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

ANd ther with he armed hym / so ryght euen afore hym ther met two knyghtes / the one cam froward Camelot / and the other from the northe / and eyther salewed other / what tydynges at Camelot sayd the one / by my hede saide the other ther haue I ben & aspyed the courte of kynge Arthur And ther is suche a felauship they may neuer be broken / and wel nyghe al the world holdeth with Arthur / for there is the flour of chyualrye / Now for his cause I am rydyng in to the north to telle or chyuetayns of the felauship that is withholden with kyng Arthur / as for that said the other knyght I haue brought a remedy with me that is the grettest poyson that euer ye herd speke of & to Camelot wyll I with it / for we haue a frend ryght nyghe kyng Arthur and wel cherysshed that shal poysone kynge Arthur / for so he hath promysed oure chyuetayns & receyued grete yeftes for to do it / Beware said the other knyght of Merlyn / for he knoweth all thynges by the deuyls crafte / therfore wille I not lete it said the knyghte / & so they departed in sonder / Anone after Pellenore maade hym

[leaf 59r] redy and his lady rode toward Camelot / And as they cam by the wel there as the wounded knyght was and the lady / there he fond the knyghte and the lady eten with lyons or wylde beestes al sauf the hede / wherfor he made grete sorowe and wepte passynge sore and said Allas her lyf myghte I haue saued / but I was so fyers in my quest therfore I wold not abyde / wherfore make ye suche doole said the lady / I wote not said Pellinore / but my herte morneth sore of the deth of her for she was a passyng fayr lady and a yonge / Now wylle ye doo by myne aduys said the lady / take this knyghte and lete hym be buryed in an heremytage / and thenne take the ladyes hede and bere it with yow vnto Arthur / So kyng Pellinore took this dede knyght on his sholders / and broughte hym to the heremytage and charged the heremyte with the corps / that seruyse shold be done for the soule / and take his harneys for your payne / it shalle be done said the heremyte as I wille ansuer vnto god