¶Capitulum primum

HIt befel in the dayes of Vther pendragon when he was kynge of all Englond / and so regned that there was a myȝty duke in Cornewaill that helde warre ageynst hym long tyme / And the duke was called the duke of Tyntagil / and so by meanes kynge Vther send for this duk / chargyng hym to brynge his wyf with hym / for she was called a fair lady / and a passynge wyse / and her name was called Igrayne / So whan the duke and his wyf were comyn vnto the kynge by the meanes of grete lordes they were accorded bothe / the ky­nge lyked and loued this lady wel / and he made them grete chere oute of mesure / and desyred to haue lyen by her / But she was a passyng good woman / and wold not assente vnto the kynge / And thenne she told the duke her husband and said I suppose that we were sente for that I shold be dishonoured Wherfor husband I counceille yow that we departe from hens sodenly that we maye ryde all nyghte vnto oure owne castell / and in lyke wyse as she saide so they departed / that neyther the kynge nor none of his counceill were ware of their depar­tyng Also soone as kyng Vther knewe of theire departyng soo sodenly / he was wonderly wrothe / Thenne he called to hym his pryuy counceille / and told them of the sodeyne departyng of the duke and his wyf /

¶ Thenne they auysed the kynge to send for the duke and his wyf by a grete charge / And yf he Wille not come at yo­ur somōs / thenne may ye do your best / thenne haue ye cause to make myghty werre vpon hym / Soo that was done and the messagers hadde their ansuers / And that was thys shortly / that neyther he nor his wyf wold not come at hym / Thenne was the kyng wonderly wroth / And thenne the kyng sente hym playne word ageyne / and badde hym be redy and stuffe hym and garnysshe hym / for within xl dayes he wold fetche hym oute of the byggest castell that he hath /

¶ Whanne the duke hadde thys warnynge / anone he wente and furnysshed and garnysshed two stronge Castels of his of the whiche the one hyght Tyntagil / & the other castel hyȝt [Page] Terrabyl / So his wyf Dame Igrayne he putte in the castell of Tyntagil / And hym self he putte in the castel of Terrabyl the whiche had many yssues and posternes oute / Thenne in all haste came Vther with a grete hoost / and leyd a syege a­boute the castel of Terrabil / And ther he pyght many pauel­yons / and there was grete warre made on bothe partye & / and moche peple slayne / Thenne for pure angre and for grete lo­ue of fayr Igrayne the kyng Vther felle seke / So came to the kynge Vther Syre Vlfius a noble knyght / and asked the kynge why he was seke / I shall telle the said the kynge / I am seke for angre and for loue of fayre Igrayne that I may not be hool / wel my lord said Syre Vlfius / I shal seke Merlyn / and he shalle do yow remedy that youre herte shalbe ple­asyd / So vlfius departed / and by aduenture he mette Mer­lyn in a beggars aray / and ther Merlyn asked Vlfius who­me he soughte / and he said he had lytyl ado to telle hym / Well saide Merlyn / I knowe whome thou sekest / for thou sekest Merlyn / therfore seke no ferther / for I am he / and yf kynge Vther wille wel rewarde me / and be sworne vnto me to ful­fille my desyre that shall be his honour & profite more thā myn for I shalle cause hym to haue alle his desyre / Alle this wyll I vndertake said Vlfius that ther shalle be nothyng resona­ble / but thow shalt haue thy desyre / well said Merlyn / he shall haue his entente and desyre / And therfore saide Merlyn / ryde on your wey / for I wille not be long behynde

Capitulum Secundum

THenne Vlfius was glad and rode on more than a paas tyll that he came to kynge Vtherpendragon / and told hym he had met with Merlyn / where is he said the kyng sir said Vlfius he wille not dwelle long / ther with al Vlfius was ware where Merlyn stood at the porche of the pauelions dore / And thenne Merlyn was bounde to come to the kynge whan kyng Vther sawe hym he said he was welcome / syr sa­id Merlyn I knowe al your hert euery dele / so ye wil be sworn vnto me as ye be a true kynge enoynted to fulfille my desyre ye shal haue your desyre / thenne the kyng was sworne vpon the iiij euuāgelistes / Syre said Merlyn this is my desyre / the first nyȝt y ^t ye shal lye by Igrayne ye shal gete a child on her & [Page] whan that is borne that it shall be delyuerd to me for to nou­risshe there as I wille haue it / for it shal be your worship / & the childis auaille as mykel as the child is worth / I wylle wel said the kynge as thow wilt haue it / Now make you redy said Merlyn this nyght ye shalle lye with Igrayne in the castel of Tyntigayll / & ye shalle be lyke the duke her husband Vlfyus shal be lyke Syre Brastias / a knyghte of the dukes And I will be lyke a knyghte that hyghte Syr Iordanus a knyghte of the dukes / But wayte ye make not many questi­ons with her nor her men / but saye ye are diseased and soo hye yow to ledde / and ryse not on the morne tyll I come to yow / for the castel of Tyntygaill is but x myle hens / soo this was done as they deuysed / But the duke of Tyntigail aspyed hou the kyng rode fro the syege of tarabil / & therfor that nyghte he yssued oute of the castel at a posterne for to haue distressid the kynges hooste / And so thorowe his owne yssue the duke hym self was slayne or euer the kynge cam at the castel of Tynti­gail / so after the deth of the duke kyng Vther lay with Igra­yne more than thre houres after his deth / and begat on her that nygȝ arthur / & or day cam Merlyn cā to the kyng / & had hym make hym redy / & so he kist the lady Igrayne and departed in all hast / But whan the lady herd telle of the duke her husbād and by all record he was dede or euer kynge Vther came to her thenne she merueilled who that myghte be that laye with her in lykenes of her lord / so she mourned pryuely and held hir pees / Thenne alle the barons by one assent prayd the Kynge of accord betwixe the lady Igrayne and hym / the kynge gaf hem leue / for fayne wold he haue hen acoorded with her / Soo the kyng put alle the trust in Vlfyus to entrete bitwene them so by the entrete at the last the kyng & she met to gyder / Now wille we doo wel said Vlfyus / our kyng is a lusty knyghte and wyueles / & my lady Igrayne is a passynge fair lady / it were grete ioye vnto vs all and hit myghte please the kynge to make her his quene / vnto that they all well acoordd and meued it to the kynge / And anone lyke a lusty knyghte / he assentid therto with good wille / and so in alle haste they were maryed in a mornynge with grete myrthe and Ioye / And Kynge Lott of Lowthean and of Orkenay thenne [Page] wedded Margawse that was Gaweyns moder / And kynge Nentres of the land of Garlot wedded Elayne / Al this was done at the request of kynge Vther / And the thyrd syster morgan [...]efey was put to soole in a nonnery / And ther she lerned so moche that she was a grete Clerke of Nygromancye / And after she was wedded to kynge Vryens of the lond of Gore that was Syre Ewayns le blaunche maynys fader /

Capitulum tercium

THēne quene Igrayne waxid dayly gretter & gretter / so it befel after within half a yere as kyng Vther lay by his quene he asked hir by the seith she ouȝt to hym whos was the child within her body / thēne was she sore abasshed to yeue ansuer / Desmaye you not said the kyng but telle me the tro­uthe / and I shall loue you the better by the feythe of my body Syre saide she I shalle telle you the trouthe / the same nyghte y ^t my lord was dede the houre of his deth as his knyȝtes record ther came in to my castel of Tyntigaill a man lyke my lord in speche and in countenaunce / and two knyghtes with hym in lykenes of his two knyghtes barcias and Iordans / & soo I went vnto led with hym as I ouȝt to do with my lord / & the same nyght as I shal ansuer vnto god this child was begoten vpon me / that is trouthe saide the kynge as ye say / for it was I my self that cam in the lykenesse / & therfor desmay you not for I am fader to the child / & ther he told her alle the cause / how it was by Merlyns counceil / thenne the quene made gre­te ioye whan she knewe who was the fader of her child / Sone come merlyn vnto the kyng / & said syr ye must puruey yow / for the nourisshyng of your child / as thou wolt said the kyng be it / wel said Merlyn I knowe a lord of yours in this land that is a passyng true man & a feithful / & he shal haue the nourysshyng of your child / & his name is sir Ector / & he is a lord of fair lyuelode in many partyes in Englond & walys / & this lord sir ector lete hym be sent for / for to come & speke with you / & desyre hym your self as he loueth you that he will put his owne child to nourisshynge to another woman / and that his wyf nourisshe yours / And whan the child is borne lete it be delyuerd to me at yōder pryuy posterne vncrystned / So like [Page] as Merlyn deuysed it was done / And whan syre Ector was come / he made fyaūce to the kyng for to nourisshe the child ly­ke as the Kynge desyred / and there the kyng graunted syr ec­tor grete rewardys / Thenne when the lady was delyuerd the kynge commaunded ij knyghtes & ij ladyes to take the child bound in a cloth of gold / & that ye delyuer hym to what pou­re man ye mete at the posterne yate of the castel / So the child was delyuerd vnto Merlyn / and so he bare it forth vnto Syre Ector / and made an holy man to crysten hym / and named hym Arthur / and so sir Ectors wyf nourysshed hym with her owne pappe / Thenne within two yeres kyng Vther felle seke of a grete maladye / And in the meane whyle hys enemyes Vsurpped vpon hym / and dyd a grete bataylle vpon his men / and slewe many of his peple / Sir said Merlyn ye may not lye so as ye doo / for ye must to the feld though ye ryde on an hors lyttar / for ye shall neuer haue the better of your enemyes / but yf your persone be there / and thenne shall ye haue the vyctory So it was done as Merlyn had deuysed / and they caryed the kynge forth in an hors lyttar with a grete hooste towarde his enemyes / And at saynt Al [...]ons ther mette with the kynge a grete hoost of the north / And that day Syre Vlfyus and sir Bracias dyd grete dedes of armes / and kyng Vthers men o­uercome the northeryn bataylle and slewe many peple & putt the remenaunt to flight / And thenne the kyng retorned vnto london and made grete ioye of his vyctory / And thēne he fyll passynge sore seke / so that thre dayes & thre nyghtes he was specheles / wherfore alle the barons made grete sorow and asked Merlyn what counceill were best / There nys none other reme­dye said Merlyn but god wil haue his wille / But loke ye al Barons be bifore kynge Vther to morne / and god and I shalle make hym to speke / So on the morne alle the Barons with merlyn came to fore the kyng / thēne Merlyn said aloud vnto kyng Vther / Syre shall your sone Arthur be kyng after your dayes of this realme with all the appertenaunce / thenne Vtherpend [...]agon torned hym and said in herynge of them alle I gyue hym gods blissyng & myne / & byd hym pray for my soule / & righteuously & worshipfully that he clayme y ^e croune vpon forfeture of my blessyng / & therwith he yelde vp the ghost & [Page] thenne was he enterid as longed to a kyng / wherfor the que­ne fayre Igrayne made grete sorowe and alle the Barons / Thenne stood the reame in grete ieopardy long whyle / for euery lord that was myghty of men maade hym stronge / and ma­ny wende to haue ben kyng / Thenne Merlyn wente to the ar­chebisshop of Caunterbury / and counceilled hym for to sende for alle the lordes of the reame / and alle the gentilmen of ar­mes that they shold to london come by Cristmas vpon payne of cursynge / And for this cause y ^t Ihu that was borne on that nyghte that he wold of his grete mercy shewe some myracle / as he was come to be kynge of mankynde for to shewe somme myracle who shold be rightwys kynge of this reame / So the Archebisshop by the aduys of Merlyn send for alle the lordes and gentilmen of armes that they shold come by crystmasse euen vnto london / And many of hem made hem clene of her lyf that her prayer myghte be the more acceptable vnto god / Soo in the grettest chirch of london whether it were Powlis or not the Frensshe booke maketh no mencyon / alle the estates were longe or day in the chirche for to praye / And whan matyns & the first masse was done / there was sene in the chircheyard a­yēst the hyhe aulter a grete stone four square lyke vnto a marbel stone / And in myddes therof was lyke an Anuylde of stele a foot on hyghe / & theryn stack a fayre swerd naked by the poynt / and letters / there were wryten in gold aboute the swerd that saiden thus / who so pulleth oute this swerd of this stone and anuyld / is rightwys kynge borne of all En­lond / Thenne the peple merueilled & told it to the Archebisshop I commande said tharchebisshop that ye kepe yow within your chirche / and pray vnto god still that no man touche the suerd tyll the hyhe masse be all done / So whan all masses were done all the lordes wente to beholde the stone and the swerd / And whan they sawe the scripture / som assayed suche as wold haue ben kyng / But none myght stere the swerd nor meue hit He is not here said the Archebisshop that shall encheue the swerd but doubte not god will make hym knowen / But this is my counceill said the archebisshop / that we lete puruey x knyȝtes men of good fame / & they to kepe this swerd / so it was ordeydeyned / & thēne ther was made a crye / y ^t euery mā shold assay y ^t [Page] Wold for to wynne the swerd / And vpon newe yeersday the barons lete maake a Iustes and a tournement / that alle knyȝtes shat wold Iuste or tourneye / there myȝt playe / & all this was ordeyned for to kepe the lordes to gyders & the comyns / for the Archebisshop trusted / that god wold make hym knowe that shold wynne the swerd / So vpon newe yeresday whan the seruyce was done / the barons rode vnto the feld / some to Iuste / & som to torney / & so it happed that syre Ector that had grete lyuelode aboute london rode vnto the Iustes / & with hym rode syr kaynus his sone & yong Arthur that was hys nouris­shed broder / & syr kay was made knyȝt at al halowmas afore So as they rode to y ^e Iustes ward / sir kay had lost his suerd for he had lefte it at his faders lodgyng / & so he prayd yong Arthur for to ryde for his swerd / I wyll wel said Arthur / & ro­de fast after y ^t swerd / & whan he cam home / the lady & al were out to see the Ioustyng / thenne was Arthur wroth & saide to hym self / I will ryde to the chircheyard / & take the swerd with me that stycketh in the stone / for my broder sir kay shal not be without a swerd this day / so whan he cam to the chircheyard sir Arthur aliȝt & tayed his hors to the style / & so he wente to the tent / & found no knyȝtes there / for they were atte Iustyng & so he handled the swerd by the handels / and liȝtly & fiersly pulled it out of the stone / & took his hors & rode his way vntyll he came to his broder sir kay / & delyuerd hym the swerd / & as sone as sir kay saw the swerd he wist wel it was the swerd of the stone / & so he rode to his fader syr Ector / & said / sire / loo here is the swerd of the stone / wherfor I must be kyng of thys land / when syre Ector beheld the swerd / he retorned ageyne & cam to the chirche / & there they aliȝte al thre / & wente in to the chirche / And anon he made sir kay to swere vpon a book / how he came to that swerd / Syr said sir kay by my broder Arthur for he brought it to me / how gate ye this swerd said sir Ector to Arthur / sir I will telle you when I cam home for my bro­ders swerd / I fond no body at home to delyuer me his swerd And so I thought my broder syr kay shold not be swerdles & so I cam hyder egerly & pulled it out of the stone withoute ony payn / found ye ony knyȝtes about this swerd seid sir ector Nay said Arthur / Now said sir Ector to Arthur I vnderstāde [Page] ye must be kynge of this land / wherfore I / sayd Arthur and for what cause / Sire saide Ector / for god wille haue hit soo for ther shold neuer man haue drawen oute this swerde / but he that shal be rightwys kyng of this land / Now lete me see whether ye can putte the swerd ther as it was / and pulle hit oute ageyne / that is no maystry said Arthur / and soo he put it in the stone / therwith alle Sir Ector assayed to pulle oute the swerd and faylled

