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 xiiij

SOo after on a mondaye hit befelle that they aryued in the edge of a foreste to fore a crosse / and thenne sawe they a knyghte armed al in whyte and was rychely horsed/ and ledde in his ryght hand a whyte hors / and soo he cam to the shyp and salewed the two knyghtes on the hyghe lordes behalf / and sayd Galahad syr ye haue ben longe ynough with your fader / come oute of the ship / and starte vpon this hors / & goo where the aduentures shall lede the in the quest of the sancgreal / thenne he wente to his fader and kyst hym swetely and sayd / Fair swete fader I wote not whan I shal see you more tyl I see the body of Ihesu Cryst / I praye yow sayd launcelot praye ye to the hyghe fader that he hold me in his seruyse & soo he took his hors / & ther they herd a voyce that sayd thynke for to doo wel / for the one shal neuer see the other before the dredeful day of dome / Now sone galahad said laūcelot syn we shal departe / & neuer see other / I pray to þ^e hyȝ fader to conserue

[leaf 355v] me and yow bothe / Sire said Galahad noo prayer auaylleth soo moche as yours / And there with Galahad entryd in to the foreste / And the wynde aroos and drofe Launcelot more than a moneth thurgh oute the see where he slepte but lytyl but prayed to god that he myght see some tydynges of the Sancgreal / Soo hit befelle on a nyghte at mydnyghte he aryued afore a Castel on the bak syde whiche was ryche and fayre / & there was a posterne opened toward the see / and was open withoute ony kepynge / sauf two lyons kept the entre / and the moone shone clere / Anone sir launcelot herd a voyce that sayd Launcelot goo oute of this shyp / and entre in to the Castel / where thou shalt see a grete parte of thy desyre / Thenne he ran to his armes and soo armed hym / and soo wente to the gate and sawe the lyons / Thenne sette he hand to his suerd & drewe hit / Thenne there came a dwerf sodenly and smote hym on the harme so sore that the suerd felle oute of his hand / Thenne herd he a voyce say O man of euylle feyth and poure byleue wherfor trowest thow more on thy harneis than in thy maker/ for he myghte more auayle the than thyn armour in whos seruyse that thou arte sette / Thenne said launcelot / fay u fader ihesu Cryste I thanke the of thy grete mercy that thou repreuest me of my mysdede / Now see I wel that ye hold me for youre seruaunt / thenne toke he ageyne his suerd and putte it vp in his shethe and made a crosse in his forhede / and came to the lyons / and they made semblaunt to doo hym harme / Notwithstandynge he passed by hem without hurte and entryd in to the castel to the chyef fortresse / and there where they al at rest / thenne Launcelot entryd in so armed / for he fond noo gate nor dore but it was open / And at the last he fond a chamber wherof the dore was shytte / and he sette his hand therto to haue opened hit / but he myghte not