[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum xv

THenne said Morgan sawe ye Arthur my broder / ye sa¦id her knyghtes ryght wel / and that ye shold haue founde and we myghte haue stered from one stede / for by his armyuestal contenaunce he wold haue caused vs to haue fled I byleue yow said Morgan / Anone after as she rode she met a knyght ledyng another knyʒt on his hors before hym boun∣de hand and foote blyndefeld to haue drouned hym in a fon∣tayne / whan she sawe this knyʒt so boūde / she asked hym what wylle ye doo with that knyght / lady said he I wylle drowne hym / for what cause she asked / for I fonde hym with my wyf and she shalle haue the same dethe anone / that were pyte sayd Morgan le fay / Now what saye ye knyʒt is it trouthe y^t he sa∣ith of yow she said to the knyght that shold be drowned / nay truly madame he seith not ryght on me / Of whens be ye sayd Morgan le fay and of what countre / I am of the Courte of kynge Arthur / and my name is Manassen cosyn vnto Acoo∣lon of gaulle / ye say wel said she / and for the loue of hym ye shalle be delyuerd / and ye shalle haue your aduersary in the same was ye be in / So Manessen was losed & the other kny∣ght bounde / And anone Manessen vnarmed hym and armed hym self in his harneis / and soo mounted on horsbak / and the knyght afore hym and soo threwe hym in to the fontayne and drowned hym / And thenne he rode vnto Morgan ageyne / & asked yf she wold ony thyng vnto kynge Arthur / Telle hym that I rescued the / not for the loue of hym but for the loue of Acoolon / and telle hym I fere hym not whyle I can make me

and them that ben with me in lykenes of stones / And lete hym wete I can doo moche more whan I see my tyme / And so she departed in to the countrey of Gorre / and there was she rychely receyued / and maade her castels and townes passynge stronge / for alweyes she drad moche kynge Arthur / Whanne the kynge had wel rested hym at the Abbey he rode vnto Ca∣melot / and fonde his quene and his barons ryght glad of his comynge / And whan they herd of his straunge auentures as is afore reherced / they alle hadde merueille of the falshede of Morgan le fay / many knyghtes wysshed her brent / thenne cam Manessen to courte and told the kyng of his auenture / well said the kynge she is a kynde syster / I shalle soo be auengid on her and I lyue / that alle Crystendome shalle speke of hit / So on the morne ther cam a damoisel from Morgan to the ky∣nge and she brought with her the rychest mantel that euer was sene in that Courte / for it was sette as ful of precious stones as one myght stand by another / and there were the rychest sto¦nes that euer the kynge sawe / And the damoysel saide youre syster sendeth yow this mantel / and desyreth that ye shold ta∣ke this gyfte of her / And in what thyng she hath offended you she wille amende it at youre owne pleasyr / whan the kyng be¦held this mantel it pleasyd hym moche / but he said but lytel