¶Capitulum sextum

NOw assay said Syre Ector vnto Syre kay / And a­non he pulled at the swerd with alle his myghte / but it wold not be / Now shal ye assay said Syre Ector to Arthur I wyll wel said Arthur and pulled it out easily / And [...]her with alle Syre Ector knelyd doune to the erthe and Syre Kay / Allas said Arthur myne own dere fader and broder why knole ye to me / Nay nay my lord Arthur / it is not so I was neuer your fader nor of your blood / but I wote wel ye are of an hyher blood than I wende ye were / And thenne Syre Ec­tor told hym all how he was bitaken hym for to nourisshe hym And by whoos commandement / and by Merlyns delyueraūce ¶Thenne Arthur made grete doole whan he vnderstood that Syre Ector was not his fader / Sir said Ector vnto Arthur woll ye be my good & gracious lord when ye are kyng / els were I to blame said arthur for ye are the man in the world that I am most be holdyng to / & my good lady & moder your wyf that as wel as her owne hath fostred me and kepte / And yf euer hit be goddes will that I be kynge as ye say / ye shall desyre of me what I may doo / and I shalle not faille yow / god forbede I shold faille yow / Sir said Sire Ector / I will aske no more of yow / but that ye wille make my sone your foster broder Syre Kay Seu [...]all of alle your landes / That shalle be done said Arthur / and more by the feith of my body that neuer man shalle haue that office but he whyle he and I ly [...]e / There with all they wente vnto the Archebisshop / and told hym how the swerd was encheued / and by whome / and on twelfth day alle the barons cam thyder / and to assay to take the swerd who that wold assay / But there afore hem alle ther myghte none take it out but Arthur / wherfor ther were many lordes wroth [Page] And saide it was grete shame vnto them all and the reame to be ouer gouernyd with a boye of no hyghe blood borne / and so they fell oute at that tyme that it was put of tyll Candel­mas / And thenne alle the barons shold mete there ageyne / but alwey the x knyghtes were ordeyned to watche the swerd day & nyȝt / & so they sette a pauelione ouer the stone & y ^e swerd & fyue alwayes watched / Soo at Candalmasse many moo grete lordes came thyder for to haue wonne the swerde / but there myghte none preuaille / And right as Arthur dyd at Crist­masse / he dyd at Candelmasse and pulled oute the swerde e­asely wherof the Barons were sore agreued and put it of in delay till the hyghe feste of Eester / And as Arthur sped a­fore / so dyd he at Eester / yet there were some of the grete lordes had indignacion that Arthur shold be kynge / and put it of in a delay tyll the feest of Pentecoste / Thenne the Archebisshop of Caunterbury by Merlyns prouydence lete purueye thenne of the best knyghtes that they myghte gete / And suche knygh­tes as Vtherpendragon loued best and moost trusted in his dayes / And suche knyghtes were put aboute Arthur as syr Bawdewyn of Bretayn / syre kaynes / syre Vlfyus / syre bar­sias / All these with many other were alweyes about Arthur day and nyghte till the feste of Pentecost

¶Capitulum sextimum

ANd at the feste of pentecost alle maner of men assayed to pulle at the swerde that wold assay / but none my­ghte preuaille but Arthur / and pulled it oute afore all the lordes and comyns that were there / wherfore alle the comyns cryed at ones we wille haue Arthur vnto our kyng we wille put hym nomore in delay / for we alle see that it is goddes wille that he shalle be our kynge / And who that hol­deth ageynst it we wille slee hym / And therwith all they knelyd at ones both ryche and poure / and cryed Arthur mercy by cause they had delayed hym so longe / and Arthur foryaf hem / and took the swerd bitwene both his handes / and offred it vpon the aulter where the Archebisshop was / and so was he made knyghte of the best man that was there / And so anon [Page] was the coronacyon made / And ther was he sworne vnto his lordes & the comyns for to be a true kyng to stand with true Iustyce fro thens forth the dayes of this lyf / Also thēne he made alle lordes that helde of the croune to come in / and to do ser­uyce as they oughte to doo / And many complayntes were made vnto sir Arthur of grete wronges that were done syn the dethe of kyng Vther / of many londes that were hereued lordes knyghtes / ladyes & gentilmen / wherfor kynge Arthur maade the londes to be yeuen ageyne vnto them that oughte hem / ¶whanne this was done that the kyng had stablisshed alle the countreyes aboute london / thenne he lete make Syr kay sencial of Englond / and sir Baudewyn of Bretayne was made Constable / and sir Vlfyus was made chamberlayn / And sire Brastias was maade wardeyn to wayte vpon the northe fro Trent forwardes for it was y ^e tyme y ^t most party the kynges enemyes / But within fewe yeres after Arthur wan alle the north scotland / and alle that were vnder their obeissannce / Also walys a parte of it helde ayenst Arthur / but he ouercam hem al as he dyd the remenaunt thurgh the noble prowesse of hym self and his knyghtes of the round table

¶Capitulum octauum

THenne the kyng remeued in to walys / and lete crye a grete feste that it shold be holdyn at Pentecost after the incoronacion of hym at the Cyte of Carlyon / vnto the fest come kyng Lott of Lowthean / and of Orkeney / with fyue C knyȝtes with hym / Also ther come to the feste kynge Vryens of gore with four C knyȝtes with hym ¶ Also ther come to that feeste kyng Nayntres of garloth with seuen C knyghtes with hym / Also ther came to the feest the kynge of Scotland with sixe honderd knyghtes with hym / and he was but a yong man / Also ther came to the feste a kyng that was called the kyng with the honderd knyghtes / but he and his men were passyng wel bisene at al poyntes Also ther cam the kyng of Cardos with fyue honderd knyghtes / And kyng Arthur was glad of their comynge / for he wende that al the kynges and knyghtes had come for grete loue / and to haue done hym worship at his feste / wherfor the kyng made grete io­ye / and sente the kynges and knyghtes grete presentes / But [Page] the kynges wold none receyue / but rebuked the messagers shamefully / and said they had no ioye to receyue no yeftes of a berdles boye that was come of lowe blood / and sente hym word / they wold none of his yeftes / But that they were co­me to gyue hym yeftes with hard swerdys betwixt the neck and the sholders / And therfore they came thyder / so they told to the messagers playnly / for it was grete shame to all them to see suche a boye to haue a rule of soo noble a reaume as this land was / with this ansuer the messagers departed & told to kyng Arthur this ansuer / wherfor by the aduys of his ba­rons he took hym to a strong towre with / v / C good men with hym / And all the kynges afore said in a maner leyd a syege tofore hym / but kyng Arthur was well vytailled / And with in xv dayes ther came Merlyn amonge hem in to the Cyte of Carlyon / thenne all the kynges were passyng gladde of Merlyn / and asked hym for what cause is that boye Arthur made your kynge / Syres said Merlyn / I shalle telle yow the cause for he is kynge Vtherpendragons sone borne in wedlok goten on Igrayne the dukes wyf of Tyntigail / thenne is he a bas­tard they said al / nay said Merlyn / After the deth of the du­ke more than thre houres was Arthur begoten / And xiij da­yes after kyng Vther wedded Igrayne / And therfor I preue hym he is no bastard / And who saith nay / he shal be kyng and ouercome alle his enemyes / And or he deye / he shalle be long kynge of all Englond / and haue vnder his obeyssaunce walys / yrland and Scotland / and moo reames than I will now reherce / Some of the kynges had merueyl of Merlyns wordes and demed well that it shold be as he said / And som of hem lough hym to scorne / as kyng Lot / and mo other cal­led hym a wytche / But thenne were they accorded with Merlyn that kynge Arthur shold come oute and speke with the kynges / and to come sauf and to goo sauf / suche suraunce ther was made / So Merlyn went vnto kynge Arthur / and told hym how he had done / and badde hym fere not but come oute boldly and speke with hem / and spare hem not / but ansuere them as their kynge and chyuetayn / for ye shal ouercome hem all whether they wille or nylle /

¶Capitulum ix

[Page]THenne kynge Arthur came oute of his tour / and had vnder his gowne a Iesseraunte of double maylle / and ther wente with hym the Archebisshop of Caunterbury / and syr Baudewyn of Bretayne and syr kay / and syre Brastias / these were the men of moost worship that were with hym / And whan they were mette / there was no mekenes but stoute wordes on bothe sydes / but alweyes kynge Arthur ansuerd them and said / he wold make them to bowe and he lyued wherfore they departed with wrath / and kynge Arthur badde kepe hem wel / and they bad the kynge kepe hym wel / Soo the kynge retornyd hym to the toure ageyne and armed hym and alle his knyȝtes / what will ye do said Merlyn to the kynges ye were better for to stynte / for ye shalle not here preuaille tho­ugh ye were x so many / be we wel auysed to be aferd of a dreme reder said kyng Lot / with that Merlyn vanysshed aweye / and came to Kynge Arthur / and bad hym set on hem fiersly / & in the mene whyle there were thre honderd good men of the best that were with the kynges / that wente streyghte vnto kynge Arthur / and that comforted hym gretely / Syr said Merlyn to Arthur / fyghte not with the swerde that ye had by myracle / til that ye see ye go vnto the wers / thenne drawe it out and do your best / So forth with alle kynge Arthur sette vpon hem in their lodgyng / And syre Bawdewyn syre Kay and syr Brastias slewe on the right hand & on the lyfte hand that it was merueylle / and alweyes Kynge Arthur on horsback leyd on with a swerd and dyd merueillous dedes of armes that ma­ny of the kynges had grete ioye of his dedes and hardynesse / Thenne Kynge Lot brake out on the bak syde / and the kyng with the honderd knyghtes and kyng Carados / and sette on Arthur fiersly behynde hym / with that Syre Arthur torned with his knyghtes / and smote behynd and before / and euer sir Arthur was in the formest prees tyl his hors was slayne vndernethe hym / And therwith kynge lot smote doune kyng Arthur / with that his four knyghtes receyued hym and set hym on horsback / thēne he drewe his swerd Excalibur / but it was so bryght in his enemyes eyen / that it gaf light lyke xxx torchys / And therwith he put hem on bak / and slewe moche peple And thenne the comyns of Carlyon aroos with clubbis and [Page] stauys and slewe many knyghtes / but alle the kynges helde them to gyders with her knyghtes that were lefte on lyue / and so fled and departed / And Merlyn come vnto Arthur / and counceilled hym to folowe hem no further

