[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xiij

THenne came forth sir Gawayne from the kynges host and he came before and proferd to Iuste / and sir Lyo¦nel was a fyers knyghte / and lyghtely he encoūtred with syr Gawayne / & there sir Gawayne smote syr lyonel th∣urgh oute the body / that he dasshed to the erthe / lyke as he had ben dede / And thenne syr Ector de marys and other more ba∣re hym in to the Castel / thenne there beganne a grete stoure & moche peple was slayne / and euer syr launcelot dyd what he myghte to saue the peple on kynge Arthurs party / for syr pa∣lomydes and syr Bors and syr Safyr ouerthrowe many kn∣yghtes / for they were dedely knyghtes / and syre Blamor de ganys / and syr Bleoberys de ganys with sir Bellangere le bewse / these syxe knyghtes dyd moche harme / and euer kynge Arthur was nyghe aboute syr launcelot to haue slayn hym / & syr launcelot suffred hym / and wold not stryke ageyne / Soo syr Bors encountred with kynge Arthur / and there with a spere syr Bors smote hym doun / & soo he alyghte and drewe his swerd / and sayd to syr launcelot / shalle I make an ende of this werre / & that he mente to haue slayn Kynge Arthur Not soo hardy sayd syr launcelot vpon payn of thy hede / that thou touche hym no more / for I wille neuer see that most no∣ble kynge that made me knyghte neyther slayn ne shamed / & there with al syr laūcelot alyght of his hors & tooke vp the kynge & horsed hym ageyn / & sayd thus / my lord Arthur for goddes loue stynte this stryf / for ye gete here no worshyp / and I wold doo myn vtteraūce / but alweyes I forbere yow / & ye nor none of yours forbereth me / my lord remembre what I ha∣ue done in many places / & now I am euylle rewarded Thenne whan kyng Arthur was on horsbak / he loked vpon syr launcelot / & thēne the teres brast out of his eyen / thynky∣ng on the grete curtosy that was in syr laūcelot more than in ony other man / & therwith the Kynge rode his wey / & myghte no lenger beholde hym / & sayd Allas that euer this werre be∣gan / & thēne eyther partyes of the batails withdrewe them to re¦pose them / & buryed the dede / & to the woūded men they leid softe

salues / and thus they endured that nyʒt tyll on the morne / & on the morne by vndorne they made hem / redy to doo bataille / And thenne syr Bors ledde the forward / ¶ Soo vpon the morne there came syre Gawayne as brym as ony bore with a grete spere in his hand / And whan sir Bors sawe hym / he thoughte to reuenge his broder syre Lyonel of the despyte that syr Gawayn dyd hym the other daye / ¶And so they that knewe eyther other feutryd their speres / and with alle theire myghtes of their horses and hem self / they mette to gyder soo felonsly / that eyther bare other thorowe / and soo they felle both to the erthe / and thenne the batails ioyned / and there was moche slaughter on bothe partyes / Thenne sir launcelot resco∣wed syr Bors and sente hym in to the Castel / But neyder syr Gawayne nor syr Bors dyed not of their woundes / For they were alle holpen / Thenne syr Lauayne and sir Vrre pra∣yd syr Launcelot to doo his payne / and fyʒte as they had do∣ne / for we see / ye forbere and spare / and that doth moche harme therfor we praye yow spare not youre enemyes noo more than they done yow / Allas sayd sire Launcelot I haue no herte to fyghte ageynst my lord Arthur / For euer me semeth I doo not as I oughte to doo / My lord sayd sir Palomydes though ye spare them alle this day / they will neuer conne yow thank And yf they may gete yow at auayle / ye are but dede / ¶So thenne syr Launcelot vnderstood that they sayd hym trouth & thenne he strayned hym self more than he dyd afore hand / and by cause his neuewe sir Bors was sore wounded / And thenne within a lytel whyle by euensong tyme sire Launcelot and his party better stode / for their horses wente in blood past the fytloks / there was soo moche people slayne / And thenne for pyte syr launcelot withhelde his knyghtes / and suffred ky∣nge Arthurs party for to withdrawe them on syde / And then¦ne sir launcelots party withdrewe hem in to his Castel / and eyther partyes buryed the dede / & putte salf vnto the wounded men / Soo whan syre Gawayne was hurte / they on kyng Ar∣thurs party were not soo orgulous as they were to fore hand to do bataill / Of this ••erre was noysed thorou al crystendome & at the last it was noysed afore the pope / and he consyderyng the grete godenes of kynge Arthur / & of sir laūcelot that was

called the moost noblest knyghtes of the world wherfore the pope called vnto hym a noble Clerke that att that tyme was there presente / the Frensshe book sayth / hit was the Bisshop of Rochestre / and the pope gaf hym bulles vnder lede vnto kynge Arthur of Englond / chargynge hym vpon payne of enterdy∣tynge of al Englond that he take his quene dame Gueneuer vnto hym ageyne and accorde with syr Launcelot /