[Le morte darthur]

Capitulum xxj

THus it past on tyl Crystmasse / And thenne euery day there was Iustes made for a dyamond / Who that Ius∣ted best shold haue a dyamond / but syr laūcelot wo∣ld not Iuste but yf it were at a grete Iustes cryed / but syr la∣uayne Iusted there alle that Crystemasse passyngly wel / and best was praysed / for there were but fewe that dyd soo wel / wherfore alle manere of knyghtes demed that sir lauayne sh∣old ••e made knyghte of the table round at the nexte feeste of Pentecost / Soo at after Crystmasse kynge Arthur lete calle vnto hym many knyghtes / and there they aduysed to gyders to make a party and a grete turnement and Iustes / and the kynge of Northgalys sayd to Arthur / he wold haue on his party kynge Anguysshe of Irland / and thekynge with the honderd knyghtes / and the kynge of Northumberland / and sire Galahad the haute prynce / and soo these foure kynges & this myghty duke took party ageynst kynge Arthur and the knyghte•• of the table round / and the crye was made that the day of the Iustes shold be besyde westmynstre vpon candylmas day wherof many knyghtes were glad / and made them redy to be at that Iustes in the freyssheyst maner / Thenne quene Gue∣neuer sent for syr launcelot / and said thus I warne yow that ye ryde ny more in no Iustes nor turnementys / but that youre kynnesmen may knowe yow / And at thise Iustes that shall be ye shalle haue of me a sleue of gold / and I pray yow for my sake enforce your self there that men may speke of yow wor∣ship / but I charge yow as ye will haue my loue that ye war∣ne youre kynnesmen / that ye wille bere that daye the sleue of gold vpon your helmet / Madame said sir launcelot it shalle be don / and soo eyther made grete ioye of other / And whan syre Launcelot sawe his tyme / he told sir Bors that he wold depar∣te / & haue no more with hym but sir Lauayne vnto the good heremyte that dwellid in that forest of wyndsoore / his name

was sire Brastias / and there he thoughte to repose hym / and to take alle the rest that he myghte by cause he wold be f••••sshe at that daye of Iustes / Soo sire Launcelot and sire Lauayne de¦parted that noo creature wyst where he was become / but the no¦ble men of his blood / And whanne he was come to the her∣mytage / wete yow wel he had good chere / and soo dayly syr launcelot wold goo to a welle fast by the hermytage / & there he wold lye doune / and see the welle sprynge and bu••byl / & somtyme he slepte there / ¶ So at that tyme there was a lady dwellid in that forest / and she was a grete huntresse / & dayly she vsed to hunte / and euer she bare her bowe with her / and no men wente neuer with her / but alwayes wymmen / and they were shoters / and coude wel kylle a dere bothe at the stalke & at the trest / and they dayly bare bowes and arowes / hornes & wood knyues / and many good dogges they had / both for the strynge and for a bate / So hit happed this lady the huntresse had abated her dogge for the bowe at a barayne hynde / and so this barayne hynde took the flyghte ouer hedges and woodes And euer this lady and part•• of her wymmen costed the hy∣nde and chekked it by the noyse of the houndes to haue mette with the hynde at somme water / and soo hit happed the hynde came to the welle where as sire launcelot was slepyng & slom¦berynge / And soo whan the hynde came to the welle / for hete she wente to soyle / and there she lay a grete whyle / and the dog¦ges came after / and vmbecast aboute / for she had lost the veray parfyte feaute of the hynde / Ryghte so came that lady the hun¦tres that knewe by thy dogge that she had that the hynde was at the soyle in that welle / and there she cam styfly and fonde the hynde / and she put a brode arowe in her bowe / and shot atte hynde / and ouer ••hotte the hynde / and soo by mysfortune the arowe smote sir Launcelot in the thyck of the buttok ouer the ••arbys / whanne sir launcelot felte hym self so hurte / he hurled vp woodely / and sawe the lady that had smyten hym / ¶ And whan he sawe she was a woman / he sayd thus / lady / or da∣moysel what that thow be / in an euylle tyme bare ye a bowe / the deuylle made yow a shoter /