[Le morte darthur]

About this Item

Title
[Le morte darthur]
Author
Malory, Thomas, Sir, 15th cent.
Publication
Enprynted and fynysshed in thabbey Westmestre :: [Caxton?],
the last day of Juyl the yere of our lord M.CCCC.lxxxv [1485]
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Subject terms
Arthur, -- King.
Arthurian romances.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A21703.0001.001
Cite this Item
"[Le morte darthur]." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A21703.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 5, 2024.

Pages

¶Capitulum ij

THenne was there pees betwyxe the Erle and this A∣guarus / & grete seurte that the erle shold neuer werre ageynst hym / Thenne this dede man that here lyeth came to this heremytage ageyne / And thenne the erle made two of his ne∣uewes for to be auenged vpon this man / Soo they came on a day / and fonde this dede man at the sacryng of his masse / and they abode hym tyl he had sayd masse / And thenne they set vp on hym and drewe oute swerdes to haue slayne hym / But there wold no suerd byte on hym more than vpon a gad of stele for the hyghe lord whiche he serued / he hym preserued / ¶Thenne made they a grete fyre and dyd of alle his clothes and the hayre of his bak / And thenne this dede man heremyte sayd vnto them / wene ye to brenne me / it shalle not lye in yo∣ur power nor to perysshe me as moche as a threde & there were ony on my body / Noo sayd one of them / hit shalle be assayed / & thenne they dispoylled hym / and putte vpon hym this sherte / and cast hym in a fyre / and there he laye all that nyʒt tyl hit was daye in that fyre and was not dede / and soo in the morn I came and fond hym dede / but I fond neyther threde nor skynne tamyd / & soo tooke hym oute of the fyre with grete fe∣re and leyd hym here as ye may see / And now may ye suffer me to goo my way / for I haue sayd yow the sothe / And then∣ne he departed with a grete tempest / Thenne was the good man and syr launcelot more gladder than they were to fore / And thenne syr launcelot dwelled with that good man that nyght Sire said the good man be ye not sir launcelot du lake / ye sire said he / what seke ye in this countrey / syr sayd syr launcelot I goo to seke the aduentures of the Sancgreal / wel sayd he se∣ke it ye may wel / But though it were here ye shalle haue noo power to see hit no more than a blynd man shold see a bryʒte suerd / and that is longe on your synne / and els ye were more

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abeler than ony man lyuynge / And thenne sir launcelot began to wepe / Thenne sayd the good man were ye confessid syth ye loetryd in to the quest of the Sancgreal / ye sir sayd syr launce¦nt / Thenne vpon the morne whanne the good man had songe his masse / thenne they buryed the dede man / Thenne syr laun∣celot sayd / fader what shalle I doo / Now sayd the good man / I requyre yow take this hayre that was this holy mans and putte it nexte thy skynne / and it shalle preuaylle the gretely / fyr and I wille doo hi sayd sir launcelot / Also I charge you that ye ete no flesshe as longe as ye be in the quest of the sanc∣greal / nor ye shalle drynke noo wyne / and that ye here masse dayly and ye may doo hit / Soo he took the hayre and putte it vpon hym and soo departed at euensonge tyme / And soo rode he in to a foreste / and there he mette with a gentylwoman ry∣dynge vpon a whyte palfrey / and thenne she asked hym syre knyght whyder ryde ye / Certes damoysel sayd launcelot I wo¦te not whyder I ryde but as fortune ledeth me / A syre launce∣lot said she / I wote what aduenture ye seke / for ye were afore tyme neuer than ye be now / and yet shalle ye see hit more open¦ly than euer ye dyd / and that shalle ye vnderstande in shorte tyme / Thenne syr launcelot asked her where he myghte be herbe∣rowed that nyghte / ye shalle not fynde this day nor nyghte but to morne ye shal fynde herberowe good and ease of that ye be in doubte of / And thenne he commaunded her vnto god / Thenne he rode tyl that he cam to a crosse and took that for his hoost as for that nyghte

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