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 xiij

THe meane whyle Morgan le fay hadde wend kynge Arthur had been dede / soo on a day she aspyed kynge Vryens lay in his bedde slepynge / thenne she called vnto her a mayden of her counceyll / & said go fetche me my lordes swerd for I sawe neuer better tyme to slee hym than now /

¶ O Madame sayd the damoysel / and ye slee my lord ye can neuer escape / Care not yow said Morgan le fay / for now I see my tyme in the whiche it is best to doo hit / And therfor hye the fast and fetche me the suerd / Then̄e the damoisel departed

[leaf 68v] fonde syre Vwayne slepynge vpon a bedde in another chamber soo she wente vnto sire Vwayne and awaked hym / and badde hym aryse and wayte on my lady youre moder / for she wille slee the kynge your fader slepynge in his bedde / for I goo to fetche his swerd / wel said syr Vwayne go on your waye / and lete me dele / Anone the damoysel brought Morgan the swerd with quakynge handes / and lyghtely took the swerd / & pulled it out / and wente boldely vnto the beddes syde / and awayted how and where she myght sle hym best / And as she lyfte vp the swerd to smyte / sir Vwayne lepte vnto his moder and caughte her by the hand and sayd A fende what wilt thow do And thow were not my moder with this swerd I shold smyte of thy hede / A sayd syr Vwayn men saith that Merlyn was begoten of a deuylle / but I may saye an erthely deuylle bare me / O fayre sone Vwayne haue mercy vpon me / I was tempted with a deuylle / wherfore I crye the mercy / I wylle neuer more doo soo and saue my worship and discouer me not / On this couenaunt said syr Vwayne I wille forgyue it yow / soo ye wille neuer be aboute to doo suche dedes / Nay sone said she / & that I make yow assuraunce /