[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xvij

WHanne kynge Arthur vnderstood the letter / he musyd of many thynges / & thouʒt on his systers wordes que¦ne Morgan le fay that she had sayd betwixe quene gue¦neuer and sir Launcelot / And in this thoughte he studyed a grete whyle / Thenne he bethought hym ageyne how his syster was his owne enemy / and that she hated the Quene and sir launcelot / and soo he putte all that oute of his thoughte

¶Thenne Kyng Arthur redde the letter ageyne / and the lat∣ter clause said that Kynge Marke tooke sire Tristram for his mortal enemy / wherfor he put Arthur oute of doubte he wold be reuengyd of sir Tristram / Thenne was kyng Arthur wroth with kynge Marke / And whanne quene Gueneuer redde her letter and vnderstood hit / she was wrothe oute of mesure / for the letter spak shame by her / and by sir launcelot / And soo pryuely she sente the letter vnto sir Launcelot / And whanne he wyste the entent of the letter / he was soo wrothe that he le∣yd hym doune on his bedde to slepe / wherof sir Dynadan was ware / for hit was his maner to be preuy with alle good kny∣ghtes / And as sire launcelot slepte he stale the letter oute of his hand and red it word by word / And thenne he made gre¦te sorow for anger / and soo sir Launcelot awaked / and went to a wyndowe / and redde the letter ageyne / the whiche maade hym angry / Syre said Dynadan wherfore be ye angry / disco∣uer your hert to me / For sothe ye wote wel I owe yow good wylle / how be hit I am a poure knyght and a seruytour vnto yow and to alle good knyghtes / For though I be not of wor¦ship my self I loue alle tho that ben of worship / It is trouth said sir Launcelot / ye are a trusty knyght / and for grete trust I wille shewe yow my counceylle / And whan Dynadan vn¦derstood alle / he said this is my counceyl / Sette you ryght no∣ught by these thretys / For kynge marke is soo vylaynous / that by fayre speche shalle neuer man gete of hym / ¶ But ye shalle see what I shalle doo / I wille make a lay for hym / & whan hit is made I shalle make an harper to synge hit afore hym / Soo anone he wente and made hit / and taughte hit an harper that hyght Elyot / And whanne he coude hit / he taught hit to many harpers ¶ And soo by the wylle of sire Launcelot and of Arthur the harpers went streyghte in to

walys / and in to Cornewaile to synge the laye that sire Dy∣nadan made by kynge Marke / the whiche was the werste lay that euer harper sange with harp or with ony other Instrumen¦tys