[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum primum

SOone after that kyng Arthur was come / fro ro¦me in to Englond / thenne alle the knyghtes of the table round resorted vnto the kyng / & made many Iustes & turnementes / & some there were that were but knyʒtes whiche encreaced so in ar¦mes and worship that they passed alle their felawes in pro∣wesse and noble dedes / and that was wel preued on many / But in especyal it was preued on syre launcelot du lake / for in al turnementys and Iustes and dedes of armes both for lyf and deth he passed al other knyʒtes / and at no tyme he was neuer ouercome / but yf it were by treson or enchauntement / so syr Launcelot encreaced soo merueyllously in worship / and in honour / therfor is he the fyrst knyʒt that the frensshe book ma∣keth mencyon of after kynge Arthur came fro rome / wherfore quene gweneuer had hym in grete fauour aboue al other kny∣ghtes▪ and in certayne he loued the quene ageyne aboue al o∣ther ladyes damoysels of his lyf / And for her he dyd many dedes of armes and saued her from the fyer thorou his noble chyualry / Thus syre launcelot rested hym longe with play & game / And thenne he thought hym self to preue hym self in straunge auentures / thenne he badde his neuewe syre Lyonel for to make hym redy / for we two wylle seke aduentures / So they mounted on their horses armed at al ryghtes / and rode in to a depe forest & soo in to a depe playne / ¶ And thenne the weder was hote about noone / and syre launcelot had grete lust to slepe / Thenne syr lyonel aspyed a grete Appyl tree that sto¦de by an hedge / & said broder yonder is a fayre shadowe / there maye we reste vs on oure horses / hit is wel saide faire broder said syr launcelot / for this vij•• yere I was not so slepy as I am now / and so they there alyghted & tayed their horses vnto son∣dry trees / and so syr launcelot layd hym doune vnder an ap¦pyl tree / and his helme he layd vnder his hede / And Syre

lyonel waked whyle he slepte / Soo syre launcelot was a sle∣pe passynge fast / And in the mene whyle there came thre kny∣ghtes rydynge as faste fleynge as euer they myghte ryde And there folowed hem thre but one knyghte / And whanne syr lyonel sawe hym / hym thought he sawe neuer soo grete a knyghte nor soo wel farynge a man neyther soo wel appara∣••lled vnto al ryghtes / Soo within a whyle this strong knyʒt had ouertaken one of these knyghtes / and there he smote hym to the cold erth that he lay styll / And than he rode vnto the se∣cond knyght / and smote hym soo that man and hors felle do∣une / And thenne streyghte to the thyrdde knyghte he rode and smote hym behynde his hors are a spere length / And thenne he alyghte doune and arayned his hors on the brydel & bonde alle the thre knyghtes fast with the raynes of their owne bry¦dels / Whan syr lyonel sawe hym doo thus / he thought to assay hym / & made hym redy & stylly / and pryuely he took his hors & thoughte not for to awake syr launcelot / And whan he was mounted vpon his hors / he ouertoke this strong knyght / & bad hym torne / and the other smote syr lyonel so hard that hors & man he bare to the erthe / & so he alyght doun & bound hym fast and threwe hym ouerthwart his owne hors / and soo he serued hem al foure / & rode with hem awey to his owne castel / And whan he came there he garte vnarme them & bete hem with thor¦nys al naked / & after put hem in a depe pryson where were ma∣ny mo knyghtes that made grete doloure