¶Ca / x

SO after the feste and iourneye kynge Arthur drewe hym vnto london / and soo by the counceil of Merlyn the kyng lete calle his barons to coūceil / for Merlyn had told the kynge that the sixe kynges that made warre vpon hym wold in al haste be awroke on hym & on his landys wherfor the kyng asked counceil at hem al / they coude no counceil gyue but said they were bygge ynough / ye saye wel said Arthur / I thanke you for your good courage / but wil ye al that loueth me speke with Merlyn ye knowe wel that he hath done moche for me / and he knoweth many thynges / & whan he is afore you / I wold that ye prayd hym hertely of his best auyse / Alle the barone sayd they wold pray hym and desyre hym / Soo Merlyn was sente for & fair desyred of al the ba­rons to gyue them best counceil / I shall say you said Merlyn I warne yow al / your enemyes are passyng strong for yow / and they are good men of armes as ben on lyue / & by thys tyme they haue goten to them four kynges mo / and a myghty duke / and onlesse that our kyng haue more chyualry with hym than he may make within y ^e boundys of his own reame and he fyghte with hem in batail / he shal be ouercome & slayn what were best to doo in this cause said al the barons / I shal telle you said Merlyn myne aduys / there ar two bretheren be­yond the see / & they be kynges bothe and merueillous good men of her handes / And that one hyghte Kynge Ban of Benwic And that other hyght Kyng Bors of gaule that is Fraunce And on these two Kynges warrith a myghty man of men the Kynge Claudas / and stryueth with hem for a castel / and grete werre is betwixt them / But this Claudas is so myghty of goodes wherof he geteth good Knyȝtes that he putteth these two kynges moost parte do the werse / wherfor this is my counceil that our kyng and souerayne lord sende vnto the kynges Ban and Bors by two trusty knyghtes with letters wel deuysed / that and they wil come and see kynge Arthur and his courte / & so helpe hym in his warrys that he wil be sworne [Page] vnto them to helpe them in their warrys ageynst kynge Clau­das / Now what saye ye vnto this counceill said Merlyn / thys is wel counceilled said the kynge & alle the Barons / right so in alle haste ther were ordeyned to goo two knyghtes on the message vnto the two kynges / Soo were there made letters in the plesaunt wyse accordyng vnto kyng Arthurs desyre / Vl­fyus and Brastias were made the messagers / & so rode forth wel horsed and wel armed / and as the gyse was that tyme & so passed the see & rode toward the cyte of Benwyck / and there besydes were viij knyghtes that aspyed them / And at a strayt passage they mette with Vlfyus & Brastias / & wold haue taken hem prysoners / so they prayd hem that they myght passe / for they were messagers vnto kyng Ban & Bors sent from kynge Arthur / therfor said the viij knyghtes ye shalle dye or be prysoners / for we ben knyghtes of kyng Claudas And therwith two of them dressid their sperys / and Vlfyus and Brastias dressid theire speres and ranne to gyder with grete raundon / And Claudas knyghtes brack their speres / and ther to hylde and bare the two knyghtes out of her sadels to the erthe / and so lefte hem lyeng and rode her wayes / And the other sixe knyghtes rode afore to a passage to mete wyth hem ageyne / and so Vlfyus & Brastias smote other two doun And so past on her wayes / And at the fourth passage there mette two for two / and bothe were leid vnto the erthe / so ther was none of the viij knyghtes but he was sore hurte or brysed And whan they come to Benwick it fortuned ther were both kynges Ban and Bors / And whan it was told the kynges that there were come messagers / there were sente vnto them ij knyghtes of worship / the one hyghte Lyonses lord of the co­untrey of payarne and Sir phariaunce a worshipful knyght Anone they asked from whens they came / and they said from kynge Arthur kyng of Englond / so they took them in theyre armes and made grete ioye eche of other / But anon as the ij kynges wist they were messagers of Arthurs / ther was ma­de no taryenge / but forthwith they spak with the knyghtes / & welcomed hem in the feythfullest wyse / & said / they were most welcome vnto them before alle the kynges lyuynge [...] / and ther with they kyst the letters & delyuerd hem / And whan Ban [Page] and Bors vnderstood the letters / thenne were they more welcome than they were before / And after the hast of the letters / they gaf hem this ansuer that they wold fulfille the desyre of kynge Arthurs wrytyng & Vlfyus & Brastias tary there as longe as they wold / they shold haue suche chere as myghte be made them in tho marchys / Thenne Vlfyus & Brastias told the kyng of the aduēture at their passages of the eyghte knyȝ­tes / Ha A said Ban and Bors they were my good frendes I wold I had wyst of hem they shold not haue escaped so So Vlfius & Brastias had good chere and grete yeftes as moche as they myghte bere awey / and hadde their ansuere by mouthe and by wrytynge that tho two Kynges wold come vnto Arthur in all the hast that they myȝte / So the two Kny­tes rode on a fore / and passed the see / and come to their lord and told hym how they had spedde / wherof Kynge Arthur was passyng gladde / At what tyme suppose ye / the ij Kynges wol be here / Syr said they afore all halowmasse / Thenne the kynge lete puruey for a grete feeste / and lete crye a grete Iustes / And by all halowmasse the two kynges were come ouer the see with thre honderd knyȝtes wel arayed both for the pees and for the werre / And kyng Arthur mette with hem x my­le oute of london / and ther was grete ioye as coude be thouȝt or made / And on al halowmasse at the grete feeste sate in the halle the thre kynges / and syre kay sencial serued in the halle And Syr lucas the bottelere that was duke Corneus sone / & sir gryflet that was the sone of Cardol / these iij knyȝtes had the rule of alle the seruyse that serued the kynges / And anon as they had wasshen & rysen / al knyȝtes that wold Iuste made hem redy / by than they were redy on horsbak there were vij C knyghtes / And Arthur Ban & Bors with the Archebis­shop of Caunterbury / and syre Ector kays fader they were in a place couerd with clothe of gold lyke an halle with ladyes and gentilwymmen for to behold who dyd best and theron to gyue Iugement

¶Capitulum xj

ANd kynge Arthur and the two Kynges lete departe the vij C knyghtes in two partyes And there were iij C knyghtes of the reame of Benwick and of gau­le torned on the other syde than they dressid her sheldes / and [Page] beganne to couche her speres many good knyghtes / So Gryf­let was the first that mette with a knyghte one ladynas and they mett so egerly that al men hadde wonder / And they soo faughte that her sheldes felle to pyeces / and hors and man felle to the erthe / And bothe the frensshe knyghte and the Englysshe knyghte lay so longe that alle men wend they had ben dede / whan lucas the botteler sawe Gryflet soo lye / he horsed hym ageyne anon / and they two dyd merueillous dedes of armes with many bachelers / Also syre kay came oute of an en­busshement with fyue knyghtes with hym / and they sixe smo­te other sixe doune / But syr kay dyd that day merueillous dedes of armes / that ther was none dyd so wel as he that day Thenne ther come ladynas & Grastian two knyghtes of fra­unce / and dyd passynge wel that all men preysed them / Thenne come there Syre placidas a good knyghte and mette with syr kay and smote hym doune hors and man / wherfore Syre gryflet was wrothe and mette with Syre placidas soo harde that hors and man felle to the erthe / But whan the / v / knyghtes wyst that syr kay had a falle they were wrothe out of wyt / And therwith eche of them / v / bare doune a knyghte / whanne kyng Arthur and the two kynges sawe hem begyn waxe wrothe on bothe partyes / they lepte on smale hakeneis / and lete crye that all men shold departe vnto their lodgynge And so they wente home and vnarmed them and so to euen songe and souper / And after the thre kynges wente in to a gardyn / and gaf the pryce vnto syre kay and to lucas the bot­telere / and vnto Syre Gryflet / And thenne they wente vnto connceil / and with hem gwenbaus the brother vnto syr Ban & Bors a wyse Clerk / and thyder wente Vlfyus and Bras­tias and Merlyn / And after they had ben in counceill / they wente vn to bedde / And on the morne they herde masse and to dyner / and so to their counceille and made many argumentis what were best to doo / At the last they were concluded / that Merlyn shold goo with a token of kyng Ban and that was a rynge vnto his men and kynge Bors and Gracian & pla­cidas sholde goo ageyne and kepe theire castels and her coun­treyes / as for kynge Ban of Benwick and kynge Bors of Gaules had ordeyned hem / and so passed the see and came to [Page] Benwyck / And whan the peple sawe kyng Bans rynge & gracian and placidas they were glad / and asked how the kynges ferd / and made grete ioye of their welfare and cordyng / and accordynge vnto the souerayne lordes desyre / the men of warre made hem redy in al hast possyble / soo that they were xv M on hors and foot / and they had grete plente of vytaylle with hem by Merlyns prouysyon / But gracian and placidas were lefte to furnysshe and garnysshe the castels for drede of kynge Claudas / ryght so Merlyn passed the see wel vytailled bothe by water and by land / And whan he came to the see / he sente home the foote men ageyne and took no mo with hym / but x M men on horsbak the moost parte men of armes and so shypped and passed the see in to Englond / and londed at Douer / and thorow the wytte of Merlyn he lad the hoost North­ward the pryuyest wey that coude be thoughte vnto the foreist of Bedegrayne / and there in a valey he lodged hem secretely / ¶Thenne rode Merlyn vnto Arthur and the two kynges & told hem how he had sped / wherof they had grete merueylle / that man on erthe myghte spede so soone / and goo and come So Merlyn told them x M were in the forest of Bedegrayne wel armed at al poyntes / thenne was there no more to saye / but to horsbak wente all the hoost as Arthur had afore pur­ueyed / So with xx M he passed by nyghte and day / but ther was made suche an ordenaūce afore by Merlyn that ther shold no man of werre ryde nor go in no countrey on this syde trent water / but yf he had a token from kynge Arthur / where tho­row the kynges enemyes durste not ryde as they dyd to fore to aspye

¶Capitulum xij

ANd soo within a lytel space the thre kynges came vnto the Castel of Bedegrayne / and fond there a pas­synge fayr felauship and wel be sene / wherof they had grete ioye / and vytaille they wanted none / This was the cause of the northeren hoost that they were rered for the despyte and rebuke the syx kynges had at Carlyon / And tho vj kynges by her meanes gate vnto hem fyue other kynges / And thus they beganne to gadre theyr peple ¶ And how they sware that for wele nor woo they shold not leue other / [Page] tyl they had destroyed Arthur / and thenne they made an oth The fyrst that beganne the othe was the duke of Candebenet / that he wold brynge with hym v M men of armes the which were redy on horsbak / Thenne sware kynge Brandegoris of stranggore that he wold brynge v M men of armes on hors­bak / Thenne sware kynge Claryuaus of Northumberland he wold brynge thre thousand men of armes / thenne sware the kyng of the C knyghtes that was a passynge good man and a yonge that he wold brynge four thousand men of armes on horsbak / thenne ther swore kynge Lott a passyng good knyȝt and syre Gawayns fader that he wold brynge v M men of armes on horsbak / Also ther swore kynge Vryence that was syr Vwayns fader of the lond of gore and he wold brynge vj M men of armes on horsbak / Also ther swore kyng Idres of Cornewalle that he wold brynge v M men of armes on horsbak / Also ther swore kyng cardelmans to brynge v M mē on horsbak / Also ther swore kyng Agwysaunce of Irelond to brynge v M men of armes on horsbak / Also ther swore kyng [...]entres to brynge v M men of armes on horsbak / Also there swore kynge Carados to brynge v M men of armes on horsbak / Soo her hool hoost was of clene men of armes on horsbak fyfty thousand and a foot x thousand of good mennes body­es / thenne were they soone redy and mounted vpon hors and sente forth their fore rydars / for these xj kynges in her wayes leyd a syege vnto the castel of Bedegrayne / and so they departed and drewe toward Arthur and lefte fewe to abyde at the syege for the castel of Bedegrayne was holden of kynge Ar­thur / and the men that were theryn were Arthurs

¶Capitulum xiij

SOo by Merlyns aduys ther were sente fore rydars to skumme the Countreye / & they mette with the fore ry­dars of the north / and made hem to telle whiche wey the hooste cam / and thenne they told it to Arthur / and by kyng Ban and Bors counceill they lete brenne and destroye alle the contrey afore them there they shold ryde / ¶ The kynge with the honderd knyghtes mette a wonder dreme two nyghtes a fore the bataille / that ther blewe a grete wynde & blewe doun her castels and her townes / and after that cam a water and bare hit [Page] all awey / Alle that herd of the sweuen said / it was a token of grete batayll / Thenne by counceill of Merlyn whan they wist whiche wey the xj kynges wold ryde and lodge that nyghte At mydnyght they sette vpon them as they were in theyr pauelyons / But the scoute watche by her hoost cryed lordes att armes for here be your enemyes at your hand

¶Capitulum xiiij

THenne kynge Arthur and kynge Ban and Kynge Bors with her good and trusty knyghtes set on hem so fyersly that he made them ouer throwe her pauelions on her hedys / but the xj kynges by manly prowesse of armes tooke a fayre champayne / but there was slayne that morowe tyde x M good mennys bodyes / And so they had afore hem a strong passage yet were they fyfty M of hardy men / Thenne it drewe toward day / now shalle ye doo by myne aduys said Merlyn vnto the thre kynges I wold that kynge Ban and kynge Bors with her felauship of x M men were put in a wood he­re besyde in an enbusshement and kepe them preuy / and that they be leid or the lyght of the daye come / and that they stere not tyll ye and your knyghtes haue foughte with hem longe And whanne hit is daye lyght dresse your bataille euen afore them and the passage that they maye see alle your hooste / For thenne wyl they be the more hardy when they see yow but a­boute xx M / and cause hem to be the gladder to suffre yow and youre hoost to come ouer the passage / All the thre kynges and the hoole barons sayde that Merlyn said passyngly wel / and it was done anone as Merlyn had deuysed / Soo on the mo [...]n whan eyther hoost sawe other / the hoost of the north was well comforted / Thenne to Vlfyus and Brastias were delyuerd thre thowsand men of armes / and they sette on them fyersly in the passage / and slewe on the ryght hand and on the lyft hand that it was wonder to telle /

¶Whanne that the enleuen kynges sawe that there was so fe­we a felauship dyd suche dedes of armes they were ashamed and sette on hem agayne fyersly / and ther was syr Vlfyus hors slayne vnder hym / but he dyd merueyllously well on foote / ¶But the Duke Eustace of Cambenet [Page] and Kynge Claryaunce of Northumberland / were alweye greuous on Vlfyus / thenne Brastias sawe his felawe ferd so with al / he smote the duke with a spere that hors & man fell doune / that sawe kyng Claryaunce and retorned vnto Bras­tias / and eyther smote other soo that hors & man wente to the erthe / and so they lay long astonyed / & their hors knees brast to the hard bone / Thenne cam Syr kay the sencyal with syxe felawes with hym / and dyd passyng wel / with that cam the xj kynges / and ther was Gryflot put to the erthe hors & man and lucas the bottelere hors and man by kynge Brandego­rys and kyng Idres & kyng Agwysaunce / thēne waxed the medle passynge hard on bothe partyes / whan syre kay sawe Gryflet on foote / he rode on kyng Nentres & smote hym doun and lad his hors vnto syr gryflet & horsed hym ageyne / Also syr kay with the same spere smote doun kyng Lott / & hurt hym passyng sore / that sawe the kyng with the C knyȝtes and ran vnto syr kay and smote hym doune and toke his hors / & gaf hym kyng Lott wherof he said gramercy / whan syr Gryf­let sawe syr kay & lucas the bottelere on foote / he took a sharp spere grete and square / and rode to pynel a good man of ar­mes / and smote hors and man doune / And thenne he tooke his hors / and gaf hym vnto syr kay / Thenne kynge Lot saw kyng Nentres on foote / he ranne vnto Melot de la roche / & smo­te hym doune hors and man & gaf kyng Nentres the hors & horsed hym ageyne / Also the kyng of the C knyȝtes sawe ky­nge Idres on foot thenne he ran vnto Gwymyart de bloy and smote hym doune hors and man & gaf kynge Idres the hors & horsed hym ageyne / & kyng Lot smote doun Claryaunce de la foreist saueage & gaf the hors vnto duke Eustace / And so whanne they had horsed the kynges ageyne they drewe hem al xj kynges to gyder and said they wold be reuenged of the dommage that they had taken that day / The meane whyle cam in syr Ector with an egyr countenaunce / and found Vlfyus and Brastias on foote in grete perylle of deth that were fow­le defoyled vnder horsfeet / Thenne Arthur as a lyon ranne vnto kynge Cradelment of North walys / and smote hym tho­rowe the lyfte syde that the hors and the kynge fylle doune / And thenne he tooke the hors by the rayne / and ladde hym [Page] vnto Vlfyus & said haue this hors myn old frend / for gre­te nede hast thow of hors / gramercy said Vlfyus / thenne syre Arthur dyd so merueillously in armes that all men had wondyr / whan the kynge with the C knyghtes sawe kyng Cradel­ment on foote / he ranne vnto syre Ector that was wel horsed syr kayes fader / and smote hors and man doune / and gaf the hors vnto the kynge / and horsed hym ageyne / and when kyng Arthur sawe the kyng ryde on syr Ectors hors he was wroth and with his swerd he smote the kynge on the helme / that a quarter of the helme and shelde fyll doune / and so the swerd carf doune vnto the hors neck / and so the kyng & the hors fyll doune to the gronnd / Thenne syr kay cam vnto syr Morgano­re sencial with the kyng of the C knyghtes & smote hym doun hors and man / and lad the hors vnto his fader syre Ector / thenne syr Ector ranne vnto a knyght hyghte lardans / & smote hors & man doune / & lad the hors vnto syr Brastias that grete nede had of an hors and was gretely defoyled / whan Brastias beheld lucas the botteler that lay lyke a dede man vnder the horse feet / and euer syr Gry flet dyd merueillously for to rescowe hym / and there were alweyes xiiij knyghtes on syr lucas / & thenne Brastias smote one of hem on the helme / that it wente to the treth / & he rode to another and smote hym that the arme flewe in to the feld / Thēne he wente to the third and smote hym on the sholder that sholder and arme flewe in the feld / And whan Gryflet sawe rescowes / he smote a kny­ght on the tempils that hede & helme wente to the erthel / and gryflet took the hors of that knyght & lad hym vnto syr lu­cas / & bad hym mounte vpon the hors & reuenge his hurtes / For Brastias had slayne a knyghte to fore & horsed gryf­let /

