak Iusted and dyd suche dedes of armes that Nabon and all the

[leaf 167r] peple said there was neuer knyȝt that euer they sawe do suche dedes of armes / for as the Frensshe book saith he foriusted alle that were there for the moost party of fyue honderd knyghtes that none abode hym in his sadel Thenne sir Nabon profered to playe with hym his playe / for I sawe neuer no knyghte doo soo muche vpon a daye / I wille wel said sire Lamorak playe as I may but I am wery and sore brysed / and there eyther gate a spere / but Nabon wold not encountre with sire Lamorak / but smote his hors in the forhede and soo slewe hym / and thenne sire Lamorak yede on foote and torned his shelde and drewe his swerd / and there beganne stronge bataill on foote / But sir Lamorak was so sore brysed and shorte brethed that he tracyd and trauercyd somwhat abak / Fair felawe said syre Nabon hold thy hand and I shalle shewe the more curtosye / than euer I shewed knyght by cause I haue sene this daye thy noble knyghthode / And therfore stand thou by and I wil wete whether ony of thy felawes wille haue adoo with me / Thenne whan sir Tristram herd that / he stepte forth and and said Nabon lende me hors and sure armour and I wille haue adoo with the Wel felawe said sir Nabon goo thou to yonder pauelione and arme the of the best thou fyndest there / and I shalle playe a merueillous playe with the / Thenne said sire Tristram loke ye playe wel or els peraduentur I shalle lerne you a newe play that is wel said felawe said sir Nabon / So whan sir Tristram was armed as hym lyked best and wel shelded and swerded / he dressid to hym on foote / For wel he knewe syr Nabon wold not abyde a stroke with a spere / therfore he wold slee alle knyghtes horses / Now fair felawe said sir Nabon lete vs playe / Soo thenne they foughte longe on foote tracynge and trauercynge smytynge and foynynge longe withoute ony rest / Atte last sir Nabon praid hym to telle hym his name / Syre Nabon I telle the my name is sir Tristram de lyones a knyȝt of Cornewail vnder kynge Marke / thou art welcome said sir nabon / for of alle knyghtes I haue moost desyred to fyghte with the or with sir Launcelot / Soo thenne they wente egerly to gyders and sire tristram slewe sire nabon / and soo forth with he lepte to his sone / and strake of his hede / and thenne al the countrey sayde / they wold holde of sire Tristram / nay saide sire Tristram

[leaf 167v] I wille not soo / here is a worshipfull knyght sir Lamorak de galys that for me he shalle be lord of this countreye / for he hath done here grete dedes of armes / nay said sir Lamorak I wil not be lord of this countrey / for I haue not deserued it as wel as ye / therfore gyue ye hit where ye wille for I will none haue / Wel saide sire Tristram syn ye nor I wille not haue hit / lete vs yeue hit to hym that hath not so wel deserued hit / Doo as ye lyst said Segwarydes / for the yefte is yours for I wil none haue and I had deserued hit / Soo was it yeuen to segwarydes wherof he thanked hem / and soo was he lord / & worshipfully he dyd gouerne hit / And thenne sir Segwarydes delyuerd alle prysoners and sette good gouernaunce in that valey / and soo he torned in to Cornewaile / and told kynge Mark and la beale Isoud how sir Tristram had auaunced hym to the yle of seruage / and there he proclamed in al Cornewaile of alle the aduentures of these two knyghtes / so was hit openly knowen / But ful wo was la Beale Isoud when she herde telle that sire Tristram was wedded to Isoud la blaunche maynys