[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum v

SYr sayd she there was a kynge that hyghte Pelles the maymed kynge / And whyle he myghte ryde / he sup∣ported moche crystendome and holy chirche / Soo vpon a daye he hunted in a woode of his whiche lasted vnto the see / and at the last he loste his houndes / and his knyghtes / sauf only one / and there he and his knyghte wente tyl that they cam to∣ward Irland / and there he fonde the shyp / And whanne he sa¦we the letters and vnderstood them / yet he entryd / for he was ryghte parfyte of his lyf / but his knyghte had none hardynes to entre & ther fonde he this suerd & drewe it oute as moche as ye maye see / Soo there with entryd a spere where with he was

smyte hym thurgh bothe the thyes / and neuer sythe myghte he be helyd ne nought shall to fore we come to hym / Thus said she was not kynge Pelles your graunte sir maymed for his hardynesse / In the name of god damoysel sayd Galahad / so they wente toward the bedde to behold al aboute hit / and aboue the hede ther henge two swerdes / Also there were two spyndels whiche were as whyte as ony snowe / and other that were as reed as blood / and other aboue grene as ony emeraude / of the∣se thre colours were the spyndels and of naturel coloure within and withoute ony payntynge / These spyndels sayd the damoy∣sel were whan synful Eue came to gadre fruyte / for whiche A¦dam and she were putte oute of paradyse / she tooke with her the bough on whiche the Appel henge on / Thenne perceyued she that the braunche was fayre and grene / and she remembryd her the losse whiche came fro the tree / Thenne she thoughte to kepe the branuche as longe as she myghte / And for she had no cofer to kepe hit in / she put it in the erthe / Soo by the wylle of our lord the braunche grewe to a grete tree within a lytil whyle / & was as whyte as ony snowe / braūches / bowes / and leues that was a token a mayden planted hit / But after god came to Adam and bad hym knowe his wyf flesshly as nature requy¦red / Soo lay Adam with his wyf vnder the same tree / and a¦none the tree whiche was whyte and ful grene as ony grasse and alle that came oute of hit / and in the same tyme that they medled to gyders there was Abel begoten / thus was the tree longe of grene colour / And so it befelle many dayes after / vn∣der the same tree Caym slewe Abel / wherof befelle grete merueil For anone as Abel had receyued the dethe vnder the grene tree he lost the grene colour and becam reed and that was in toke¦nyng of the blood / & anone alle the plantes dyed therof / but the tree grewe and waxed merueyllously fayre / & hit was the fayrest tree & the moost delectable that ony man myght beholde and see and so dyd the plantes that grewe out of it tofore that Abel was slayne vnder it / Soo longe dured the tree tyl that Salamon kynge Dauyds sone regned / and helde the londe af¦ter his fader / This Salamon was wyse and knewe alle the vertues of stones and trees / and soo he knewe the course of the sterres and many other dyuerse thynges

This Salamon had an euylle wyfe / where thurgh he wende that there had ben no good woman / and soo he despysed hem in his bookes / Soo ansuerd a voyce hym ones / Salamon / yf heuynes come to a man by a woman / ne reke thow neuer / For yet shalle there come a woman wherof there shalle come gretter Ioye to man an honderd tymes more than this heuynesse ge∣ueth sorowe / and that woman shalle be borne of thy lygnage / Tho whan Salamon herd these wordes / he held hym self but a foole / & the trouthe he perceyued by old bookes / Also the ho∣ly ghoost shewed hym the comynge of the gloryous vyrgyne marye / Thenne asked he of the voyce / yf hit shold be in the ye∣rde of his lygnage / Nay sayd the voyce but there shalle come a man whiche shalle be a mayde / and the last of your blood / & he shalle be as good a knyght as duke Iosue / thy broder in lawe