¶Capitulum xv

THenne lucas sawe kyng Agwysaunce that late hadde slayne Morys de la roche / and lucas ran to hym with a short spere that was grete / that he gaf hym suche a falle that the hors felle doun to the erthe / Also lucas found there on fo­te bloyas de la flaundres and syr Gwynas ij hardy knyȝtes & in that woodenes that lucas was in / he slewe ij bachelers & horsed hem ageyn / thēne waxid the batail possyng hard on both partyes / but arthur was glad y ^t his knyȝtes were horsed ayene [Page] & thēne they foughte to gyders that the noyse and sowne rang by the water & the wood / wherfor kyng Ban and kyng bors made them redy and dressyd theyr sheldes and harneys / and they were so couragyous that many Knyghtes shoke & beuerd for egrenes / All this whyle lucas and Gwynas & bryaunte & Bellyas of Flaundrys helde strong medle ayenst vj kyn­ges / that was Kynge Lott / kynge Nentres / kyng Brandegorys / Kyng Idres / kyng Vryens & kyng Agwysaunce / Soo with the helpe of syre kay & of syr gryflet / they helde these vj kynges hard that vnnethe they had ony power to defend them But whan syr Arthur sawe the batail wold not be endyd by no maner / he ferd wood as a lyon / & stered his hors here & there on the right hand & on the lyft hand▪ that he stynte not tyl he had slayne xx knyȝtes / Also he wounded kyng Lot so­re on the sholder and made hym to leue that ground / for syre kay & gryflet dyd with kyng Arthur there grete dedes of ar­mes / Thenne Vlfyus and Brastias & sir Ector encountred ageynst the duke Eustace & kyng Cradelment & kyng Cradelmāt and kynge Claryaunce of Northumberland & kyng Carados & ageynst the kyng with the C knyȝtes / So these knyȝtes encountred with these kynges that they made them to auoyde the grounde / thēne Kyng Lott made grete dool for his dommagis & his felawes / & said vnto the x kynges but yf ye wil do as I deuyse we shalle be slayn & destroyed / lete me haue the kynge with the C Knyȝtes & kyng Agwysaunce & kyng I­dres and the duke of Canbene [...] / & we v Kynges wol haue xv M men of armes with vs & we wille go on parte / wyle ye vj Kynges holde the medle with xij M / & we see that ye haue fouȝten with hem long thēne will we come on fyersly / & ellys shall we neuer matche hem said kynge Lot but by this meane So they departed as they here deuysed / & vj kynges made her party strong ageynst Arthur and made grete warre longe / In the meane whyle brake the enbusshement of Kynge Ban and kynge bo [...]s and Lyonses and Pharyaunce had the ad­uant garde / and they two knyghtes mette with kyng Idres and his felauship / and there began a grete medele of brekyng of speres and smytynge of swerdys with sleynge of men and horses / And kynge Idres was nere at discomforture

[Page]That sawe Agwysannce the kynge and put lyonses and pharyaunce in poynte of dethe / for the duke of Canbenek came on with all with a grete felauship / soo these two knyghtes were in grete daunger of their lyues that they were fayn to retorne but alweyes they rescowed hem self and their felauship mer­ueillously / Whan kynge Bors sawe tho knyghtes put on bak it greued hym sore / thēne he cam on so fast that his felauship semed as blak as Inde / whan kyng Lot had aspyed kynge bors / he knewe hym wel / thenne he said O Ihesu defende vs frō deth & horryble maymes / for I see wel we ben in grete perylle of dethe / for I see yonder a kynge one of the most worshipful lest men & one of the best knyȝtes of the world ben enclyned vnto his felauship / what is he said the kynge with the C knyȝtes / it is said kyng Lot kyng bors of gaul [...] / I merueile how they come in to this countreye without wetynge of vs all It was by Merlyns auyse said the knyghte / As for hym sa­yd kynge Carados / I wylle encountre with kynge bors / and ye wil rescowe me whan myster is / go on said they al / we wil do all that we may / thenne kyng Carados & his hoost rode on a softe pace tyl that they come as nyghe kynge Bors as a bowe draughte / thenne eyther bataill lete their hors renne as fast as they myghte / And Bleoberys that was godson vnto kynge Bors he bare his chyef standard / that was a passynge good knyghte / Now shall we see said kyng Bors hou these northe­ren bretons can bere the armes / & kyng Bors encountred with a knyght / and smote hym thorow out with a spere that he fel dede vnto the erthe / and after drewe his swerd & dyd mer­ueillous dedes of armes that all partyes had grete wōder therof / & his knyȝtes failled not but dyd their part / & kyng Ca­rados was smyten to the erthe / With that came the kyng with the C knyȝtes & rescued kyng Carados myȝtely by force of armes / for he was a passyng good knyght of a kynge / & but a yong man

¶Capitulum xvj

BY than come in to the feld kynge Ban as fyers as a lyon with bandys of grene / & therupon gold / Ha a said kyng Lot we must be discomfyte / for yonder I see the moste valyaunt knyght of the world / and the man of the most re­noume / for suche ij bretheren as is kyng Ban & kyng bors ar [Page] not lyuynge / wherfore we must nedes voyde or deye / And but yf we auoyde manly and wysely / ther is but dethe / whanne kynge Ban came in to the bataill / he cam in so fiersly / that the strokes redounded ageyne fro the woode and the water / wher­for kynge Lott wepte for pyte and doole that he sawe so ma­ny good knyȝtes take theyr ende / But thorowe the grete for­ce of kyng Ban they made both the Northeren bataylles that were departed / hurtled to gyders for grete drede / and the thre kynges & their knyghtes slewe on euer that it was pyte on to behold that multitude of the people that fledde / But kynge Lott and Kynge of the honderd knyȝtes & kynge Morgano­re gadred the peple to gyders passyng knyghtly / and dyd gre­te prowesse of armes / and helde the bataill all that daye lyke hard / ¶Whanne the kynge of the honderd knyghtes beheld the grete damage that kynge Ban dyd / he threst vnto hym wyth his hors and smote hym on hyhe vpon the helme a grete stroke and stonyed hym sore / Thenne kynge Ban was wroth with hym / and folowed on hym fyersly / the other sawe that / and cast vp his sheld & spored his hors forward / But the stro­ke of kynge Ban felle doune and carfe a cantel of the sheld / and the swerd s [...]ode doune by the haulerk behynde his back / & cut thorow the trappere of stele / and the hors euen in two pye­ces that the swerd felte the erthe / Thenne the kynge of the C knyghtes voyded the hors lyghtly and with his swerd he broched the hors of kyng Ban thorow and thorow / with that kynge Ban voyded lyghtly from the deede hors / and thenne kynge Ban smote at the other so egrely / and smote hym on the helme that he felle to the erth / Also in that yre he feld kyng Morganore and there was grete slaughter of good knyghtes and moche peple / by than come in to the prees kynge Arthur / and fond Kynge Ban stondynge among dede men and dede hors fyghtynge on foote as a wood lyon / that ther came no­ne nyghe hym as fer as he myght reche with his swerd / but he caughte a greuous buffet wherof Kynge Arthur had grete pyte / And Arthur was so blody that by his shelde ther myght no man knowe hym / for all was blood and braynes on his swerd / And as Arthur loked by hym he sawe a knyght that was passyngly wel horsed / and therwith syre Arthur ranne [Page] to hym / and smote hym on the helme that his swerd wente vnto his teeth / and the knyght sanke doune to the erthe dede / & anon Arthur tooke the hors by the rayne and ladde hym vnto kynge Ban & said fair broder / haue this hors / for ye haue grete myster therof & me repenteth sore of your grete dammage Hit shall be soone reuengid said Kynge Ban / for I truste in god myn eure is not suche but some of them may sore repente thys / I wol wel said Arthur / for I see your dedes full actual Neuertheles I myghte not come at yow at that tyme / But whanne Kynge Ban was mounted on horsbak / thenne there beganne newe bataill the whyche was sore and hard / and passyng grete slaughter / And so thurgh grete force Kynge Ar­thur / Kynge Ban and Kynge Bors made her knyghtes a li­tel to withdrawe them / But alwey the xj Kynges with her chyualrye neuer torned bak / and so withdrewe hem to a lytil woode / and so ouer a lytyl ryuer / & therethey rested hem / for on the nyghte they myghte haue no rest on the feld / And thē ­ne the xj kynges and knyghtes put hem on a hepe all to gy­ders as men adrad and out of all comforte / but ther was no man myghte passe them / they helde hem so hard to gyders bothe behynde and before that kynge Arthur had merueille of their dedes of armes and was passynge wrothe / A syr Arthur sa­id kynge Ban and kynge Bors blame hem noughte / For they doo as good men ouȝt to doo / For by my feith said kyng Ban / they are the best fyghtyng men and knyghtes of moost prowesse that euer I sawe or herd speke of / And tho xj kynges are men of grete worship / And yf they were longyng vnto yow / there were no kynge vnder the heuen hadde suche xj knyghtes and of suche worship / I may not loue hem said Arthur / they wold destroye me / that wote we wel said kynge Ban and Kynge Bors / for they are your mortal enemyes / and that hath ben preued afore hand / And this day they haue done theire parte / and that is grete pyte of theire wilfulnes Thenne alle the xj kynges drewe hem to gyder / And thenne said kynge Lott / lordes ye must other wayes than ye do / or els the grete losse is behynde / ye may see what peple we haue lost / and what good men we lese / by cause we waytte alweyes on these foote men / and euer in sauynge of one of the foote men [Page] we lese x horsmen for hym / therfore this is myne aduys / lete vs put our foote men from v [...] / for it is nere nyghte / For the noble Arthur wille not [...]ry on the foote men / for they maye saue hem self / the woode is nerehand / And whan we horsmen be to gyders / loke eueryche of yow kynges lete make suche or­dinaunce that none breke vpon payne of dethe / And who that seeth ony man dresse hym to flee / lightly that he be slayne / for it is better that we slee a coward than thorow a coward alle we to be slayne / How saye ye said kynge Lott / ansuere me all ye kynges / it is wel said quod kynge Nentres / so said the ky­nge of the honderd knyghtes / the same saide the kynge Cara­dos and kyng Vryence / so dyd kynge Idres and kyng brandegorys / and so dyd kyng Cradulmas and the d [...]ke of Cā ­debenet / the same said kyng Claryaunce & kyng Agwysaunce and sware they wold neuer faille other neyther for lyf nor for dethe / And who so that fledde but did as they dyd shold be slayne / Thenne they amended their harneys and ryghted theire sheldes and tooke newe sperys and sette hem on theire thyes and stode stille as hit had ben a plompe of wood /

