[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum quintum /

SOo the quene departed from the kynge / and sente for sir Bors in to her chamber / And whan he was come she besought hym of socour / Madame said he / what wold ye that I dyd / for I maye not with my worshyp haue adoo in this mater by cause I was at the same dyner for drede that o∣ny of tho knyghtes wold haue me in suspecyon / Also mada∣me said sir Bors now mys ye sir launcelot / for he wold not haue fayled yow neyther in ryght nor in wronge / as ye haue wel preued whan ye haue ben in daunger / and now ye haue dryuen hym oute of this countrey / by whome ye and alle we were dayly worshypped by / therfor madame I merueylle how ye dar for shame requyre me to doo ony thynge for yow in soo moche ye haue chaced hym oute of your countrey / by whome we were borne vp and honoured / Allas fayr knyghte sayd the quene I put me holy in your grace / and alle that is done a∣mys / I will amende as ye wille counceyle me / And therwith she kneled doune vpon bothe her knees / and besought sir Bors to haue mercy vpon her / outher I shall haue a shameful dethe and therto I neuer offended / Ryght soo cam kyng Arthur / & fonde the quene knelyng afore sir Bors / thenne sir Bors pul¦led her vp / and said Madame ye doo me grete dishonoure / A gentil knyght said the kyng haue mercy vpon my Quene cur¦tois knyght / for I am now in certayne she is vntruly defamed

And ther for curtois knyght sayd the kynge / promyse her to doo bataille for her / I requyre yow for the loue of syr launce∣lot / My lord sayd syr Bors ye requyre me the grettest thynge that ony man may requyre me / And wete ye wel yf I gra∣unte to doo bataille for the quene I shall wrathe many of my felauship of the table round / but as for that sayd Bors I wille graunte my lord / that for my lord sir launcelots sake & for your sake I wille at that daye be the quenes champyon / onles that there come by aduenture a better knyghte than I am to doo batail for her / Will ye promyse me this sayd the ky∣nge by your feythe / ye sir said sir Bors / of that I will not fa∣yle yow / nor her bothe / but yf there came a better knyghte than I am / and thenne shalle he haue the bataille / Thenne was the kynge and the quene passyng gladde / and soo departed / and thanked hym hertely / Soo thenne sir Bors departed secretely vpon a day / and rode vnto sire launcelot there as he was wyth the heremyte sir Brastias / & told hym of all theire aduenture A Ihesu said sir Launcelot this is come happely as I wold haue hit / and therfor I praye yow make you redy to doo ba∣taille / but loke that ye tary tyl ye see me come as longe as ye may / For I am sure Mador is an hote knyghte whan he is en¦chaufed / for the more ye suffre hym the hastyer wille he be to ba¦tail / syr said Bors lete me dele with hym / Doubte ye not ye shalle haue alle your wille / thenne departed syre Bors from hym / and came to the Courte ageyne •• Thenne was hit noysed in alle the Courte that sir Bors shold doo bataill for the que∣ne / wherfore many knyghtes were displeasyd with hym / that he wold take vpon hym to doo batail in the quenes quarel for there were but fowe knyghtes in all the courte but they demed the quene was in the wronge / and that she had done that trea¦son / Soo sire Bors ansuerd thus to his felawes of the table round / wete ye wel my fayre lordes it were shame to vs alle and we suffred to see the moost noble quene of the world to be shamed openly consyderynge her lord / and our lord is the man of moost worship in the world & moost crystend / and he hath euer worshipped vs alle in al places / Many ansuerd hym a∣geyne / As for oure mooste noble kynge Arthur we loue hym and honoure hym as wel as ye do / but as for quene Gueneuer

we loue her not by cause she is a destroyer of good knyghtes Faire lordes sayd sir Bors me semeth ye saye not as ye shold say / for neuer yet in my dayes knewe I neuer nor herd saye / that euer she was a destroyer of ony good knyghte / But att alle tymes as ferre as euer I coude knowe / she was a mayn¦tener of good knyghtes / and euer she hath ben large and free of her goodes to alle good knyghtes / and the moost bounteno∣us lady of her yeftes and her good grace that euer I sawe or herd speke of / And there for it were shame said sire Bors to vs all to our most noble kynges wyf / & we suffred her to be sha¦mefully slayne / And wete ye wel sayd sire Bors I wylle not suffer it / for I dare say soo moche the quene is not gylty of sir Patryse dethe / for she owed hym neuer none ylle wylle / nor none of the four and twenty knyghtes that were at that dyner / for I dar saye / for good loue she bad vs to dyner / and not for no male engyne / and that I doubte not shalle be pre∣ued here after / for how someuer the game goth / there was tre∣ason amonge vs / Thenne some sayd to sire Bors we may wel bileue your wordes / and soo some of them were wel pleasyd / and somme were not so