[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum Septimum

WHat are ye that soo complayne said kynge Arthur / we ben here xx knyghtes prysoners sayd they / & some of vs haue layne here seuen yere and somme more and somme lasse / for what cause sayd Arthur / we shalle telle yow said the knyghtes / this lord of this castel his name is syr Damas / & he is the falsest knyght that lyueth / and ful of treason / and a very coward as ony lyueth / and he hath a yonger broder a good knyghte of prowesse / his name is syr Ontzlake / and this traytour Damas the elder broder wylle gyue hym noo parte of his lyuelode / But as syre Ontzlake kepeth thorow prowesse of his handes / and so he kepeth from hym a ful fair maner and a ryche and therin syre Ontzlake dwelleth wor∣shipfully / and is wel biloued of al peple / & this syre Damas our maister is as euyll beloued for he is without mercy / and

he is acoward / and grete werre hath ben betwyxe them bothe / but Ontzlake hath euer the better / and euer he profereth syre Damas to fyghte for the lyuelode body for body / but he wylle not do•• / other els to fynde a knyghte to fyghte for hym / Vnto that syr Damas hath graunted to fynde a knyghte / but he is so euyll byloued and hated / that there nys neuer a knyghte wylle fyghte for hym / And whan Damas sawe this that ther was neuer a knyght / wold fyghte for hym / he hath daily layn a wayte with many knyghtes with hym / and taken alle the knyghtes in this countrey to see and aspye her auentures / he hath taken hem by force and broughte hem to his pryson / and so he tooke vs seueratly as we rode on oure auentures / & many good knyʒtes haue dyed in this pryson for hongre to the nom¦bre of xviij knyghtes / And yf ony of vs alle that here is or hath ben wold haue foughten with his broder Ontzlake / he wold haue delyuerd vs / but for by cause this Damas is so fals and so ful of treason we wold neuer fyghte for hym to dye for it / And we be soo lene for hongre that vnnethe we may stande on oure feete / god delyuer yow for his mercy sa∣yd Arthur / Anone there with alle ther cam a damoysel vnto Arthur / and asked hym what chere / I can not say sayd he / sir sayd she and ye wylle fyghte for my lord ye shall be delyuerd oute of pryson / and els ye escape neuer the lyf / Now sayd Arthur that is hard / yet had I leuer to fyghte with a kny∣ght than to dye in pryson / with this said Arthur I may be de¦lyuerd and alle these prysoners I wylle doo the batail / yes said the damoysel / I am redy sayd Arthur and I had hors and armour / ye shall lacke none said the damoysel / Me semeth damoysel I shold haue sene yow in the Courte of Arthur / Nay said the damoysel I cam neuer there / I am the lordes do∣ughter of this castel / yet was she fals for she was one of the damoysels of Morgan le fay / Anone she wente vnto syr Da¦mas and told hym how he wold doo bataille for hym / and so he sente for Arthur / And whan he cam he was wel coloured and wel made of his lymmes / that al knyʒtes that sawe hym said it were pyte that suche a knyghte shold dye in pryson / soo syr Damas and he were agreed that he shold fyghte for hym vpon this couenaūt that all other knyghtes shold be delyuerd

And vnto that was syr Damas sworne vnto Arthur / and also to doo the bataille to the vttermost / And with that all the xx knyghtes were brought oute of the derke pryson in to the halle and delyuerd / and so they all abode to see the bataille