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 xj

[leaf 372r]

¶ Capitulum xj

NOw sayd syre Launcelot / and ye wille helpe me a lytel / ye shalle see yonder felauship that chaseth now these men in oure syde that they shal go as fast bakward as they wente forward / Sir spare not said sire Lauayne / for I shall doo what I maye / Thenne sire Launcelot and sire Lauayne cam in at the thyckest of the prees / and there syre launcelot smote doune syr Brandyles / syre Sagramore / syre Dodynas/ sir Kay / syr Gryflet / and alle this he dyd with one spere / and sire Lauayne smote doune sire Lucan the buttelere / and sir Bedeuere / And thenne sire Launcelot gat another spere / & there he smote doune sir Agrauayne / sire Gaherys / and sir Mordred and sir Melyot de Logrys / and sir Lauayne smote doune Ozanna le cure hardy / and thenne sir Launcelot drewe his suerd and there he smote on the ryght hand and on the lyfte hand and by grete force he vnhorced syr Safyr / sire Epynogrys / & sir Galleron / and thenne the knyghtes of the table round withdrewe them abak after they had goten their horses as wel as they myghte / O mercy Ihesu said sire Gawayne what knyȝte is yonder that doth soo merueyllous dedes of armes in that felde / I wote not what he is sayd kynge Arthur / But as att this tyme I wille not name hym / syre sayd sire Gawayne I wold say it were syr launcelot by his rydynge and his buffets that I see hym dele / but euer me semeth it shold not be he for that he bereth the reed sleue vpon his hede / for I wyst hym neuer bere token at no Iustes of lady nor gentilwoman / Lete hym be said kynge Arthur / he wille be better knowen / and do more or euer he departe / Thenne the party that was ayenst kynge Arthur were wel comforted / and thenne they helde hem to gyders that before hand were sore rebuked / Thenne sir Bors sir Ector de marys and sir Lyonel called vnto them the knyȝtes of their blood / as sir Blamor de ganys / syre Bleoberys syr Alyduke / sir Galyhud / sire Galyhodyn / sir Bellangere le beuse / soo these nyne knyghtes of sir launcelots skynne threste in myghtely / for they were al noble knyghtes / and they of grete hate and despyte that they had vnto hym thoughte to rebuke that noble knyght sir launcelot & sir lauayne / for they

[leaf 372v] knewe hem not / and soo they cam hurlynge to gyders / & smote doune many knyghtes of northgalys and of northumberland And whanne sire launcelot sawe them fare soo / he gat a spere in his hand / and there encountred with hym al attones syr bors sir Ector and sire Lyonel / and alle they thre smote hym atte ones with their speres / And with fors of them self they smote sir launcelots hors to the erthe / and by mysfortune sir bors smote syre launcelot thurgh the shelde in to the syde / and the spere brake / and the hede lefte stylle in his syde / whan sir Lauayne sawe his maister lye on the ground / he ranne to the kynge of scottes / and smote hym to the erthe / and by grete force he took his hors / and brought hym to syr launcelot / and maulgre of them al he made hym to mounte vpon that hors / & thenne launcelot gat a spere in his hand / and there he smote syre Bors hors and man to the erthe / in the same wyse he serued syre Ector and syre Lyonel / and syre Lauayne smote doune sir Blamore de ganys / And thenne sir launcelot drewe his suerd for he felte hym self so sore y hurte that he wende there to haue had his dethe / And thenne he smote sire Bleoberys suche a buffet on the helmet that he felle doune to the erthe in a swoun And in the same wyse he serued sir Alyduk / and sir Galyhud And sire Lauayne smote doune syr Bellangere that was the sone of Alysaunder le orphelyn / and by this was sire Bors horsed / and thenne he came with sire Ector and syr Lyonel / & alle they thre smote with suerdes vpn syre launcelots helmet/ And whan he felte their buffets / and his wounde the whiche was soo greuous than he thought to doo what he myght whyle he myght endure / And thenne he gaf syr Bors suche a buffet that he made hym bowe his heed passynge lowe / and there with al he raced of his helme / and myght haue slayne hym / & soo pulled hym doune / and in the same wyse he serued syre Ector and sire Lyonel / For as the book saith he myghte haue slayne them / but whan he sawe their vysages / his herte myght not serue hym therto / but lefte hem there

¶ And thenne afterward he hurled in to the thyckest prees of them alle and dyd there the merueyloust dedes of armes that euer man sawe or herde speke of / And euer sire Lauayne the good knyghte with hym / and there sire Launcelot with

[leaf 373r] his suerd smote doune and pulled doune as the Frensshe book maketh mencyon moo than thyrtty knyghtes / & the moost party were of the table round / and sire Lauayne dyd ful wel that day / for he smote doune ten knyghtes of the table round /