¶Capitulum xvij

WHanne Syre Arthur and kynge ban and bors by­helde them and all her knyghtes they preysed hem mo­che for their noble chere of chyualrye for the hardyest fyghters that euer they herd or sawe / with that there dressyd hem a xl noble knyghtes and saide vnto the thre kynges / they wold breke their bataille / these were her names Lyonses / pharyaunce Vlfyus / brastias / Ector / kaynes / lucas the bottelere / Gryflett la fyse de dieu / mariet de la roche / Gwynas de bloy / briāt de la foreyst saueage / bellaus / Moryans of the castel maydyn [...] / flā nedreus of the castel of ladyes / Annecians that was kynge bors godsone a noble knyght / ladynas de la rouse / Emerause Caulas / Gracyens le casteleyn / one bloyse de la caase / and syre Colgreueaunce de gorre / all these knyȝtes rode on a fore with sperys on their thyes / and spored their horses myghtely as the horses myȝte renne / And the xj kynges with parte of her knyȝtes russched with their horses as fast as they myȝte with their spe [...]es / & ther they dyd on both partyes merueillous dedes of armes / soo came in to the thycke of the prees Arthur ban & [Page] bors & slewe doune right on both handes that her horses went in bloood vp to the fytlokys / But euer the xj Kynges and their hooste was euer in the vysage of Arthur / wherfore Ban and Bors had grete merueille consyderyng the grete slauȝter that there was / but at the last they were dryuen abak ouer a lytil ryuer / with that came Merlyn on a grete black hors / and said vnto arthur thow hast neuer done / hast thou not do ne ynough / of thre score thousand this day hast thow lefte on lyue but xv M / and it is tyme to saye ho for god is wrothe with the that thow wolt neuer haue done / for yonder xj kyn­ges at this tyme will not be ouerthrowen / but and thow tary on them ony lenger / thy fortune wille torne and they shall encreace / And therfor withdrawe yow vnto your lodgyng and reste yon as soone as ye may and rewarde your good knyȝtes with gold and with syluer / for they haue wel deserued hi [...] / there may no rychesse be to dere for them / for of so fewe men as ye haue ther were neuer men dyd more of prowesse than they haue done to day / for ye haue matched this day with the beste fyghters of the world / that is trouthe said kyng Ban and bors / Also said Merlyn / withdrawe yow where ye lyst / For this thre yere I dar vndertake they shalle not dere yow / And by than ye shalle here newe tydynges / And thenne Merlyn said vnto arthur / these xj kynges haue more on hand than they are ware of / for the Sarasyns ar londed in their countreyes mo than xl M that brenne and [...]lee / and haue leid syege att the castel wandesborow and make grete destruction / therfore drede yow not this thre yere / ¶Also syre al the goodes that ben goten at this bataill lete it be serched / And whanne ye haue it in your handys lete it be gyuen frely vnto these two kynges Ban and Bors that they may rewarde theyr knyghtes with all / And that shalle cause straungers to be of better wyll to do yow seruyse at nede / Also ye be able to reward youre owne knyghtes of your owne goodes whan someuer it lyketh you It is wel said qd Arthur And as thow hast deuysed so shal it be done / whanne it was delyuerd to Ban & Bors they gaf the goodes as frely to their knyȝtes as frely as it was yeuen to them / Thenne Merlyn took his leue of Arthur and of the ij kynges for to go and see his mayster Bleyse that dwelde [Page] in Northumberland / and so he departed and cam to his maister that was passyng glad of his comynge / & there he tolde / how Arthur and the two kynges had sped at the grete bata­yll / and how it was ended / and told the names of euery ky­ng and knyght of worship that was there / And soo Bleyse wrote the bataill word by word as Merlyn told hym how it began / & by whome / & in lyke wyse how it was endyd / And who had the werre / All the batails that were done in arthurs dayes / merlyn dyd his maister Bleyse do wryte / Also he did do wryte all the batails that euery worthy knyght dyd of arthurs Courte / After this Merlyn departed from his mayster and came to kynge Arthur that was in the castel of Bede­grayne / that was one of the castels that stondyn in the forest of Sherewood / And Merlyn was so disguysed that kynge Arthur knewe hym not for he was al be furred in black she­pe skynnes and a grete payre of bootes / and a bowe and a­rowes in a russet gowne / and broughte wild gyse in his hād and it was on the morne after candelmas day / but kyng Arthur knewe hym not / Syre said Merlyn vnto the kynge / wil ye gyue me a yefte / wherfor said kyng Arthur shold I gyue the a yefte chorle / Sir said Merlyn ye were better to gyue me a yefte that is not in your hand than to lese grete rychesse / for here in the same place there the grete bataill was is grete treso­ur hyd in the erthe / who told the so chor [...]e said Arthur / Mer­lyn told me so said he / thenne Vlfyus and Brastias knew hym wel ynough and smyled / Syre said these two knyghtes It is Merlyn that so speketh vnto yow / thenne kyng arthur was gretely abass [...]ed and had merueyll of Merlyn / & so had kynge Ban and kynge Bors / and soo they had grete dys­port at hym / Soo in the meane whyle there cam a damoysel that was an erlys doughter his name was Sanam / and her name was Lyonors a passynge fair damoysel / and so she cam thyder for to dohomage as other lordes dyd after the grete bataill / And kyng Arthur sette his loue gretely vpon her and so dyd she vpon hym / and the kyng had adoo with her / and gat on her a child / his name was Borre that was after a good knyghte and of the table round / thenne ther cam word that the kyng Ryence of Northen walys maade grete werre on [Page] kynge Lodegreance of camylyard / for the whiche thyng arthur was wroth for he loued hym wel and hated kyng Ryence / for he was alwey ageynst hym / So by ordenaunce of the thre kynges that were sente home vnto Benwyck / alle they wold de­parte for drede of kynge Claudas and pharyaunce and An­temes and Grasians and lyonses / payarne with the leders of tho that shold kepe the kynges landys

¶Capitulum xviij

ANd thenne kynge Arthur and kynge Ban & kyng Bors departed with her felauship a xx M and came within vj dayes in to the countrey of Cmyliarde and there rescowed kynge Lodegreaunce and s [...]ewe ther moche people of kynge Ryence vnto the nombre of x M men and put hym to flyghte / And thenne had these thre kynges grete [...]here of ky­ng Lodegreaunce / that thanked them of their grete goodnesse that they wold reuenge hym of his enemyes / and there hadde Arthur the fyrst syght of gweneuer the kynges doughter of Camylyard / and euer after he loued her / After they were weddyd as it telleth in the booke / Soo breuely to make an ende / they took theyr leue to goo in to theyre owne Countreyes for kynge Claudas dyd grete destruction on their landes / Thenne said Arthur I wille goo with yow / Nay said the kynges ye shalle not at this tyme / for ye haue moche to doo yet in these landes / therfore we wille departe / and with the grete goodes that we haue goten in these landes by youre yeftes we shalle wage good knyghtes & withstande the kynge Claudas ma­lyce / for by the grace of god and we haue nede we wille sen­de to yow for youre socour / And yf ye haue nede sende for vs / and we wille not tary by the feythe of our bodyes / Hit shalle not saide Merlyn nede that these two kynges come ageyne in the wey of werre / But I knowe wel kynge Arthur maye not be longe from yow / for within a yere or two ye shalle haue grete nede / And thenne shalle he reuenge yow on youre ene­myes as ye haue done on his / For these xj kynges shal deye all in a day by the grete myghte and prowesse of armes of ij valyaunt knyghtes as it telleth after / her names ben Balyn le Saueage and Balan his broder that ben merueillous go­od knyghtes as ben ony lyuyng / ¶Now torne we to the xj [Page] kynges that retorned vnto a cyte that hyghte Sorhaute / the whiche cyte was within kynge Vryens / and ther they refres­shed hem as wel as they myght / and made leches serche theyr woundys and sorowed gretely for the dethe of her peple / with that ther came a messager and told how ther was comen in to their landes people that were lau [...]es as wel as sarasyns a xl M / and haue brent & slayne al the peple that they may come by withoute mercy / and haue leyd syege on the castel of wā ­disborow / Allas sayd the xj kynges here is sorow vpon sorou And yf we had not warryd ageynst Arthur as we haue done / he wold soone reuenge vs / as for kyng Lodegryaunce he loueth Arthur better than vs / And as for kyng Ryence / he hath ynough to doo with Lodegreans / for he hath leyd syege vnto hym / Soo they consentyd to gyder to kepe alle the marches of Cornewayle / of walys and of the northe / soo fyrst they putte kynge Idres in the Cyte of Nauntys in Brytayne with iiij thowsand men of armes / to watche bothe the water and the land / Also they put in the cyte of wyndesan kynge Nauntres of garlott with four thousand knyghtes to watche both on water and on lond / Also they had of other men of werre moo than eyght thousand for to fortyfye alle the fortresses in the marches of Cornewaylle / Also they put moo knyȝtes in alle the marches of walys and scotland with many good men of armes / and soo they kepte hem to gyders the space of thre yere And euer alyed hem with myghty kynges and dukes and lordes / And to them felle kynge Ryence of North walys / the whiche was a myghty man of men & New that was a mygh­ty man of men / And all this whyle they furnysshed hem and garnysshed hem of good men of armes and vytaille and of alle maner of abylement that pretendith to the werre to auen­ge hem for the bataille of Bedegrayne / as it telleth in the book of auentures folowynge

Capitulum xix

tHēne after the departyng of kyng Ban and of kyng Bors kynge Arthur rode vnto Carlyon / And thyder cam to hym kyng Lots wyf of Orkeney in maner of a messa­ge / but she was sente thyder to aspye the Courte of kynge Ar­thur / and she cam rychely bisene with her four sones / gawayn [Page] Gaherys / Agrauaynes / and Gareth with many other knyghtes and ladyes / for she was a possynge fayr lady / wherfore the kynge cast grete loue vnto her / and desyred to lye by her / so they were agreed / and he begate vpon her Mordred / and she was his syster on the moder syde Igrayne / So ther she rested her a moneth and at the last departed / Thenne the kyng dre­med a merueillous dreme wherof he was sore adrad / But al this tyme kyng Arthur knewe not that kyng Lots wyf was his syster / Thus was the dreme of Arthur / hym thought ther was come in to this land Gryffons and Serpentes / And hym thoughte they brente and slough alle the peple in the lād And thenne hym thoughte / he faughte with hem / and they dyd hym passynge grete harme / and wounded hym ful sore / but at the last he slewe hem / whanne the kynge awaked / he was pas­synge heuy of his dreme / and so to put it oute of thoughtes / he made hym redy with many knyghtes to ryde on huntynge / As soone as he was in the forest / the kynge sawe a grete hert afore hym / this herte wille I chace said kynge Arthur / And so he spored the hors / and rode after longe / And so by fyne for­ce ofte he was lyke to haue smyten the herte / where as the ky­nge had chaced the herte soo long that his hors had loste hys brethe and fylle doune dede / Thenne a yoman fette the kynge another hors / So the kyng sawe the herte enbusshed and his hors dede / he sette hym doune by a fontayne and there he fell in grete thoughtes / And as he satte so hym thoughte he herd a noyse of houndes to the somme of xxx / And with that the ky­nge sawe comyng toward hym the straungest best that euer he sawe or herd of / so the best wente to the welle and drank / and the noyse was in the bestes bely lyke vnto the questyng of xxx coupyl houndes / but alle the whyle the beest dranke there was no noyse in the bestes bely / and therwith the best departed with a grete noyse / wherof the kyng had grete merueyll / And so he was in a grete thoughte / and therwith he fell on slepe / Ryght so ther came a knyght a foote vnto Arthur / and sayd knyght full of thought and slepy / telle me yf thow sawest a straunge best passe this waye / Suche one sawe I said kynge Arthur / that is past two myle / what wold ye with the best said arthur Syre I haue folowed that best long tyme / and kyld myne [Page] hors / so wold god I had another to folowe my quest / ryȝte so came one with the kynges hors / and whan the knyght sa­we the hors / he prayd the kyng to yeue hym the hors / for I haue folowed this quest this xij moneth / and other I shal encheue hym or blede of the best blood of my body / Pellinore that tyme kynge folowed the questynge best / and after his deth sir Palamydes folowed hit

¶Capitulum xx

SYr knyghte said the kynge leue that quest / and suffre me to haue hit / and I wyll folowe it another xij mo­neth / A foole said the knyghte vnto Arthur / it is in veyne thy desyre / for it shalle neuer ben encheued but by me / or my next kyn / there with he sterte vnto the kynges hors and mounted in to the sadel / and said gramercy this hors is myn owne / wel said the kynge thow mayst take myn hors by force but and I myȝte preue the whether thow were better on horsbak or I / wel said the knyght seke me here whan thow wolt and here nygh this wel thow shalt fynde me / and soo passyd on his weye / thenne the kyng sat in a study and bad his men fetche his hors as faste as euer they myghte / Ryght soo came by hym Merlyn lyke a child of xiiij yere of age and salewed the kyng / and asked hym why he was so pensyf / I may wel be pensyf sayd the kynge / for I haue sene the merueyllest syȝt that euer I sawe / that knowe I wel said Merlyn as wel as thy self and of all thy thoughtes / but thow art but a foole to take thought / for it wylle not amend the / Also I knowe what thow arte / and who was thy fader / and of whome thow were begoten / kynge Vtherpendragon was thy fader / and begat the on Igrayne / that is fals said kyng Arthur / how sholdest thou knowe it / for thow arte not so old of yeres to knowe my fa­der / yes sayd Merlyn I knowe it better than ye or ony man lyuynge / I wille not bileue the said Arthur and was wroth with the child / Soo departed Merlyn and came ageyne in the lykenes of an old man of iiij score yere of age / wherof the kynge was ryght glad / for he semed to be ryghte wyse Thenne saide the old man why are ye so sad / I maye wel be heuy said Arthur for many thynges / Also here was a chyld and told me many thynges that me semeth / he shold not knowe / for he was not of age to knowe my fader / yes said the old [Page] man / the child told yow trouthe / and more wold he haue tolde yow and ye wolde haue suffred hym / But ye haue do­ne a thynge late that god is displeasyd with yow / for ye haue layne by your syster / and on her ye haue goten a chyld / that shalle destroye yow and all the knyghtes of your realme what are ye said Arthur that telle me these tydynges / I am Merlyn / and I was he in the childes lykenes / A sayd kyng Arthur ye are a merueillous man / but I merueylle moche / of thy wordes that I mote dye in bataille / Merueylle not sa­id Merlyn / for it is gods wyll youre body to be punysshed for your fowle dedes / but I may wel be sory said Merlyn / for I shalle dye a shameful deth to be put in the erthe quyck / and ye shall dye a worshipful deth / And as they talked this / cam one with the kynges hors / and so the kyng mounted on his hors and Merlyn on another and so rode vnto Carlyon / & anone the kynge asked Ector and Vlfyus how he was bigoten / & they told hym Vtherpendragon was his fader & quene Igra­yn his moder / thenne he sayd to Merlyn I wylle that my moder be sente for that I may speke with her / And yf she saye so her self / thēne wylle I byleue hit / In all hast the quene was sente for / and she cam & broughte with her Morgan le fay her doughter that was as fayre a lady as ony myghte be / & the kynge welcomed Igrayne in the best maner /

