[Le morte darthur]

¶Capitulum x

SOo within a whyle they sawe a toure as whyte as o∣ny snowe wel matchecold al aboute / and doubel dy∣ked / And ouer the toure gate there henge a fyfty sheldes of dyuerse colours / and vnder that toure there was a fayr medow And therin were many knyghtes and squyers to behold scaf¦foldes and pauelions / for there vpon the morn shold be a gre¦te turnement / and the lord of the toure was in his castel and loked out at a wyndowe / and sawe a damoysel / a dwarf and a knyʒt armed at al poyntes / So god me helpe said the lord with y^e knyʒt wyll I Iuste / for I see that he is a kniʒt arraūt & soo he armed hym and horsed hym hastely / And whanne he was on horsbak with his shelde and his spere / it was al re∣de bothe his hors and his harneis / and alle that to hym lon∣geth / And whanne that he came nyghe hym he wende it hadde ben his broder the black knyghte / And thenne he cryed a loude broder what doo ye in these marches / nay nay sayd the damoy∣sel / it is not he / this is but a kechyn knaue that was brought vp for almesse in kynge Arthurs courte / Neuertheles sayd the reed knyghte I wylle speke with hym or he departe / A sa∣yd the damoysel this knaue hath kylled thy broder / and syre kay named hym Beaumayns / and this hors and this har∣neis was thy broders the black knyghte / Also I sawe thy bro¦der the grene knyghte ouercome of his handes / Now maye ye be reuenged vpon hym / for I may neuer be quyte of hym ¶With this eyther knyghtes departed in sondre / and they cam to gyder with alle their myght / and eyther of their horses fell to the erthe / and they auoyded their horses / and put their shel¦des afore them and drewe their swerdes / and either gaf other sadde strokes / now here / now there / rasyng / tracyng / foynynge and hurlynge lyke two bores the space of two houres / And thenne she cryed on hyhe to the rede knyghte / Allas thou noble

reed knyghte / thynke what worship hath folowed the / lete ne¦uer a kechyn knaue endure the soo longe as he doth / Thenne the reed knyght waxed wrothe and doubled his strokes and hurte Beaumayns wonderly sore that the blood ranne doune to the ground that it was wonder to see that stronge bataille / Yet at the last syre Beaumayns strake hym to the erthe / and as he wold haue slayne the reed knyghte he cryed mercy sa∣yeng Noble knyghte slee me not / and I shall yelde me to the with fyfty knyghtes with me that be at my commaundement And I forgyue the al the despyte that thou hast done to me / and the dethe of my broder the black knyghte / All this auail¦leth not said Beaumayns / but yf my damoysel praye me to saue thy lyf / And therwith he maade semblaunt to stryke of his hede / Lete be thou Beaumayns slee hym not / for he is a no¦ble knyghte / and not soo hardy vpon thyne hede but thou saue hym / Thenne Beaumayns badde the reed knyghte stand vp and thanke the damoysel now of thy lyf / ¶ Thenne the reed knyght praid hym to see his castel / and to be there al nyghte Soo the damoysel thenne graunted hym / and there they had mery chere / But alweyes the damoysel spak many foule wor¦des vnto Beaumayns wherof the reed knyght had grete mer¦ueylle / and alle that nyghte the reed knyghte maade thre score knyghtes to watche Beaumayns that he shold haue no shame nor vylony / And vpon the morne they herd masse and dyned / and the reed knyghte came before Beaumayns with his thre score knyghtes / and there he profered hym his homa∣ge and feaute at al tymes he and his knyghtes to doo hym seruyse / I thanke you said Beaumayns / but this ye shalle graunte me / whanne I calle vpon you to come afore my lord kynge Arthur and yelde you vnto hym to be his knyghtes / Syr said the reed knyghte I wille be redy and my felauship at your somons / So syr Beaumayns departed and the damoy¦sel and ouer she rode chydynge hym in the fowlest manere /