[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum v

BVt I may not stonde myn hede werches soo / A Syr Launcelot sayd kyng Arthur thys day haue I sore myst the / Alas that euer I was ayenst the / for now haue I my dethe / wherof syr Gauwayn me warned in my dreme / Than syr lucan took vp the kyng the one parte And Syr Bedwere the other parte / & in the lyftyng the kyng sow¦ned and syr Lucan fyl in a sowne wyth the lyfte that the parte of his guttes fyl oute of his bodye / And therwyth the noble knyghtes herte braste / And whan the kyng awoke he beheld•• syr Lucan how he laye foomyyg at the mowth & parte of his guttes laye at his feet / ¶ Alas sayd the kyng thys is to me a ful heuy syght to see thys noble duke soo deye for my sake / for he wold haue holpen me that had more nede of helpe than I / Alas he wold not complayne hym / hys herte was so sette to helpe me / Now Ihesu haue mercy vpon hys soule / than syr bedwere wepte for the deth of his brother / leue thys mornyng & wepyng sayd the kyng for al this wyl not auaylle me / for wyte thou wel and I myght lyue my self / the deth of syr Lucan wolde greue me euer more / but my tyme hy∣eth fast sayd the kyng / Therfore sayd Arthur vnto syr Bed∣were take / thou Excalybur my good swerde and goo with it to yonder water syde / and whan thou comest there I charge the throwe my swerde in that water & come ageyn and telle me what thou there seest / My lord sad Bedwere your com∣maundement shal be doon & lyghtly brynge you worde ageyn So syr Bedwere departed / & by the waye he behelde that no∣ble swerde that the pomel & the hafte was al of precyous sto∣nes / & thenne he sayd to hym sef yf I throwe this ryche swerde in the water therof shal neuer come good but harme & losse / And thenne syr bedwere hydde excalybur vnder a tree / And so as sone as he myght he came ageyn vnto the kyng and sayd he had ben at the water and had throwen the swerde in to the water / ¶What sawe thou there sayd the kyng / syr he sayd I sawe no thynge but wawes and wyndes / That is vntrew¦ly sayd of the sayd the kynge / Therfore goo thou lyghtelye ageyn and do my commaundemente as thou arte to me leef & dere spare not but throwe it in / Than syr bedwere retorned a∣geyn & took the swerde in hys hande / and than hym thought

synne and shame to throwe awaye that nobyl swerde / and so efte he hydde the swerde and retorned ageyn and tolde to the kyng that he had ben at the water and done his commaun∣demente / what sawe thou there sayd the kyng Syr he sayd I sawe no thynge but the waters wappe and wawes wanne A traytour vntrewe sayd kyng Arthur now hast thou betray¦ed me twyse / who wold haue wente that thou that bast been to me so leef and dere and thou arte named a noble knyghte and wold betraye me for the richesse of the swerde / But now goo ageyn lyghtly for thy longe taryeng putteth me in grete Ieopardye of my lyf / For I haue taken colde / and but yf thou do now as I byd the / yf euer I may see the I shal slee the myn owne handes / for thou woldest for my ryche swerde see me dede ¶ Thenne Syr Bedwere departed and wente to the swerde and lyghtly took hit vp / and wente to the water syde and there he bounde the gyrdyl aboute the hyltes / and thenne he threwe the swerde as farre in to the water as he myght / & there cam an arme and an hande aboue the water and mette it / & caught it and so shoke it thryse and braundysshed / and than vanysshed awaye the hande wyth the swerde in the water / So syr Bedwere came ageyn to the kyng and tolde hym what he sawe ¶Alas sayd the kyng helpe me hens for I drede me I haue taryed ouer longe / Than syr Bedwere toke the kyng vpon his backe and so wente wyth hym to that water syde / & whan they were at the water syde / enyn fast by the banke ho∣ued a lytyl barge wyth many fayr ladyes in hit / & emonge hem al was a quene / and al they had blacke hoodes / and al they wepte and shryked whan they sawe Kyng Arthur / ¶Now put me in to the barge sayd the kyng and so he dyd softelye / And there receyued hym thre quenes wyth grete mor¦nyng and soo they sette hem doun / and in one of their lappes kyng Arthur layed hys heed / and than that quene sayd a dere broder why haue ye taryed so longe from me / Alas this wounde on your heed hath caught ouermoche colde / And soo than they rowed from the londe / and syr bedwere behelde all tho ladyes goo from hym / ¶ Than syr bedwere cryed a my lord Arthur what shal become of me now ye goo from me / And leue me here allone emonge myn enemyes / Comfort thy

self sayd the kyng and doo as wel as thou mayst / for in me is no truste for to truste in / For I wyl in to the vale of auy∣lyon to hele me of my greuous wounde ¶ And yf thou here neuer more of me praye for my souls / but euer the quenes and ladyes wepte and shryched that hit was pyte to here / And assone as syr Bedwere had loste the syght of the b••arge he wepte and waylled and so took the foreste / and so he wente al that nyght / and in the mornyng he was ware betwyxte two holtes hore of a chapel and an ermytage /