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 iiij

[leaf 389r]

THenne sir launcelot rode as fast as he myghte / and the book saith / he took the water at westmynstre brydge / & made his hors to swymme ouer Temse vnto lambehythe / And thēne within a whyle he came to the same place there as the ten noble knyghtes foughte with syre Mellyagraunce And thanne sir launcelot folowed the trak vntyl that he came to a wood / and there was a strayte waye / and there the xxx archers bad sir launcelot torne ageyne / and folowe noo lenger that trak / what commaundement have ye ther to sayd sir launcelot to cause me that am a knyghte of the round table to leue my ryghte way / This way shalte thou leue / outher els thow shalt goo it on thy foote / for wete thou wel thy hors shalle be slayne / that is lytel maystry sayd syre launcelot to slee myn hors / but as for my self whan my hors is slayne I gyue ryght nought for yow / not and ye were fyue honderd moo / So thenne they shot sir launcelots hors / and smote hym with many arowes / and thenne syr launcelot auoyded his hors / and wente on foote / but there were soo many dyches and hedges betwixe them and hym that he myghte not medle with none of hem /

¶ Allas for shame said launcelot that euer one knyght shold bitraye another knyght / but hit is an old sawe / a good man is neuer in daunger / but whan he is in the daunger of a coward / Thenne sir launcelot wente a whyle / and thenne he was fowle combred of his armour / his sheld and his spere & alle that longed vnto hym / wete ye wel he was ful sore annoyed / and ful loth he was for to leue ony thynge that longed vnto hym / for he drad sore the treason of sir Mellyagraūce Thenne by fortune there came by hym a charyot that cam thyder for to fetche wood / Say me carter said syr launcelot what shal I gyue the to suffre me to lepe in to thy charyot / & that thou brynge me vnto a castel within this two myle / thou shalt not come within my charyot said the carter / for I am sente for to fetche wood for my lord sir Mellyagraunce / with hym wold I speke / thou shalt not go with me said the carter / thēne sir launcelot lept to hym / & gaf hym suche a buffet that he felle to the erthe starke dede / thenne the other carter his felawe was aferde & wende to haue gone the same way / & thenne he cryed fair lord saue my lyf / & I shal brynge you where ye wil / thēne

[leaf 389v] I charge the sayd syr launcelot that thow dryue me and thys charyot euen vnto sir Melliagaunce yate / lepe vp in to the charyot sayd the carter / and ye shalle be there anone / Soo the carter drofe on a grete wallop / and sir launcelots hors folowed the charyot with more than a xl arowes brode and rough in hym / and more than an houre and an half dame Gueneuer was awaytynge in a bay wyndowe with her ladyes / & aspyed an armed knyghte standynge in a charyot / See madame sayd a lady where rydeth in a charyot a goodly armed knyghte / I suppose he rydeth vnto hangyng / where sayd the quene / thenne she aspyed by his shelde that he was there hym self sir launcelot du lake / And thenne she was ware where came his hors euer after that charyot / and euer he trade his guttes and his paunche vnder his feet / Allas sayd the quene now I see well and preue that wel is hym that hath a trusty frend /

¶ Ha a moost noble knyghte sayd quene Gueneuer I see wel thow arte hard bestad whan thow rydest in a charyot / thenne she rebuked that lady that lykend sir launcelot to ryde in a charyot to hangynge / hit was fowle mouthed sayd the quene and euylle lykened soo for to lyken the moost noble knyght of the world vnto suche a shameful dethe / O Ihesu defende hym and kepe hym said the quene from alle mescheuous ende / By thys was sir Launcelot comen to the gates of that Castel / and there he descended doune and cryed that alle the Castel range of it where arte thow fals traitour sir Melliagraunce and knyght of the table round / now come forth here thou traytour knyȝte thou and thy felauship with the / For here I am sir launcelot du lake that shal fyghte with yow / and there with all he bare the gate wyde open vpon the porter / and smote hym vnder his ȝere with his gauntelet that his neck brast in sonder /