¶Capitulum xxj

RYght soo cam Vlfyus & saide openly that the kynge and all myȝt here that were fe­sted that day / ye are the falsest lady of the world and the most traitresse vnto the kynges person / Beware saide Ar­thur what thow saist / thow spekest a grete word / I am wel ware said Vlfyus what I speke / & here is my gloue to preue hit vpon ony man that will seye the contrary / that this quene I­grayne is causar af your grete domage / & of your grete werre For and she wold haue vtterd it in the lyf of kyng Vtherpē ­dragon of the byrthe of yow / and how ye were begoten ye had neuer had the mortal werrys that ye haue had for the moost party of your barons of your realme knewe neuer whos sone ye were / nor of whome ye were begoten / & she that bare yow of her body shold haue made it knowen openly in excusyng of her worship & yours / & in lyke wyse to alle the reame / wherfor I [Page] preue her fals to god and to yow and to al your realme and who wyll saye the contrary I wyll preue it on his body Thenne spak Igrayne and sayd I am a woman and I may not fyghte / but rather than I shold be dishonoured / ther wold some good man take my quarel / / More she sayd / Merlyn knoweth wel and ye syr Vlfyus how kynge Vther cam to me in the Castel of Tyntagaill in the lykenes of my lord that was dede thre houres to fore / and therby gat a child that nyght vpon me / And after the viij day kynge Vther wedded me / and by his commaundement whan the child was borne it was de­lyuerd vnto Merlyn and nourysshed by hym / and so I sawe the child neuer after / nor wote not what is his name / for I knewe hym neuer yet / And there Vlfyus saide to the quene Merlyn is more to blame than ye / wel I wote said the quene I bare a child by my lord kyng Vther / but I wote not Where he is become / thenne Merlyn toke the kynge by the hand sa­yeng / this is your moder / and therwith syr Ector bare wytnes how he nourysshed hym by Vthers commaundement / And ther with kynge Arthur toke his moder quene Igrayne in his armes and kyst her / and eyther wepte vpon other / And thenne the kyng lete make a feest that lasted eyght dayes / Thenne on a day ther come in the courte a squyer on hors back ledynge a knyght before hym wounded to the dethe / and told hym how ther was a knyght in the forest had rered vp a pauelione by a well and hath slayne my mayster a good knyght / his na­me was mylis / wherfor I byseche yow that my mayster maye be buryed / and that somme knyȝt maye reuenge my maysters deth / thenne the noyse was grete of that knyghtes dethe in the Court / and euery man said his aduys / thenne came Gryflett that was but a squyer / and he was but yonge of the age of the kyng Arthur / soo he besoughte the kyng for alle his seruyse that he had done hym to gyue hym the ordre of knyghthode

¶Capitulum xxij

THou arte full yong and tendyr of age sayd Arthur for to take so hyghe an ordre on the / Sir said gryflet I byseche yow make me knyȝt / Syr said Merlyn it were gre­te pyte to lese Gryflet / for he wille be a passynge good man / whanne he is of age / abydynge with yow the terme [Page] me of his lyf / And yf he auenture his body with yonder kny­ght at the fontayne it is in grete peryll yf euer he come agey­ne / for he is one of the best knyghtes of the world / and the strē gyst man of armes / wel said Arthur / so at the desyre of gryflet the kynge made hym knyght / Now said Arthur vnto syre Gryflet / Sythen I haue made yow knyghte thow must yeue me a gyfte / what ye will said Gryflet / thou shalt promyse me by the feythe of thy body whan thou hast Iusted with the kny­ght at the fontayne / whether it falle ye be on foote or on hors­bak / that ryght so ye shal come ageyne vnto me withoute ma­kynge ony more debate / I wyll promyse yow said Gryflet as yow desyre / Thenne toke Gryflet his hors in grete haste / & dressyd his sheld and toke a spere in his hand / and so he rode a grete wallop tyll he cam to the fontayne / and ther by he sawe a ryche pauelion / and ther by vnder a clothe stode a fayr hors wel sadeled and brydeled / and on a tree a shelde of dyuerse colours and a grete spere / Thenne Gryflet smote on the sheld with the bott of his spere that the shylde felle doune to the gro­und / with that the knyght cam oute of the pauelione / & sayd fair knyght why smote ye doune my sheld / for I wil Iuste with yow said gryflet / it is better ye doo not sayd the knyghte for ye are but yong and late made knyght / and your myghte is nothyng to myn / as for that saide Gryflet I wylle Iuste with yow / that is me loth said the knyght / but sythen I muste nedes I wille dresse me therto / of whens be ye sayd the knyȝte syre I am of Arthurs courte / So the two knyghtes ranne to gyder that gryflets spere al to sheuered / and ther with all he smote Gryflet thorowe the sheld & the lyfte syde / and brake the spere that the troncheon stack in his body / that hors and knyghte fylle doune

¶Capitulum xxiij

THan the knyght sawe hym lye soo on the ground / he alyght and was passynge heuy / for he wende he had slayne hym / and thenne he vnlaced his helme and gate hym wynde / and so with the troncheon he set hym on his hors and gate hym wynde / and so bytoke hym to god / and seid he had a myghty hert and yf he myght lyue he wold preue a passynge good knyȝt / & so syr Gryflet rode to the court where grete doole [Page] was made for hym / But thorowe good leches he was heled / and saued / Ryght so cam in to the Courte xij knyȝtes & were aged men / and they cam from themperour of Rome / & they as­ked of Arthur truage for this realme / other els themperour wold destroye hym & his land / wel said kyng Arthur ye are messagers / therfor ye may say what ye wil other els ye shold dye therfore / But this is myn ansuer I owe themperour noo truage nor none will I hold hym / but on a fayr felde I shall yeue hym my truage that shal be with a sharp spere / or els with a sharp swerd / & that shall not be long by my faders sou­le Vtherpendragon / & therwith the messagers departed passyngly wroth / & kyng arthur as wroth / for in euyl tyme cam they thenne / for the kyng was passyngly wroth for the hurte of sir Gryflet / & soo he commaunded a pryuy man of his chambre / that or hit be day his best hors and armour with all that lon­geth vnto his persone be withoute the cyte or to morowe daye Ryght so or to morow day he met With his man and his hors and so mounted vp and dressid his sheld / & toke his spere and had his chamberlayne tary there tyll he came ageyne / And so Arthur wode a softe paas tyll it was day / & thenne was he ware of thre chorles chacynge Merlyn / and wold ha­ue slayne hym / thenne the kyng rode vnto them / and had them flee chorles / thenne were they a ferd whan they sawe a knyght and fled / O Merlyn said Arthur / here haddest thou be slayne for all thy craftes had I not byn / Nay said Merlyn not soo / for I coude saue my self and I wold / and thou arte more nere thy deth than I am for thow gost to the deth ward & god be not thy frend / So as they wente thus talkyng / they came to the fontayne / and the ryche pauelione there by hit / thenne kyng Arthur was ware where sat a knyght armed in a cha­yer / Syr knyght said Arthur / for what cause abydest thow here that ther maye no knyght ryde this wey but yf he Iuste wyth the said the kynge / I rede the leue that custome said Arthur This customme saide the knyght haue I vsed and wille vse magre who saith nay / & who is greued with my custome / lete hym amende hit that wol / I wil amende it said Arthur / I shal defende the said the knyȝt / anon he toke his hors & dressid his shylde & toke a spere & they met so hard either in others sheldes [Page] that al to sheuered their sperys / ther with anone Arthur pul­led oute his swerd / nay not so said the knyght / it is fayrer sayd the knyȝt that we tweyne renne more to gyders with sharp sperys / I wille wel said Arthur and I had ony mo sperys I haue ynow said the knyȝt / so ther cam a squyer and brouȝt ij good sperys / and Arthur chose one & he another / so they spored their horses & cam to gyders with al the myghtes / that eyther brak her speres to her handes / thenne Arthur sette hand on his swerd / nay seid the knyght / ye shal do better / ye are a pas­synge good Iuster as euer I mette with al / & ones for the loue of the hyghe ordre of knyȝthode lete vs Iuste ones ageyn / I assente me said Arthur / anone there were brought two grete spe­rys / and euery knyght gat a spere / and therwith they ranne to gyders that Arthurs spere al to sheuered / But the other knyghte hyt hym so hard in myddes of the shelde / that horse & man felle to the erthe / and ther with Arthur was egre & pul­led oute his swerd / and said I will assay the syr knyghte on foote / for I haue lost the honour on horsbak / I will be on horsbak said the knyght / thenne was Arthur wrothe and dressid his sheld toward hym with his swerd drawen / whan the knyght sawe that / he a lyghte / for hym thought no worship to haue a knyght at suche auaille he to be on horsbak and he on foot and so he alyght & dressid his sheld vnto Arthur & ther begā a strong bataille with many grete strokes / & soo hewe with her swerdes that the cantels flewe in the feldes / and moche blood they bledde bothe / that al the place there as they faught was ouer bledde with blood / and thus they fought long and rested hem / and thenne they wente to the batayl ageyne / and so hurt led to gyders lyke two rammes that eyther felle to the erthe So at the last they smote to gyders that both her swerdys met euen to gyders / But the swerd of the knyght smote kyng ar­thurs swerd in two pyeces / wherfor he was heuy / thenne said the knyghte vnto Arthur / thow arte in my daunger Whether me lyst to saue the or slee the / and but thou yelde the as ouer come and recreaunt / thow shalt deye / as for deth said kyng ar­thur welcome be it whan it cometh / But to yelde me vnto the as recreaunt I had leuer deye than to be soo shamed / And ther with al the kynge lepte vnto Pellinore & tooke hym by [Page] the myddel and threwe hym doune and raced of his helme / whan the knyght felt that / he was adrad / for he was a pas­synge bygge man of myghte / and anone he broughte Arthur vnder hym / and reaced of his helme and wold haue smyten of his hede /

¶Capitulum xxiiij

THer with all came Merlyn and sayd knyghte / hold thy hand / For and thow slee that knyghte thow put test this r [...]ame in the grettest dammage that euer was reame / For this knyght is a man of more worship than thou wotest of / Why / who is he said the knyghte / it is kyng Arthur Thenne wold he haue slayn hym for drede of his wrathe / and heue vp his swerd / and therwith Merlyn cast an enchauntement to the knyghte that he felle to the erthe in a grete slepe / Thenne Merlyn tooke vp kyng Arthur and rode forth on the knyȝtes hors / Allas said Arthur what hast thou done merlyn hast thow slayne this good knyghte by thy craftes / there ly­ueth not soo worshipful a knyghte as he was / I had leuer than the stynte of my land a yere that he were on lyue / care ye not sayd Merlyn / for he is holer than ye / for he is but on slepe and will awake within thre houres / I told you said Merlyn what a knyghte he was / Here had ye be slayn had I not ben Also ther lyueth not a bygger knyght than he is one / and he shal here after do yow ryght gaod seruyse & his name is Pel­linore / and he shal haue two sones that shal be passyng good men sauf one / they shalle haue no felawe of prowesse and of good lyuynge / and her names shal be Persyual of walys / & Lamerak of walis / & he shal telle yow the name of your own sone bygoten of your syster that shal be the destruction of alle this royame

¶Capitulum xxv

RYghte so the kyng and he departed & wente vn tyl an ermyte that was a good man and a grete leche / Soo the heremyte serched all his woundys & gaf hym good salues so the kyng was there thre dayes & thenne were his woundes wel amendyd that he myght ryde and goo / & so departed / & as they rode Arthur said I haue no swerd / no force said Merlyn here by is a swerd that shalle be yours and I may / Soo they rode tyl they came to a lake the whiche was a fayr water / and brood / And in the myddes of the lake Arthur was ware of [Page] an arme clothed in whyte samyte / that held a fayr swerd in that hand / loo said Merlyn yonder is that swerd that I spak of / with that they sawe a damoisel goyng vpon the lake / what damoysel is that said Arthur / that is the lady of the lake said Merlyn / And within that lake is a roche / and theryn is as fayr a place as ony on erthe and rychely besene / and this da­moysell wylle come to yow anone / and thenne speke ye fayre to her that she will gyue yow that swerd / Anone with all ca­me the damoysel vnto Arthur / and salewed hym / and he her ageyne / Damoysel said Arthur / what swerd is that / that yon­der the arme holdeth aboue the water / I wold it were myne / for I haue no swerd / Syr Arthur kynge said the damoysell / that swerd is myn / And yf ye will gyue me a yefte whan I aske it yow / ye shal haue it by my feyth said Arthur / I will yeue yow what yefte ye will aske / wel said the damoisel go ye in to yonder large / & rowe your self to the swerd / and take it / and scaubart with yow / & I will aske my yefte whan I see my tyme / So syr Arthur & merlyn alyght & tayed the­ir horses to two trees / & so they went in to the ship / & whanne they came to the swerd that the hand held / syre Arthur toke it vp by the handels / & toke it with hym / & the arme & the hād went vnder the water / & so come vnto the lond & rode forth / & thēne syr Arthur sawe a ryche pauelion / what sygnyfyeth yō der pauelion / y ^t is y ^e knyȝtes pauelion seid merlyn y ^t ye fouȝt with last / syr Pellinore / but he is out / he is not there / he hath a doo with a knyght of yours that hyght Egglame / & they ha­ue fouȝten to gyder / but at the last Egglame fledde and els he had ben dede / & he hath chaced hym euen to Carlyon / and we shal mete with hym anon in the hygh wey / that is wel sayd / said Arthur / now haue I a swerd / now wille I wage bata­ill with hym & be auenged on hym / sir ye shal not so said Merlyn / for the knyght is wery of fyghtyng & chacyng so that ye shal haue no worship to haue a do with hym / Also he will not be lyȝtly matched of one knyȝt lyuyng / & therfor it is my co­unceil / lete hym passe / for he shal do you good seruyse in shorte tyme & his sones after his dayes / Also ye shal see that day in short space ye shal be riȝt glad to yeue him your sister to wedde whan I see hym I wil doo as ye aduyse me sayd Arthur [Page] Thenne syre Arthur loked on the swerd / and lyked it pas­synge wel / whether lyketh yow [...]etter sayd Merlyn the suerd or the scaubard / Me lyketh better the swerd sayd Arthur / ye are more vnwyse sayd Merlyn / for the scaubard is worth x of the swerdys / for whyles ye haue the scaubard vpon yow / ye shalle neuer lefe no blood / be ye neuer so sore wounded therfor kepe wel the scaubard alweyes with yow / so they rode vnto Carlyon / and by the wey they met with syr Pellinore / but Merlyn had done suche a crafte / that pellinore sawe not Ar­thur / and he past by withoute ony wordes / I merueylle sayd Arthur that the knyght wold not speke / syr said Merlyn / be sawe yow not / for and he had sene yow ye had not lyghtly departed / Soo they come vnto Carlyon / wherof his knygh­tes were passynge glad / And whanne they herd of his auen­tures / they merueilled that he wold ieoparde his persone soo al one / But alle men of worship said it was mery to be vnder suche a chyuetayne that wolde put his persone in auenture as other poure knyghtes dyd /

