[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum ix

NOw leue we sire launcelot in the Ioyous yle with the lady dame Elayne and syr Percyual and sir Ec¦tor playenge with hem / and torne we to syr Bors de ganys and sire Lyonel that had soughte sire launcelot nygh by the space of two yere / and neuer coude they here of hym / & as they thus rode / by aduenture they cam to the hous of Bran¦degore / and there syr Bors was wel knowen / for he had geten a child vpon the kynges doughter fyften yere to forne / & his name was Helyn le blank / And whanne syre Bors sawe that child hit lyked hym passynge wel / And so tho knyghtes had good chere of the kynge Brandegore / ¶And on the morne syre Bors came afore kynge Brandegore and said Here is my sone Helyn le blanck / that as it is sayd he is my sone / And sythe hit is soo / I wille that ye wete that I wil ha¦ue hym with me vnto the Courte of kynge Arthur / Sir sayd the kynge / ye maye wel take hym with you / but he is ouer ten¦der of age / As for that sayd syre Bors I wille haue hym with me / and brynge hym to the hows of most worship of the world / Soo whanne syre Bors shold departe / there was ma¦de grete sorowe for the departynge of Helyn le blanck / and gre¦te wepynge was there made / But sire Bors and syre Lyonel departed / And within a whyle they came to Camelot / where was kynge Arthur / And whanne kynge Arthur vnderstood that Helyn le blank was kynge Bors sone / and neuewe vn¦to kynge Brandegore / Thenne kynge Arthur lete hym make knyghte of the round table / and soo he preued a good kny∣ght / and an aduenturous / ¶Now wille we torne to our ma¦ter of sire launcelot / Hit befelle vpon a day syr Ector and syr Percyual cam to syr Launcelot and asked hym what he wo∣ld doo / and whether he wold goo with them vnto kynge Ar∣thur or not / Nay sayd syr Laūcelot that may not be by no me∣ane / for I was so venetreted at the Courte that I cast me ne∣uer to come there more / Sir said syr Ector I am youre broder and ye are the man in the world that I loue moost / And yf I vnderstode that it were your disworship / ye may vnderstande I wold neuer counceyle yow ther to / but kynge Arthur and al his knyghtes / and in especial Quene Gueneuer maade suche dole and sorowe that hit was merueyle to here and see

And ye muste remembre the grete worship and renoume that ye be of / how that ye haue ben more spoken of than ony other knyghte that is now lyuynge / for there is none that bereth the name now but ye and syr Tristram / therfore broder sayd syre Ector make yow redy to ryde to the Courte with vs / and I dar say / there was neuer knyghte better welcome to the court than ye / and I wote wel and can make it good said syr Ector it hath coste my lady the Quene twenty thowsand pound the se¦kynge of yow / wel broder said sire launcelot I wil doo after your counceil and ryde with yow / Soo thenne they took their horses and made them redy and took their leue at kyng Pel∣les and at dame Elayne / And whanne syre launcelot shold departe / dame Elayne made grete sorowe / My lord syr Launce¦lot said dame Elayne at this same feest of Pentecost shall yo∣ur sone and myn Galahalt be made knyghte / for he is fully now xv wynter old / doo as ye lyst said sir Launcelot / god gy¦ue hym grace to preue a good knyghte / As for that sayd da¦me Elayne I doubte not he shal preue the best man of his kyn excepte one / thenne shalle he be a man good ynough said syre launcelot /