[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xvj

THenne Merlyn cam thyder and toke vp Balyn and gat hym a good hors for his was dede / and bad hym ryde oute of that countrey / I wold haue my damoysel sayd balyn / Loo sayd Merlyn where she lyeth dede & kynge Pellam lay so many yeres sore wounded / and myght neuer be hole tyl Galahad the haute prynce heled hym in the quest of the Sangraille / for in that place was part of the blood of our lord Ihesu cryst that Ioseph of Armathe broughte in to this lond / and ther hym self lay in that ryche bed / And that was the same spere that Longeus smote oure lorde to the herte / and kynge Pellam was nyghe of Ioseph kynne / and that was the moost worshipful man that lyued in tho dayes / and gre∣te pyte it was of his hurte / for thorow that stroke torned to grete dole tray and tene / Thenne departed Balyn from Mer∣lyn and sayd in this world we mete neuer nomore / Soo he rode forth thorowe the fayr countreyes and Cytees & fond the peple dede slayne on euery syde / and alle that were on ly∣ue cryed O balyn thow hast caused grete dommage in these cō¦trayes for the dolorous stroke thow gauest vnto kynge Pellā thre contreyes are destroyed / and doubte not but the vengeaun∣ce wil falle on the at the last / whanne Balyn was past tho contrayes he was passyng fayne / so he rode eyʒt dayes or he met with auenture / And at the last he came in to a fayr forest in a valey and was ware of a Toure / And there besyde he sawe a grete hors of werre tayed to a treee / and ther besyde satte a fayr knyght on the ground and made grete mornynge and he was a lykely man and a wel made / Balyn sayd God saue yow why be ye so heuy / telle me and I wylle amende it and I may to my power / Syr knyghte said he ageyne thow doest me grete gryef / for I was in mery thoughtes and now thou puttest me to more payne / Balyn wente a lytel from hym / & loked on his hors / thenne herd Balyn hym saye thus / a fair lady why haue ye broken my promyse / for thow promysest me to mete me here by none / and I maye curse the that euer ye gaf me this swerd / for with this swerd I slee my self / and pulled it oute / and therwith Balyn sterte vnto hym & took hym by the hand / lete goo my hand sayd the knyght or els I shal slee the / that shal not nede said balyn / for I shal promyse

yow my helpe to gete yow your lady / and ye wille telle me where she is / what is your name sayd the knyght / myn name is Balyn le saueage / A syr I knowe yow wel ynough ye are the knyght with the two swerdys and the man of moost prowesse of your handes lyuyng / what is your name sayd ba¦len / my name is garnysshe of the mount a poure mans sone / But by my prowesse and hardynesse a duke hath maade me knyght / and gaf me landes / his name is duke Hermel / and his doughter is she that I loue and she me as I demed / hou¦fer is she hens sayd Balyn / but vj myle said the knyghte Now ryde we hens sayde these two knyghtes / so they rode mo∣re than a paas tyll that they cam to a fayr castel wel wallyd and dyched / I wylle in to the castel sayd Balen / and loke yf she be ther / Soo he wente in and serched fro chamber to chā¦bir / and fond her bedde but she was not there / Thenne Balen loked in to a fayr litil gardyn / and vnder a laurel tre he sawe her lye vpon a quylt of grene samyte and a knyght in her ar∣mes fast halsynge eyther other and vnder their hedes grasse & herbes / whan Balen sawe her lye so with the fowlest knyghte that euer he sawe and she a fair lady / thenne Balyn wente thurgh alle the chambers ageyne and told the knyghte how he fond her as she had slepte fast / and so brought hym in the place there she lay fast slepynge