[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum Octauum

THenne kynge Mark rode tyl he came to a fontayne / and there he rested hym / and stode in a doubte whether he wold ryde to Arthurs courte or none / or retorne a∣geyne to his countrey / And as he thus rested hym by that fon¦tayne / ther came by hym a knyght wel armed on horsbak / and be alyghte and teyed his hors vntyl a tree / and sette hym do∣une by the brynke of the fontayne / and there he made grete lā¦gour and dole / and made the dolefullest complaynte of loue / that euer man herd / and al this whyle was he not ware of ky∣nge Marke / And this was a grete parte of his complaynte / he cryed and wepte sayenge O fayre Quene of Orkeney ky∣nge Lots wyf and moder of sir Gawayne and to sire Gaheris and moder to many other / for thy loue I am in grete paynes / Thenne Kynge Marke arose and wente nere hym / and sayd / Fayr knyght ye haue made a pyteous complaynte / Truly sa∣id the knyght / hit is an honderd parte more reufullyr than my herte can vtter / I requyre you said Kyng Marke telle me yo∣ur name / Sir said he as for my name I wil not hyde it from no knyght that bereth a shelde / and my name is sire Lamorak de galys / But whan sire Lamorak herd Kynge Mark speke thenne wist he wel by his speche that he was a Cornysshe kny∣ght / Syr said sir Lamorak / I vnderstande by your tonge ye be of Cornewaile wherin there duelleth the shamefullest kynge that is now lyuynge / for he is a grete enemy to alle good kn∣yghtes / and that preueth wel / for he hath chaced oute of that Countrey syr Tristram that is the worshipfullest knyght that now is lyuynge / and alle knyghtes speken of hym worship / And for Ialousnes of his quene he hath chaced hym oute of his countrey / Hit is pyte said sir Lamorak that euer ony su∣che fals knyght coward as kynge Marke is shold be matched with suche a fayre lady and good as la Beale Isoud is / for alle the world of hym speketh shame / and of her worshyp that ony Quene maye haue ¶ I haue not adoo in this matere said kynge marke / neyther noughte wille I speke therof Wel said said syre Lamorak syre can ye

telle me ony tydynges / I can telle you said syr Lamorak / that there shalle be a grete turnement in hast besyde Camelot at the castel of Iagent / and the kynge with the C knyʒtes & the kyng of Irland as I suppose make that turnement

¶ Thenne there came a knyght that was callid sire Dyna∣dan / and salewed them bothe / And whan he wyst that kynge Marke was a knyght of Cornewaile / he repreued hym for the loue of kynge Marke a thousand fold more / than dyd sir la¦morak / thenne he profered to Iuste with kynge Mark / and he was ful lothe therto / But sir Dynadan edgyd hym soo / that he Iusted with sir lamorak / & sir lamorak smote kyng marke so sore that he bare hym on his spere ende ouer his hors tayle / And thenne kynge Marke arose ageyne / and folowed after sir lamorak / but sir Dynadan wold not Iuste with sire Lamo∣rak / But he told kynge Marke that sire Lamorak was syre kay the s••neschall / that is not soo said kynge Mark / for he is moche byggar than sir kay / and soo he folowed and ouerto∣ke hym / and badde hym abyde / what wille ye doo said sir La∣morak / Syr he said / I will fyghte with a swerd / for ye haue shamed me with a spere / And there with they dasshed to gyders with swerdes / and sir Lamorak suffred hym / and forbare hym And kynge Marke was passyng hasty / and smote thycke stro¦kes / Syr Lamorak sawe he wold not stynte and waxyd som¦what wrothe / and doubled his strokes / for he was one of the noblest knyghtes of the world / and he bete hym soo on the hel¦me that his / hede henge nyʒ vn the sadel bowe whan sir lamorak sawe hym fare soo / he said / syr knyght what chere me semeth ye haue nyghe your fylle of fyghtynge / hit were pyte to doo yow ony more harme / for ye are but a meane knyght / therfore I gy∣ue you leue to goo where ye lyst / Gramercy said kyng Mark For ye & I be not matches / Thenne sir dynadan mocked kyng Marke and said ye are not able to matche a good knyght / as for that said Kyng Mark at the first tyme that I Iusted with this Knyʒt ye refused hym / Thynke ye that it is a shame to me said syr Dynadan / Nay syr it is euer worship to a Knyʒt to refuse that thyng that he may not atteyne / therfor your wor¦ship had ben moche more to haue refused hym as I dyd / for I warne you playnly he is able to bete suche fyue as ye / and

I be / for ye Knyghtes of Cornewaile are no men of worship / as other Knyghtes are / And by cause ye are no men of wor∣ship / ye hate alle men of worship / for neuer was bredde in yo∣ur countrey suche a Knyght as is sir Tristram /