¶Capitulum xxvij

THis meane whyle came a messager from kynge Ry­ons of Northwalys / And kynge he was of all Ire­land and of many Iles / And this was his message gre­tynge wel kynge Arthur in this manere wyse sayenge / that kynge Ryons had discomfyte and ouercome xj kynges / and eueryche of hem did hym homage / and that was this / they gaf hym their berdys clene flayne of / as moche as ther was / wher for the messager came for kyng Arthurs berd / For kyng Ryons had purfyled a mantel with kynges berdes / and there lacked one place of the mantel / wherfor he sente for his berd or els he wold entre in to his landes / and brenne and slee / & neuer leue tyl he haue the hede and the berd / wel sayd Arthur thow hast said thy message / the whiche is the most vylaynous and lewdest message that euer man herd sente vnto a kynge / Also thow mayst see / my berd is ful yong yet to make a purfyl of hit / But telle thow thy kynge this / I owe hym none homage / ne none of myn elders / but or it be longe to / he shall do me homage on bothe his kneys / or els he shall lese his hede by the feith of my body / for this is the most shamefullest message [Page] that euer I herd speke of / I haue aspyed / thy kyng met ne­uer yet with worshipful man / but telle hym / I wyll haue his hede withoute he doo me homage / thenne the messager departed ¶Now is there ony here said Arthur that knoweth kyng Ryons / thenne ansuerd a knyght that hyght Naram / Syre I knowe the kynge wel / he is a passyng good man of his body / as f [...]we ben lyuynge / and a passyng prowde man / and sir doubte ye not / he wille make warre on yow with a myghty puyssa­unce / wel said Arthur I shall ordeyne for hym in short tyme

¶Capitulum xxviij

THēne kyng arthur lete sende for al the childrē born on may day begotē of lordes & born of ladyes / for Merlyn told kynge Arthur that he that shold destroye hym / shold be borne in may day / wherfor he sent for hem all vpon payn of deth and so ther were founde many lordes sones / and all were sente vnto the kynge / and soo was Mordred sente by kyng Lotts wyf / and all were put in a ship to the see / and some were iiij wekes old and some lasse / And so by fortune the shyp drofe vnto a castel and was al to ryuen and destroyed the most part sauf that Mordred was cast vp and a good man fonde hym / and nourysshed hym tyl he was xiiij yere olde / & thenne he brought hym to the Court / as it reherceth afterward toward the ende of the deth of Arthur / So many lordes and barons of this reame were displeasyd / for her children were so lost / and many put the wyte on Merlyn more than on Arthur / so what for drede and for loue they helde their pees / But whanne the messager came to kynge Ryons / thenne was he woode oute of mesure and purueyed hym for a grete hoost as it rehercyth af­ter in the book of Balyn [...]e sa [...]age that foloweth next after / how by aduenture Balyn gat the swerd

AFter the dethe of Vtherpendragon regned Ar­thur his sone / the whiche had grete werre in his dayes for to gete al Englond in to his hand / For there were many kynges within the real­me of Englond and in walys / Scotland and Cornewaille / Soo it befelle on a tyme / whanne kyng Arthur [Page] was at London ther came a knyght and tolde the kynge ty­dynges how that the kynge Ryons of Northwalys had rered a grete nombre of peple / and were entryd in to the land and brente and slewe the kynges true liege peple / yf this be true said Arthur / it were grete shame vnto myn estate / but that he were myghtely withstand / it is trouthe sayd the knyghte / for I sawe the hoost my self / wel saide the kynge / lete make a crye / that all the lordes knyghtes and gentylmen of armes shold drawe vnto a castel called Camelot in tho dayes / and ther the kynge wold lete make a counceil general and a grete Iustes So whan the kynge was come thyder with all his baronage and lodged as they semed best / ther was come a damoisel the whiche was sente on message from the grete lady lylle of aue­lyon / And whan she came bifore kynge Arthur / she told from whome she came / and how she was sent on message vnto hym for these causes Thenne she lete her mantel falle that was ry­chely furred / And thenne was she gyrd with a noble swerd wherof the kynge had merueill / and said Damoysel for what cause are ye gyrd with that swerd / it bisemeth yow not / Now shall I telle yow said the damoysel / This swerd that I am gyrd with al doth me grete sorowe and comberaunce / for I may not be delyuerd of this swerd / but by a knyghte / but he must be a passyng good man of his handes and of his dedes and withoute vylonye or trecherye and withoute treason / And yf I may fynde suche a knyghte that hath alle these vertues / he may drawe onte this swerd oute of the shethe / for I haue ben at kyng Ryons / it was told me ther were passyng good knyghtes / and he and alle his knyghtes haue assayed it and none can spede / This is a grete merueill said Arthur / yf this be sothe / I wille my self assaye to drawe oute the swerd / not presumynge vpon my self that I am the best knyghte / but that I will begynne to drawe at your swerd in gyuyng example to alle the Barons that they shall assay euerychone after other whan I haue assayed it / Thenne Arthur toke the swerd by the shethe and by the gyrdel and pulled at it egrely / but the swerd wold not oute / ¶Sire seid the damoysell ye ne­de not to pulle half so hard / for he that shall pulle it out shal do it with lytel myghte / ye say wel said Arthur / Now assaye [Page] ye al my barons / but beware ye be not defoyled with shame trechery ne gyle / thenne it wille not auaylle sayd the damoysell / for he must be a clene knyght withoute vylony and of a gentil strene of fader syde and moder syde / Moost of all the barons of the round table that were there at that tyme assayed alle by rewe / but ther myght none spede / wherfor the damoysel made grete sorow oute of mesure and sayd Allas I wende in this Courte had ben the best knyghtes withoute trechery or treson / By my feythe sayth Arthur here are good knyghtes as I de­me as ony ben in the world / but theyr grace is not to helpe yow / wherfor I am displeasyd

¶Capitulum ij

THenne felle hit soo that tyme / ther was a poure kny­ght with kynge Arthur / that had byn prysoner with hym half a yere & more for sleynge of a knyghte / the whiche was cosyn vnto kynge Arthur / the name of this kny­ght was called Balen / and by good meanes of the barons he was delyuerd oute of pryson / for he was a good man na­med of his body / and he was borne in northumberland / and soo he wente pryuely in to the Courte / and sawe this aduen­ture / wherof hit reysed his herte / and wolde assaye it as other knyghtes dyd / but for he was poure and pourely arayed he put hym not ferre in prees / But in his herte he was fully assured to doo as wel yf his grace happed hym as ony knyght that there was / And as the damoysel toke her leue of Arthur and of alle the barons so departyng / this knyght Balen called vnto her and sayd Damoysel I praye yow of your cur­tosy / suffre me as wel to assay as these lordes though that I be so po [...]rely clothed / in my herte me semeth I am fully assu­red as somme of these other / And me semeth in my herte to spede ryght wel / The damoysel beheld the poure knyght / and sawe he was a lykely man / but for his poure arrayment she thoughte he shold be of no worship withoute vylonye or tre­chery / And thēne she sayd vnto the knyght / sir it nedeth not to put me to more payn or labour / for it semeth not yow to spede there as other haue failled / A fayr Damoysel said Balen worthynes and good tatches and good dedes are not only in arrayment / but manhood and worship is hyd within mans persone and many a worshipful knyghte is not knowen vnto [Page] alle people / and therfore worship and hardynesse is not in arayment / By god sayd the damoysel ye say sothe / therfor ye shal assaye to do what ye may / Thenne Balen took the swerd by the gyrdel and shethe / and drewe it out easyly / and when he loked on the swerd hit pleasyd hym moche / thenne had the kynge and alle the barons grete merueille that Balen hadde done that auenture / many knyghtes had grete despyte of Balen / Certes said the damoysel / this is a passynge good knyght and the best that euer I found and moost of worship with­oute treson / trechery or vylony / and many merueylles shalle he do / Now gentyl and curtois knyght yeue me the swerd ayene nay said Balen / for this swerd wylle I kepe but it be taken from me with force / wel saide the damoysel ye are not wyse to kepe the swerd from me / for ye shalle slee with the swerd the best frende that ye haue and the man that ye moste loue in the world / and the swerd shalle be your destruction / I shal take the aduenture sayd Balen that god wille ordeyne me / but the swerd ye shalle not haue at this tyme by the feythe of my bo­dy / ye shalle repente hit within short tyme sayd the damoysel / For I wold haue the swerd more for your auaylle than for myne / for I am passyng heuy for your sake / For ye wil not byleue that swerd shal be youre destruction / and that is grete pyte / with that the damoysel departed makynge grete sorowe / Anone after Balen sente for his hors and armour / and soo wold departe fro the Courte and toke his leue of kynge Ar­thur / nay sayd the kynge I suppose ye wyll not departe so liȝ­tely fro this felauship / I suppose ye are displeased that I ha­ue shewed yow vnkyndenes / Blame me the lasse / for I was mys senformed ageynst yow / but I wende ye had not ben suche a knyght as ye are of worship and prowesse / and yf ye wyll abyde in this courte among my felauship / I shalle so auaun­ce yow as ye shalle be pleased / god thanke your hyhenes said Balen / your bounte and hyhenes may no man preyse half to the valewe / but at this tyme I must nedes departe / bysechyng yow alwey of your good grace / Truly said the kynge I am ryght wrothe for your departyng / I pray yow faire knyghte / that ye tary not long / and ye shal be ryght welcome to me / & to my barons / and I shalle amende all mysse that I haue [Page] done ageynst yow / god thanke your grete lordship said Ba­len / and therwith made hym redy to departe / Thenne the moost party of the knyghtes of the round table sayd that Balen did not this auenture al only by myghte but by wytchecraft

¶Capitulum Tercium

THe meane whyle that this knyght was makyng hym redy to departe / there came in to the Court a lady that hyght the lady of the lake / And she came on horsbak rychely bysene / and salewed kynge Arthur / and there asked hym a yefte that he promysed her whan she gaf hym the swerd / that is sothe said Arthur / a gyfte I promysed yow / but I haue forgoten the name of my swerd that ye gaue me / The name of it said the lady is Excalibur that is as moche to say as cut stele / ye saye wel saide the kynge / Aske what ye wil and ye shall haue it / and hit lye in my power to yeue hit / wel sayd the lady / I aske the heede of the knyghte that hath wonne the swerd / or els the damoysels heede that broughte hit / I take no force though I haue bothe their hedes / for he slewe my broder a good knyȝte and a true / and that gentilwoman was causar of my faders deth / Truly said kynge Arthur I maye not graunte neyther of her hedes with my worship / therfor aske what ye wille els / and I shall fulfille your desyre / I wil aske none other thyng said the lady / whan Balyn was redy to departe he sawe the lady of the lake that by her menes had slayne Balyns moder and he had soughte her thre yeres / and whan it was told hym that she asked his hede of kynge Ar­thur he went to her streyte and said euyl be you foūde / ye wold haue my hede / and therfore ye shall lese yours / and with hys swerd lyghtly he smote of hir hede before kynge Arthur / al­las for shame sayd Arthur why haue ye done so / ye haue sha­med me and al my Courte / for this was a lady that I was be holden to / and hyther she came vnder my sauf conduyte / I shalle neuer foryeue you that trespas / Sir said Balen me for thynketh of your displeasyr / for this same lady was the vn­truest lady lyuynge / and by enchauntement and sorssery she hath ben the destroyer of many good knyghtes / and she was causer that my moder was brente thorow her falshede and tre­chery / what cause soo euer ye had said Arthur ye shold haue [Page] forborne her in my presence / therfor thynke not the contrary ye shalle repente it / for suche another despyte had I neuer in my Courte / therfor withdrawe yow oute of my Courte in al hast that ye may / Thenne Balen toke vp the heed of the lady and bare it with hym to his hostry / and there he met with his squyer that was sory he had displeasyd kyng Arthur / and so they rode forth oute of the town / Now said Balen we must depar­te / take thow this hede and bere it to my frendys / and telle hem how I haue sped / and telle my frendys in Northumberland that my most foo is deed / Also telle hem how I am oute of pryson / and what auēture befelle me at the getyng of this swerd Allas said the squyar ye are gretely to blame for to displease kyng Arthur / as for that said Balen I wylle hyhe me in al the hast that I may to mete with kynge Ryons and destroye hym eyther els to dye therfor / and yf it may happe me to wyn­ne hym / thenne wille kynge Arthur be my good and gracious lord / where shall I mete with yow saide the squyer / in kynge Arthurs Court said Balen / so his squyer and he departed at that tyme / thenne kynge Arthur and alle the Court made grete doole and had shame of the deth of the lady of the lake thenne the kyng buryed her rychely

¶Cpitulum iiij

AT that tyme ther was a knyghte / the whiche was the kynges sone of Irelond and his name was Launce­or / the whiche was an orgulous knyȝt / and counted hym self one of the best of the Courte / and he had grete despyte at Ba­len for the encheuynge of the swerd that ony shold be acoun­ted more hardy or more of prowesse / and he asked kynge Arthur yf he wold gyue hym leue to ryde after Balen and to reuenge the despyte that he had done / Doo your best said Arthur I am right wroth said Balen I wold he were quyte of the despyte that he hath done to me and to my Courte / Thenne this Launceor wente to his hostry to make hym redy / In the meane whyle cam Merlyn vnto the Court of kyng Arthur and there was told hym the aduenture of the swerd and the deth of the lady of the lake / Now shall I saye yow said Merlyn / this same damoysel that here standeth that broughte the swerde vnto your Court / I shalle telle yow the cause of her comynge / she was the falsest damoysel that lyueth / say not so said they / She [Page] hath a broder a passynge good knyght of prowesse and a ful true man / and this damoysel loued another knyght that helde her to peramour / and this good knyght her broder mett with the knyght that held her to peramour and slewe hym by force of his handes / whan this fals damoysel vnderstood thys / she wente to the lady lyle of Auelione / and besought her of help / to be auengyd on her owne broder

