[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum septimum

WYth that came syr Launcelot du lake and he threste in with his spere in the thyckest of the prees / and there he smote doune with one spere fyue knyghtes / and of foure of hem he brake their backes / And in that throng he smote doune the kynge of Northgalys / and brake his thye in that falle / Alle thys doyng of syre Launcelot sawe the thre knyghtes of Arthurs / Yonder is a shrewde gest sayd syre Madore de la port therfore haue here ones at hym / soo they encountred / and syre Launcelot bare hym doune hors and man / soo that his sholder wente oute of lyth / Now befalleth it to me to Iuste sayd Mor¦dred / for syr Mador hath asore falle / Syre Launcelot was wa¦re of hym / and gate a grete spere in his hand / and mette hym and syr Mordred brake a spere vpon hym / and syre launce∣lot gaf hym suche a buffet that the arsson of his sadel brake / & soo he flewe ouer his hors taylle that his helme butte in to the erthe a foote and more that nyhe his neck was broken / & there he lay longe in a swoune / ¶Thenne came in syr Gahalantyne with a grete spere / and Launcelot ageyyst hym with al theyre strength that they myʒt dryue that both her speres to brast euen

to their handes / and thenne they flang out with their swerdes and gaf many a grym stroke / Thenne was syr launcelot wroth oute of mesure / and thēne he smote syr galahantyne on the hel¦me that his nose braste oute on blood and eerys and mouthe bothe / and ther with his hede henge lowe / And therwith his hors ranne awey with hym / and he felle doune to the erthe / Anone there with al syre launcelot gate a greete spere in hys hand / And or euer that grete spere brake / he bare doune to the erthe xvj knyghtes some hors and man / and some the man & not the hors / & ther was none but that he hyt surely he bare no∣ne armes that day / And thenne he gate another grete spere & smote doune twelue knyghtes / and the moost party of hem ne¦uer throfe after / and thēne the knyʒtes of the kyng of north¦galys wold Iuste nomore / And there the gr••e was gyuen to kynge Bagdemagus / So eyther party departed vnto his ow∣ne place / and syr launcelot rode forth with kynge Bagdema¦gus vnto his castel / and there he had passynge good chere both with the kyng and with his doughter / and they profred hym grete yeftes / And on the morne he took his leue / and told the kynge that he wold goo and seke his broder syre Lyonel that wente from hym whan that he slepte / so he toke his hors / and betaught hem alle to god / And there he sayd vnto the kynges doughter yf ye haue nede ony tyme of my seruyse I praye you lete me haue knouleche / and I shal not faylle you as I am true knyght / and so syr launcelot departed / and by aduenture he came in to the same forest / there he was take slepyng / And in the myddes of an hyhe way he mette a damoysel rydyng on a whyte palfroy / and there eyther salewed other / Fayre damoy¦sel said syre launcelot knowe ye in thi•• countray ony aduen∣tures / syre knyghte sayd that damoysel / here are aduentures nere hand / and thou durst preue hem / why shold I not pre∣ue aduentures said syre launcelot for that cause come I hyder / wel sayd she thou semest wel to be a good knyght / And yf thou dare mete with a good knyght / I shal brynge the where is the best knyght / and the myghtyest that euer thou fond / so thou wylt telle me what is thy name / and what knyght thou arte / damoysel as for to telle the my name I take no grete for∣ce / Truly my name is syre laūcelot du lake / syre thou bysemyst

wel / here ben aduentures by that fallen for the / for here by du∣elleth a knyght that wylle not be ouermatched for no man I knowe but ye ouermatche hym / & his name is syre Turquyne And as I vnderstand he hath in his pryson of Arthurs co∣urte good knyghtes thre score and foure / that he hath wonne with his owne handes / But whan ye haue done that Iourney ye shal promyse me as ye are a true knyght for to go with me and to helpe me / and other damoysels that are distressid day∣ly with a fals knyghte / All your entente damoysel and desy¦re I wylle fulfylle / soo ye wyl brynge me vnto this knyghte How fayre knyght come on your waye / and soo she broughte hym vnto the fourde and the tre where henge the bacyn / So sir launcelot lete his hors drynke / and sythen he bete on the bacyn with the butte of his spere so hard with al his myʒt tyl the bo¦ttom felle oute / and longe he dyd soo but he sawe noo thynge Thenne he rode endlong the gates of that manoyre nyghe half an houre / And thenne was he ware of a grete knyʒt that dro∣••e an hors afore hym / and ouerthwarte the hors there lay an armed knyght bounden / And euer as they came nere and ne∣re / syre launcelot thouʒt he shold knowe hym / Thenne sir laun∣celot was ware that hit was syre gaherys Gawayns broder a knyghte of the table round / Now fayre damoysel sayd sir la∣uncelot / I see yonder cometh a knyght fast bounden that is a felawe of myne / and broder he is vnto syr gawayne / And att the fyrst begynnyng I promyse yow by the leue of god to re∣scowe that knyght / But yf his mayster sytte better in the sa∣del I shal delyuer alle the prysoners that he hath oute of daun¦ger / for I am sure he hath two bretheren of myne prysoners with hym / By that tyme that eyther had sene other / they gryp¦ped theyr speres vnto them / Now fayre knyghte sayd syr la∣uncelot / put that wounded knyghte of the hors / and lete hym reste a whyle / and lete vs two preue oure strengthes / For as it is enformed me thou doest and hast done grete despyte and shame vnto knyghtes of the round table / and therfor now de∣fende the / And thow be of the table round sayd Turquyne I defye the and alle thy felauship / that is ouermoche sayd / sa∣yd syre launcelot