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 v

THe Quene herd therof and came after with many ladyes / and shewed hem the stone where it houed on the water / Sire said the kyng vnto syre Galahad here is a grete merueylle as euer I sawe / and ryght good knyghtes haue assayed and fayled /

¶ Syre said Galahad that is no merueil / for this aduenture is not theirs / but myne / and for the seurte of this swerd I brought none with me / For here by my syde hangeth the

[leaf 309v] scauberd / And anone he layd his hand on the swerd / and lyghtly drewe it oute of the stone / and putte it in the shethe / & said vnto kynge / now hit goth better than dyd afore hand / Sir said the kynge / A sheld god shalle send you now haue I that swerd that somtyme was the good knyghtes Balyn le saueage / and he was a passynge good man of his handes / And with this suerd he slewe his broder Balan and that was the grete pyte for he was a good knyghte / and eyther slewe other thorou a dolorous stroke that Balyn gaf vnto my graūte fader / kynge Pelles / the whiche is not yet hole / nor not shal be tyl I hele hym / There with the kynge and all aspyed where came rydynge doune the ryuer a lady on a whyte palfroy toward them / Thenne she falewed the kynge and the quene / and asked yf that syr Launcelot was there / And thenne he ansuerd hym self I am here fayre lady / Thenne she sayd al with wepynge how your grete doynge is chaunged syth this day in the morne / Damoysel why say soo sayd Launcelot / I saye yow sothe said the damoysel / for ye were this day the best knyghte of the world / but who shold saye soo now he shold be a lyar / for there is now one better than ye / And wel hit is preued by the aduenturrs of the suerd where to ye durste not sette to your hand / and that is the chaunge and leuynge of your name / wherfore I make vnto yow a remembraunce / that ye shalle not wene from hensforth that ye be the best knyght of the world / As touchynge vnto that said launcelot / I knowe wel I was neuer the best / yes sayd the damoysel that were ye and are yet of ony synful man of the world / And sir kyng Nacyen the heremyte sendeth the word that the shalle befalle the grettest worship that euer befelle kynge in Brytayne / and I say yow wherfore / for this daye the Sancgreal appiered in thy hows and fedde the and all thy felaushyp of the round table Soo she departed and wente that same way that she came /