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 Nonum

[leaf 393v]

NOwe leue we sir Launcelot wallop alle that he myghte And speke we of Quene Gueneuer / that was broughte to a fyre to be brent / for sire Mellyagraunce was sure / hym thoughte that sir launcelot shold not be att that bataille / therfore he euer cryed vpon kynge Arthur to doo hym Iustyce / outher els brynge forth syr launcelot du lake / thenne was the kynge and al the Courte ful sore abasshed & shamed that the quene shold be brente in the defaute of sir Launcelot My lord Arthur sayd sir Lauayne ye maye vnderstande that it is not wel with my lord syr launcelot / for and he were on lyue / soo he be not seke outher in pryson / wete ye wel he wold ben here / for neuer herd ye that euer he failed his part for whome he shold doo batail for / and therfor sayd sir lauayne / my lord kynge Arthur I byseche yow gyue me the lycence to doo batail here this day for my lord and maister / and for to saue my lady the quene / Gramercy gentil sir Lauayne sayd kyng arthur / for I day say alle that sir Mellyagraunce putteth vpon my lady the Quene / is wronge / for I haue spoken with al the ten wounded knyghtes / and there is not one of them and he were hole and able to doo bataille / but he wold preue vpon sir Mellyagraunce body that it is fals that he putteth vpon my quene / soo shal I sayd sir lauayne in the defence of my lord syr launcelot and ye wylle gyue me leue / Now I gyue yow leue sayd kynge Arthur and doo your best / for I dar wel say there is some treason done to sir launcelot / Thenne was sir Lauayne armed and horsed / and sodenly at the lystes ende he rode to performe this bataille / and ryghte as the herowdes shold crye / lesses les aler / Ryghte soo came in sir launcelot dryuynge with alle the force of his hors / and thenne Arthur cryed ho / and abyde / thenne was sir launcelot called on horsbak to fore kynge Arthur / and there he told openly to fore the kynge and alle how sire Mellyagraunce had serued hym fyrste and last / And whanne the kynge and the quene and al the lordes knewe of the treason of sir Mellyagraunce / they were alle ashamed on his behalfe / thenne was quene Gueneuer sente for / and sette by the kynge in grete truste of her champyon And thenne there was no more els to say / but syr Launcelot and sire Mellyagraunce dressid them vnto bataille / and took

[leaf 394r] their speres / and soo they came to gyders as thonder / and there sir launcelot bare hym doune quyte ouer his hors croupe / And thenne sire Launcelot alyghte and dressid his sheld on his sholder with his suerd in his hand / and sir Mellyagraunce in the same wyse dressid hym vnto hym / and there they smote many grete strokes to gyders / and at the laste sire Launcelot smote hym suche a buffet vpon the helmet that he felle on the one syde to the erthe / and thenne he cryed vpon hym alowde / Moost noble knyghte sir launcelot du lake saue my lyf / for I yelde me vnto yow / and I requyre yow / as ye be a knyghte & felawe of the table round slee me not / for I yelde me as ouercomen / and whether I shalle lyue or dye I put me in the kynges handes and yours / thenne sir Launcelot wyste not what to doo / for he had had leuer than all the good of the world / he myghte haue ben reuenged vpon syr Mellyagraunce / and sir Launcelot loked vp to the Quene Gueneuer / yf he myghte aspye by ony sygne or countenaunce what she wold haue done / And thenne the quene wagged her hede vpon sir Launcelot / as though she wold saye slee hym / Ful wel knewe sir launcelot by the waggynge of her hede that she wold haue hym dede / thenne sir launcelot bad hym ryse for shame and performe that bataille to the vtteraunce / nay said sir Mellyagraunce I wylle neuer aryse vntyll ye take me as yolden & recreaunt I shalle profer yow large profers sayd sir Launcelot / that is for to say / I shall vnarme my hede & my lyfte quarter of my body alle that may be vnarmed & lete bynde my lyfte hand behynde me / soo that it shalle not helpe me / and ryghte so I shall doo bataille with yow / thenne sir Mellyagraunce starte vp vpon his legges / & sayd on hyghe My lord Arthur take hede to this profer / for I wille take hit / and lete hym be dysarmed & bounden accordynge to his profer / what saye ye sayd kyng Arthur vnto syre launcelot / wille ye abyde by youre profer / ye my lord sayd sir launcelot / I wille neuer goo fro that I haue ones sayd / Thenne the knyghtes parters of the felde disarmed sir launcelot first his hede / & sythen his lyfte arme & his lyfte syde / & they bond his lyft arme behynd his bak without sheld or ony thyng / & thenne they were put to gyders / Wete you wel there was many a lady & knyȝt merueylled that sir laūcelot

[leaf 394v] wold Ieopardy hym self in suche a wyse / Thenne syre Mellyagraunce came with his suerd all on hygh / and sire launcelot shewed him openly his bare hede and the bare lyfte syde / and whan he wende to haue smyten hym vpon the bare hede / thenne lyghtly he auoyded the lyfte legge & the lyfte syde / & put his ryght hand and his suerd to that stroke / and soo putte it on syde with grete sleyghte / and thenne with grete force syr launcelot smote hym on the helmet suche a buffet that the stroke kerued the hede in two partyes / thenne there was no more to doo / but he was drawen oute of the felde / and at the grete Instaunce of the knyghtes of the table round / the kynge suffred hym to be entered & the mencyon made vpon hym who slewe hym/ and for what cause he was slayne / and thenne the kyng and the Quene made more of syr Launcelot du lake / and more he was cherysshed than euer he was afore hand