[Le morte darthur]

Capitulum septimum /

SOo whanne this crye was made / vnto Ioyous yle dre¦we knyghtes to the nomber of fyue honderd / and we∣te ye wel there was neuer sene in Arthurs dayes one knyght that dyd soo moche dedes of armes as syre launcelot dyd thre dayes to gyders / For as the booke maketh truly mencyon / he had the better of all the fyue honderd knyghtes / and ther was not one slayne of them / And after that syr launcelot maade them alle a grete feest / and in the meane whyle came syr Per¦cyual de galys & syr Ector de marys vnder that Castel / that was called the Ioyous yle / And as they beheld that gay cas¦tel / they wold haue gone to that Castel / but they myghte not for the brode water / and brydge coude they fynde none / Thenne they sawe on the other syde a lady with a sperhault on her hād

and sir Percyual called vnto her / and asked that lady who was in that Castel / Fair knyghtes she said / here within thys castel is the fayrest lady in this land / and her name is Ela∣yne / Also we haue in this Castel the fayrest knyghte and the myghtyest man that is I dar saye lyuynge / and he called hym self le cheualer mal fett / how came he in to these marches sayd syr Percyuale / Truly said the damoysel / he came in to this co∣untrey lyke a madde man with dogges and boyes chacyng hym thorou the Cyte of Corbyn / and by the holy vessel of the S••∣nke greal he was broughte in to his wytte ageyne / but he wil not doo batail with noo knyghte / but by vndorne or by none / And yf ye lyste to come in to the castel sayd the lady ye muste ryde vnto the ferther syde of the castel / and there shalle ye fy∣nde a vessel that wille bere yow and your hors / Thenne they departed / and came vnto the vessel / And thenne syre Percy∣ual alyghte / and sayd to sire Ector de marys / ye shalle abyde me here vntyl that I wete what maner a knyghte he is / For it were shame vnto vs in as moche as he is but one knyghte / & we shold both doo batail with hym / doo ye as ye lyste said sire Ector / and here I shalle abyde yow vntyl that I here of yow Thenne passed sire Percyual the water / And whanne he cam to the Castel gate / he bad the porter goo thow to the good kn∣yghte within the Castel / and telle hym / here is come an erraūt knyghte to Iuste with hym / Sir said the porter ryde ye within the Castel / and there is a comyn place for Iustynge that lordes and ladyes maye behold yow / So anone as syr launcelot had warnynge / he was soone redy / and there syr Percyual and sir launcelot encountred with suche a myghte / and theire speres were soo rude that both the horses and the knyghtes felle to the erthe / Thenne they auoyded their horses / and flange oute no∣ble swerdes / & hewe awey cantels of theire sheldes / & hurtled to gyder with their sheldes lyke two bores / and eyther woun∣ded other passynge sore / At the last syr Percyual spake fyrst whanne they had foughten there more than two houres / Fair knyghte said syre Percyuale I requyre the telle me thy name for I mette neuer with suche a knyghte / Sir said syr launce¦lot my name is le cheueler mal fet / Now telle me youre name saide syre Launcelot I requyre yow gentyl knyghte

Truly said sire Percyual my name is syr Percyual de galis that was broder vnto the good knyghte syre Lamozak de ga∣lys / and kynge Pellenore was oure fader / and syre Agloual is my broder / Allas said sire launcelot what haue I done to fyghte with yow that art a knyghte of the table round / that somtyme was your felawe