[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum septimum

ANd thenne syr Marhaus auysed syr Trystram and sa∣id thus / yonge knyght syr Trystram what dost thou he¦re / me sore repenteth of thy courage / for wete thou wel I haue ben assayed / and the best knyghtes of this land haue ben as∣sayed of my hand / And also I haue matched with the best kn∣yghtes of the world / and therfor by my counceille retorne a∣geyne vnto thy vessaile / And faire knyght and wel preued knyght said syre Trystram thou shalt wel wete I maye not forsake the in this quarel / for I am for thy sake made knyght And thou shalt wel wete that I am a kynges sone born and goten vpon a quene / and suche promyse I haue made att my neuews request and myn owne sekyng that I shalle fyghte with the vnto the vttermest / and delyuer Cornewaile from the old truage / And also wete thou wel syr Marhaus / that this is the grettest cause that thou couragest me to haue adoo with the / For thou art called one of the moost renoumed kn∣yght••s of the world / and by cause of that noyse and fame / that thou hast / thou gyuest me courage to haue adoo with the / for neuer yet was I preued with good knyghte / And sy∣then I toke the ordre of knyghthode this day / I am wel plea∣syd that I maye haue adoo with so good a knyght as thou arte / And now wete thou wel syr Marhaus that I caste me to gete worship on thy body / And yf that I be not preued / I trust to god that I shal be worshipfully preued vpon thy bo¦dy / and to delyuer the countrey of Cornewaile for euer fro al

maner of truage from Irland for euer / whanne syr Marhau•• had herde hym saye what he wold / he saide thenne thus ageyn Fair Knyght sy••hen it is soo that thou castest to wynne wor¦ship of me / I lete the wete / worship may thou none lese by me yf thou mayst stande me thre strokes / for I lete the wete / for my noble dedes preued and sene / Kyng Arthur made me kny∣ghte of the table round / Thenne they beganne to feutre theyre speres / and they mette soo fyersly to gyders / that they smote eyther other doune / bothe hors and all / But sir Marhaus smo¦te syr Trystram a grete wounde in the syde with his spere / & thenne they auoyded their horses / and pulled oute their swer∣des / and threwe their sheldes afore them / And thenne they las∣shed to gyders as men that were wyld and couragyous / And whan they hadde stryken soo to gyder longe / thenne they lefte her strokes / and foyned at their brethes and vysours / & when they sawe that that myght not preuaile them / thēne they hurt led to gyders lyke rammes to bere eyther other doun / thus they fought stylle more than half a day / and eyder were wounded passyng sore / that the blood ranne doune fresshly fro them vp¦on the ground / By thenne syr Trystram waxed more fressher / than syr Marhaus and better wynded and bygger / and with a myghty stroke he smote syr Marhaus vpon the helme suche a buffet that hit went thorou his helme / and thorou the coyfe of stele and thorou the brayn pan / and the swerd stak soo fast in the helme and in his brayn pan that sir Trystram pulled thry∣es at his swerd or euer he myght pulle it out from his hede / & there Marhaus felle doun on his knees the edge of Tristrams swerd left in his brayne pan / And sodenly syr Marhaus rose grouelynge / and threwe his swerd and his shelde from hym / and soo ranne to his shippes and fledde his waye / and sir tris¦tram hadde euer his shelde and his swerd / And whan sir Tris∣tram sawe sir Marhaus withdrawe hym / he said A sir knyght of the roūd table why withdrawest thou the / thou dost thy selfe and thy kyn grete shame / for I am but a yong Knyghte / or now I was neuer preued / and rather than I shold withdra∣we me from the / I had rather be hewen in C pyeces / Syr mar¦haus ansuerd no worde but yede his way sore gronynge / well sir knyght said sir Tristram I promy••e the thy suerd and thy

sheld shal be myn / and thy sheld shalle I were in al places where I ryde on myn aduentures and in the syghte of kyng Arthur and alle the round table