[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum Tercium /

THenne sire kay ordeyned sir dagonet / kynge Arthurs foole to folowe after la cote male taile / and there sir kay ordeyned that sir Dagonet was horsed and armed and bad hym folowe la cote male taile / and profer hym to Ius¦te and soo he dyd / and whan he sawe la cote male tayle he cry¦ed and badde hym make hym redy to Iuste / Soo sir la cote ma¦le tayle smote sir Dagonet ouer his hors croupe / Thenne the damoysel mocked la cote male tayle / and said fy for shame / now art thou shamed in Arthurs courte / whan they sende a foole to haue adoo with the / and specially at thy fyrst Iustes / thus she rode longe and chyde / ¶ And within a whyle there

••••ne sir Bleoberys the good knyght / and there he Iusted with la cote male tayle / and there syre Bleoberys smote hym so sore that hors and alle felle to the erth / Thenne la cote male tayle arose vp lyghtely and dressid his sheld / and drewe his suerd and wold haue done bataill to the vtteraūce / for he was wode ••••••oshe / Not soo said Bleoberys de ganys / as at this tyme I wille not fyghte vpon foo•••• / Thenne the damoysel Maledysaūt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hym in the foulest man̄er / and badde hym ••orne ayene coward / A damoysel he said I pray you of mercy to myssa me no more / my gryef is ynough though ye gyue me no more / I calle my self neuer the wers knyght / whan a marys sone fa∣yleth me / and also I dompte me neuer the wers knyght for a falle of sir Bleoberys / Soo thus he rode with her two dayes / and by fortune there came sir Palomydes and encountred with hym / and he in the same / wyse serued hym as dyd Bleoberys to fore hand / ¶what dost thou here in my fel••uship saide the damoysel maledysaunt / thou canst not sytte no knyghte / nor withstande hym one buffet / but yf hit were sir dagonet / A fair damoysel I am not the wers to take a falle of sire Palamy∣des / and yet grete disworship haue I none / for neyder Bleo∣berys not yet palamydes wold not fyghte with me on foote / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for that said the damoysel wete thou wel they haue desda∣••ne and scor••e to lyghte of their horses to fyghte with suche a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 knyght as thou ••••te / Soo in the meane whyle ther cam sir Mordred / sir Gawayns broder / and soo he felle in the felau¦ship with the damoysel maledy••aunt / And thenne they came a¦••ore the castel Orgulous / and there was suche a customme that there myght no knyght come by that castel / but outher he must Iuste or be prysoner / or at the lest to less his hors and his har¦ne••s / and there came oute two knyghtes ageynst them / and sir mordred Iusted with the formest / and that knyght of the cas∣tel smote sire Mordred doune of his hors / and thenne la cote male tayle Iusted with that other / and eyther of hem smote o∣ther doune hors and alle to the erthe / And whanne they auoy¦ded their horses / thenne eyther of hem took others horses / ¶And thenne la cote male tayle rode vnto that knyght that smote doune sire Mordred and Iusted with hym / And there syre La cote male tayle hurte & wounded hym passynge sore

and putte hym from his hors as he had ben dede / So he torned vnto hym that mette hym afore / and he took the flyght toward the castel / and sire la cote male tayle rode after hym in to the Castel Orgulous / and there la cote male tayle shewe hym