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

[leaf 385r]

¶ Capitulum xxiiij

SOo this turnement & this Iustes dured longe / tyl hit was nere nyghte / for the knyghtes of the round table releued euer vnto kynge Arthur / for the kynge was wrothe out of mesure / that he and his knyghtes myght not preuaile that day / Thenne sire Gawayne said to the kynge I merueile where alle this day syr Bors de ganys and his felaushyp of syre launcelots blood / I merueylle all this day they be not aboute yow / hit is for somme cause sayd syr Gawayne / By my hede said sire Kay syre Bors is yonder all this day vpon the ryghte hand of this felde / and ther he and his blood done more worshypfully than we doo / it may wel be sayd syr Gawayne / but I drede me euer of gyle / for on payne of my lyf said sir Gawayne this knyghte with the reed sleue of gold is hym self syr launcelot / I see wel by his rydynge / and by his grete strokes / and the other knyghte in the same colours is the good yonge knyght sir lauayne / Also that knyghte with the grene shelde is my broder syr Gareth / and yet he hath desguysed hym self / for no man shalle neuer make hym be ageynst sir launcelot by cause he made hym knyghte / By my hede said Arthur neuewe I byleue yow / therfore telle me now what is youre best counceyll / Sir said sir Gawayne ye shalle haue my counceylle / lete blowe vnto lodgynge / for and he be syr Launcelot du lake and my broder syr Gareth with hym with the helpe of that good yong knyghte syr Lauayne / trust me truly it wyll be no bote to stryue with them / but yf we shold falle ten or xij vpon one knyghte / and that were no worship but shame / ye saye trouthe sayd the kyng / and for to saye sothe said the kynge it were shame to vs / soo many as we be to sette vpon them ony more / for wete ye wel sayd kyng Arthur / they ben thre good knyghtes / and namely that knyght with the sleue of gold / Soo thenne they blewe vnto lodgyng / but forth with all Kyng Arthur lete sende vnto the four kynges / and to the myghty duke / and praid hem that the knyghte with the sleue of gold departe not fro them / but that the kyng may speke with hym / Thenne fourthe with alle kyng Arthur alighte & vnarmed hym / & took a litill hakney / & rode after sire Launcelot /

[leaf 385v] for euer he had a spye vpon hym / and soo he fonde hym amonge the four kynges / and the duke / and there the kyng prayd hem alle vnto souper / and they sayd they wold with good wylle / And whan they were vnarmed / thenne kyng Arthur knewe sire launcelot / sir Lauayne and sir Gareth / A syre Launcelot sayd kynge Arthur / this daye ye haue heted me / & my knyghtes / soo they yede vnto Arthurs lodgynge al to gyder / and there was a grete feest and grete reuel / and the pryce was gyuen vnto syr launcelot / and by herowdes they named hym / that he had smyten doune fyfty knyghtes / and sire Gareth fyue and thyrtty / and sir Lauayne four and twenty knyghtes / Thenne sir Launcelot told the kynge and the Quene how the lady huntresse shote hym in the foreste of wyndesoore in the buttok with a brood arowe / & how the wound therof was that tyme syxe Inches depe / and in lyke longe /

¶ Also Arthur blamed syr Gareth by cause he lefte his felaushyp / & helde with sir launcelot / My lord sayd sir Gareth / he maade me a knyghte / And whanne I sawe hym soo hard bestadde / me thought it was my worshyp to helpe hym / for I sawe hym do soo moche / and soo many noble knyghtes ageynst hym / and whan I vnderstood that he was sir launcelot du lake / I shamed to see soo many knyghtes ageynst hym alone / Truly sayd kynge Arthur vnto syre Gareth ye saye wel and worshypfully haue ye done and to your self grete worshyp / and alle the dayes of my lyf sayd kynge Arthur vnto sir Gareth wete yow wel I shalle loue yow / and truste yow the more better For euer sayd Arthur hit is a worshypful knyghtes dede to helpe an other worshypful knyghte whanne he seeth hym in a grete daunger / for euer a worshipful man will be lothe to see a worshipful shamed / and he that is of no worship and fareth with cowardyse / neuer shall he shewe gentilnes / nor no maner of goodnes where he seeth a man in ony daunger / for thenne eur wylle a coward shewe no mercy / and alwayes a good man wille doo euer to another man as he wold ben done to hym self / Soo thenne there were grete feestes vnto kynges and dukes / and reuel / game and playe / and al maner of noblesse was vsed / and he that was curtois / true and feythful to his frende was that tyme cherysshed

[leaf 386r]