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 xxvj

NOw leue we sire Palomydes and sire Dynadan in the castel of Beale valet / and torne we ageyne vnto kynge Arthur / There came a Knyght oute of Cornewail his name was Fergus / a felawe of the round table / And ther he told the Kynge and sir Launcelot good tydynges of sir Tristram / and there were brought goodly letters / and how he lefte hym in the castel of Tyntagil

¶ Thenne came the damoysel that broughte goodly letters vnto kynge Arthur and vnto sire launcelot / and there she hadde passynge good chere of the Kynge and of the Quene Gueneuer and of sire Launcelot /

¶ Thenne they wrote goodly letters ageyne / But syre Laūcelot badde euer sire Tristram beware of kynge Marke / for euer he called hym in his letters Kynge Foxe / As who saith / he fareth alle with wyles and treason / wherof sire Tristram in his herte thanked syre Laūcelot

¶ Thenne the Damoysel went vnto la Beale Isoud and bare her letters from the Kynge and from syre Launcelot / wherof she was in passynge grete Ioye

¶ Faire damoysel said la Beale Isoud / how fareth my

[leaf 228v] Lord Arthur and the Quene Gweneuer / and the noble knyȝt syr Launcelot / she ansuerd and to make short tale / moche the better that ye and sire Tristram ben in Ioye / God rewarde them said la beale Isoud / for sir Tristram suffereth grete payne for me and I for hym / So the damoysel departed and broughte letters to Kynge Marke / And whanne he had redde them / and vnderstood them / he was wrothe with sir Tristram / for he demed he had sente the damoysel vnto Kyng Arthur / For Arthur and Launcelot in a maner threted kyng mark / And as Kynge mark redde these letters / he demed treson by syr Tristram / Damoysel said Kynge marke / wille ye ryde ageyne and bere letters from me vnto Kynge Arthur / sir she said I wille be at your commaundement to ryde whan ye wille / ye saye wel said the Kyng / come ageyne said the Kyng to morne / and fetche your letters / Thenne she departed / & told them how she shold ryde ageyne with letters vnto Arthur Thenne we praye you said la beale Isoud and sir Tristram that whanne ye haue receyued your letters / that ye wold come by vs that we may see the pryuete of your letters / Al that I may doo madame ye wote wel I must doo for sir Tristram for I haue ben longe his owne mayden / Soo on the morne the damoysel went to kynge marke to haue had his letters and to departe / I am not auysed said kynge marke as at this tyme to sende my letters / Thenne pryuely and secretely he sent letters vnto kynge Arthur and vnto Quene Queneuer / and vnto sir launcelot / So the varlet departed / and fond the Kyng and the Quene in walys at Carlyon / And as the kyng and the Quene were at masse the varlet came with the letters / And whanne masse was done the kynge and the Quene opened the letters pryuely by them self / And the begynnynge of the kynges letters spak wonderly short vnto Kynge Arthur/ and badde hym entermete with hym self and with his wyf / & of his knyghtes / For he was able ynough to rule and kepe his wyf