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 Octauum

NOw torne we vnto Accolon of Gaulle that whanne he awoke / he found hym self by a depe welle syde within half a foote in grete perylle of dethe / And there cam oute of that fontayne a pype of syluer / and oute of that pype ranne water all on hyhe in a stone of marbel / whan syre Accolon sawe this / he blessyd hym and sayd Ihesu saue my lorde kyng Arthur and kynge Vryens / for these damoysels in this ship haue bitrayed vs / they were deuyls and noo wymmen / And yf I may escape this misauenture / I shalle destroye all where I may fynde these fals damoysels that vsen enchaūtementys /

¶ Ryght with that ther cam a dwarf with a grete mouthe & a flat nose and salewed syre Accolon and said how he came from Quene Morgan le fay / and she greteth yow wel / and byddeth yow be of strong herte / for ye shal fyȝte to morne with a knyghte at the houre of pryme / And therfore she hath sente yow here Excalibur Arthurs swerd and the scaubard / and she byddeth yow as ye loue her that ye doo batail to the vttermest without ony mercy lyke as ye had promysed her whā ye spake to gyder in pryuete / And what damoysel that bryngeth her the knyghtes hede whiche ye shal fyghte with al / she wille make her a quene / Now I vnderstand yow wel sayd Accolon / I shalle holde that I haue promysed her now I haue the swerd / whan sawe ye my lady Quene Morgan le fay Ryghte late sayd the dwarf / thenne Accolon tooke hym in his armes / and said recommaunde me vnto lady Quene / and telle her all shal be done that I haue promysed her / and els I wille dye for hit / Now I suppose said Accolon she hath made alle these craftes and enchauntement for this bataille / ye may wel bileue it said the dwarf / Ryȝt so there cam a knyghte and a lady with syxe squyers / and salewed Accolon / and prayd hym for to aryse and come and reste hym at his

[leaf 65r] maner / and so Accolon mounted vpon a voyde hors / & wente with the knyghte vnto a fayre maner by a pryory / and there he had passynge good chere / Thenne sir Damas sente vnto his broder syr Ontzelake / and badde make hym redy by to morne at the houre of pryme / and to be in the felde to fyghte wyth a a good knyght / for he had founden a good knyght that was redy to doo bataill at all poyntes / whan this word cam vnto sir Ontzelake / he was passyng heuy / for he was wounded a lytel to fore thorow bothe his thyes with a spere / and made grete dole / But as he was wounded he wold haue taken the bataille on hand / Soo it happed at that tyme by the meanes of Morgan le fay Accolon was with syr Ontzelake lodged / and whan he herd of that bataille and how Ontzelake was woūded / he sayd that he wold fyghte for hym by cause Morgan le fey had sente hym Excalibur and the shethe for to fyȝte with the knyght on the morne / This was the cause syr Accolon toke the bataille on hand / thenne syre Ontzelake was passynge glad / and thāked syr Accolon with alle his herte that he wold do so moche for hym / & ther with al syr Ontzelake sente word vnto his broder syre Damas / that he had a knyȝte þ^t for hym shold be redy in the felde by the houre of pryme / Soo on the morne syr Arthur was armed and wel horsed / and asked syr Damas whan shalle we to the felde / syr said syr Damas ye shalle here masse / and so Arthur herd a masse / And whan masse was done / there cam a squyer on a grete hors & asked syr Damas yf his knyght were redy / for oure knyght is redy in the felde / Thenne syre Arthur mounted vpon horsbak / & there were alle the knyghtes and comyns of that countrey / & so by alle aduyses ther were chosen xij good men of the countrey for to wayte vpon the two knyghtes / And ryght as Arthur was on horsbak / ther cam a damoisel from Morgan le fey and broughte vnto syr Arthur a swerd lyke vnto Excalibur / and the scaubard / and sayd vnto Arthur Morgan le fey sendeth here your swerd for grete loue / and he thanked her / & wende it had ben so / but she was fals / for the swerd and the scaubard was counterfeet & brutyll and fals