¶Capitulum quintum

ANd so this lady lyle of Auelion toke her this swerd that she broughte with her / and told there shold noo man pulle it oute of the shethe but yf he be one of the best knyghtes of this reame / and he shold be hard and ful of prowesse / and with that swerd he shold slee her broder / this was the cause that the damoysel came in to this Courte / I knowe it as wel as ye / wolde god she had nat comen in to thys Courte / but she came neuer in felauship of worship to do go­od but alweyes grete harme / and that knyght that hath encheued the suerd shal be destroyed by that suerd / for the whiche wil be grete dommage / for ther lyueth not a knyȝt of more prowesse than he is / and he shalle do vnto yow my lord Arthur grete honour and kyndenesse / and it is grete pyte he shall not endure but a whyle / for of his strengthe and hardynesse I knowe not his matche lyuynge / Soo the knyght of Irelonde armed hym at al poyntes / and dressid his shelde on his sholder and mounted vpon horsback and toke his spere in his hand / and rode after a grete paas as moche as his hors myght goo / and within a lytel space on a montayne he had a syghte of Ba­lyn / and with a lowde voys he cryed abyde knyght / for ye shal abyde whether ye will or nyll / and the sheld that is to fore you shalle not helpe / whan Balyn herd the noyse / he tourned his hors fyersly / and saide faire knyghte what wille ye with me / wille ye Iuste with me / ye said the Iryss [...]e knyghte / therfor co­me I after yow / parauenture said Balyn it had ben better to haue hold yow at home / for many a man weneth to putte his enemy to a rebuke / and ofte it falleth to hym self / of what co­urte be ye sente fro said Balyn / I am come fro the Courte of kynge Arthur sayd the knyghte of Irlond / that come hy­der for to reuenge the despyte ye dyd this day to kyng arthur [Page] and to his courte / wel said Balyn / I see wel I must haue adoo with yow that me forthynketh for to greue kyng arthur or ony of his courte / and your quarel is ful symple said Balyn vnto me / for the lady that is dede / dyd me grete domma­ge & els wold I haue ben lothe as ony knyghte that lyueth for to slee a lady / Make yow redy sayd the knyght launceor / and dresse yow vnto me / for that one shalle abyde in the feld thenne they toke their speres / and cam to gyders as moche as their horses myght dryue / and the Irysshe knyght smote Ba­lyn on the sheld that alle wente sheuers of his spere / & Ba­lyn hyt hym thorugh the sheld / and the hauberk perysshed / & so percyd thurgh his body and the hors croppe / and anon tor­ned his hors fyersly and drewe oute his swerd and wyste not that he had slayn hym / and thenne he sawe hym lye as a dede corps

¶Capitulum vj

THenne he loked by hym and was ware of a damoysel that came ryde ful fast as the hors myghte ryde on a fayr palfroy / and whan she aspyed that launceor was slayne / she made sorowe oute of mesure and sayd O Balyn two bodyes thou hast slayne and one herte and two hertes in one body / and two soules thow hast lost / And therwith she toke the swerd from her loue that lay ded and fylle to the ground in a swowne / And whan she aroos she made grete dole out of mesure / the whiche sorowe greued Balyn passyngly sore / and he wente vnto her for to haue taken the swerd oute of her hād but she helde it so fast / he myghte not take it oute of her hand onles he shold haue hurte her / and sodenly she sette the pomell to the ground / and rofe her self thorow the body / whan balyn aspyed her dedes he was passynge heuy in his herte and asha­med that so fair a damoysell had destroyed her self for the loue of his deth / Allas said Balyn me repēteth sore the deth of this knyght for the loue of this damoysel / for ther was moche true loue betwixe them bothe / and for sorowe myght not lenger be­hold hym but torned his hors and loked toward a grete forest and ther he was ware by the armes of his broder Balan / and whan they were mette they putte of her helmes and kyssed to gyders and wepte for ioye and pyte / Thenne Balan sayd / I [Page] lytel wende to haue met with yow at this sodayne auenture / I am ryght glad of your delyueraunce and of youre dolorous prysonement / for a mā told me in the / castel of four stones that ye were delyuerd / & that man had sene you in the court of ky­nge Arthur / & therfor I cam hyder in to this countrey / for he­re I supposed to fynde you / anon the knyȝt balyn told his bro­der of his aduenture of the swerd & of the deth of the lady of the lake / & how kyng arthur was displeasyd with hym wher­for he sente this knyȝt after me that lyeth here dede / & the dethe of this damoysel greueth me sore / so doth it me said Balan / but ye must take the aduenture that god wil ordeyne yow / Tru­ly said Balyn I am ryght heuy that my lord Arthur is dis­pleasyd with me / for he is the moost worshipful knyght that regneth now on erthe / & his loue will I gete or els I wil put my lyf in auenture / for the kyng Ryons lyeth at a syege atte castel Tarabil & thyder will we drawe in all hast to preue our worship & prowesse vpon hym / I wil wel said Balan that we do & we wil helpe eche other as bretheren ouȝt to do /

¶Ca vij

NOw go we hens said balyn & wel be we met / the me­ne whyle as they talked ther cam a dwarf from the cyte of camelot on horsbak as moche as he myght & foūd the dede bodyes / wherfor he made grete dole & pulled out his here for sorou & saide which of you knyȝtes haue done this dede / where by askest thou it said balan / for I wold wete it said the dwarfe / it was I said balyn that slewe this knyght in my de­fendaūt for hyder he cam to chaace me & other I must sle [...] hym or he me / & this damoysel slewe her self for his loue whiche repenteth me / & for her sake I shal owe al wymmen the better lo­ue / Allas said the dwarf thow hast done grete dommage vnto thy self / for this knyght that is here dede was one of the most [...]alyaunts men that lyued / and trust wel balyn the kynne of this knyght wille chace yow thorowe the world tyl they haue slayne yow / As for that sayd Balyn I fere not gretely / but I am ryght heuy that I haue displeasyd my lord kyng ar­thur for the deth of this knyght / Soo as they talked to gy­ders there came a kynge of Cornewaille rydynge / the whi [...]he hyghte kynge Mark / ¶ And whanne he sawe these two bodyes dede and vnderstood hou they were dede by the ij knyghtes [Page] and so leyd hym on on hors lyttar / with that Merlyn was vanysshed and came to kyng Arthur afore hand & told hym how his most enemy was taken and discomfyted / by whome said kynge Arthur / by two knyghtes said Merlyn that wold please your lordship / and to morowe ye shalle knowe what knyghtes they are / Anone after cam the knyght with the two swerdes and balan his broder / and brought with hem kynge Ryons of Northwalys and there delyuerd hym to the porters and charged hem with hym / & soo they two retorned ageyne in the daunyng of the day / kynge Arthur cam thenne to kyng Ryons and said Syr kynge ye are welcome / by what auen­ture come ye hyder / syr said kyng Ryons I cam hyther by an hard auenture / who wanne yow said kyng Arthur / syre said the kyng the knyght with the two swerdes & his broder whi­che are two merueillous knyghtes of prowesse / I knowe hem not sayd arthur but moche I am beholden to them / A said merlyn I shal telle yow it is balen that encheued the swerd & his broder balan a good knyght / ther lyueth not a better of pro­wesse & of worthynesse / and it shal be the grettest dole of hym that euer I knewe of knyght / for he shalle not long endure / Allas saide kynge Arthur that is grete pyte for I am moche beholdyng vnto hym / & I haue yll deserued it vnto hym for his kyndenes / nay said Merlyn he shal do moche more for yow / and that shal ye knowe in hast / but syr are ye purueyed said Merlyn for to morne the hooste of New kynge Ryons broder wille sette on yow or none with a grete hoost and therfor make yow redy for I wyl departe from yow

¶Capitulum x

THenne kyng Arthur made redy his hoost in x batails and New was redy in the felde afore the castel Ta­rabil with a grete hoost / & he had x batails with many mo peple than Arthur had / Thenne New had the vaward with the moost party of his peple / & merlyn cam to kyng lot of the yle of Orkeney / and helde hym with a tale of prophecye til New and his peple were destroyed / & ther syr kay the sencyal dyd passyngly wel that the dayes of his lyf the worship went ne­uer frō hym & sir heruys de reuel did merueillous dedes with [Page] with kynge Arthur / and kynge Arthur slewe that daye xx knyghtes & maymed xl / At that tyme cam in the knyȝte with the two swerdys and his broder Balan / But they two did so merueillously that the kynge and alle the knyghtes mer­ueilled of them / and alle they that behelde them said they we­re sente from heuen as aungels or deuyls from helle / & kynge Arthur said hym self they were the best knyghtes that euer he sawe / for they gaf suche strokes that all men had wōder of hem In the meane whyle came one to kynge Lott and told hym / whyle he taryed there new was destroyed and slayne with al his peple / Allas sayd kynge Lot I am ashamed / for by my defaute ther is many a worshipful man slayne / for and we had ben to gyders there hadde ben none hooste vnder the heuen that had ben abel for to haue matched with vs / This fayter with his prophecye hath mocked me / Al that dyd Merlyn for he knewe wel that and kyng Lot had ben with his body there at the fyrst bataille / kynge Arthur had be slayne / and alle his peple destroyed / & wel Merlyn knewe the one of the kynges shold be dede that day / & loth was Merlyn that ony of them both sholde be slayne / But of the tweyne / he had leuer kyng Lotte had be slayne than kynge Arthur / Now what is best to doo sayd kyng Lot of Orkeney whether is me better to treate with kynge Arthur or to fyghte / for the gretter party of oure pe­ple are slayne / and destroyed / Syr said a knyght set on arthur for they are wery and forfoughten and we be fresshe / As for me sayd kyng Lot I wolde euery knyght wolde do his parte as I wold doo myn / And thenne they auaunced baners and smoten to gyders and al to sheuered their speres / and arthurs knyghtes with the helpe of the knyght with two swerdes & his broder balan put kyng lot & his hoost to the werre / But alweyes kyng Lot helde hym in the formest frunte & dyd merueillous dedes of armes / for alle his hooste was borne vp by his handes for he abode al knyghtes / allas he myght not endure the whiche was grete pyte that so worthy a knyyt as he was one shold be ouermatched that of late tyme afore hadde ben a knyght of kyng Arthurs & wedded the sister of kyng arthur & for kyng Arthur lay by kyng lots wyf the whiche was ar­thurs syster & gat on her Mordred / therfor kyng lot held ayēst [Page] Arthur / So ther was a knyght that was called the knyghte with the straunge beeste / and at that tyme his ryght name was called Pellinore / the whiche was a good man of pro­wesse / and he smote a myghty stroke att kynge Lot as he fo­ught with all his enemyes / and he fayled of his stroke / and smote the hors neck that he fylle to the grounde with kyng lot And therwith anon Pellinore smote hym a grete stroke tho­row the helme & hede vnto the browes & thenne alle the hooste of Orkeney fled for the deth of kynge Lott / and there were slayn many moders sones / But kynge Pellinore bare the wy­tte of the deth of kynge Lot / wherfore syr Gawayne reuenged the deth of his fader the x yere after he was made knyght and slewe kynge Pellinore with his owne handes / Also there we­re slayne at that bataille xij kynges on the syde of kyng Lot with New / and alle were buryed in the chirche of saynt Steuyns in Camelot / and the remenaunt of knyghtes and of o­ther were buryed in a grete roche

¶Capitulum xj

SO at the enterement cam kynge Lots wyf Morgause with her foure sones Gawayne / Agrauayne / Gaherys and Gareth / Also ther came thyder kyng Vryens syr Ewayns fader and Morgan le fay his wyf that was kyng Arthurs syster / Alle these cam to the enterement / but of alle these xij kynges kyng Arthur lete make the tombe of kynge Lot passyng rychely / and made his tombe by his owne / and thenne Arthur lete make xij ymages of laton and couper / & ouer gylt hit with gold in the sygne of xij kynges / & echon of hem helde a tapyr of wax that brent day and nyȝt / & kyng Arthur was made in sygne of a fygure standynge aboue hem with a swerd drawen in his hand / & alle the xij fygures had countenaunce lyke vnto men that were ouercome / All this made Merlyn by his subtyl craf [...]e and ther he told the kyng whā I am dede / these tapers shalle brenne no lenger / and soone af­ter the aduentures of the Sangrayll shalle come among yow and be encheued / Also he told Arthur how Balyn the wor­shipful knyght shal gyue the dolourous stroke / wherof shalle falle grete vengeaunce / O where is Balen & Balan & Pelli­nore saide kynge Arthur / as for Pellinore sayd Merlyn / he wyl mete with yow soone / ¶ And as for Balyn [Page] he wille not be longe from yow / but the other broder wil departe ye shalle see hym no more / By my feyth said Arthur they are two merueyllous knyghtes / and namely Balyn passeth of prowesse of ony knyghte that euer I found / for moche be holden am I vnto hym / wold god he wold abyde with me / Syr sayd Merlyn loke ye kepe wel the scaubard of Excali­bur / for ye shalle lese no blood whyle ye haue the scauberd vpon yow though ye haue as many woundes vpon yow as ye may haue / Soo after for grete trust Arthur betoke the scau­berd to Morgan le fay his syster / and she loued another knyght better than her husband kynge Vryens or kynge Arthur And she wold haue had Arthur her broder slayne / And therfor she lete make another scauberd lyke it by enchauntement and gaf the scauberd Excalibur to her loue / and the knyghtes name was called Accolon that after had nere slayne kyng arthur / After this Merlyn told vnto kynge Arthur of the pro­phecye / that there shold be a grete batail besyde Salysbury and Mordred his owne sone sholde be ageynste hym / Also he tolde hym that Basdemegus was his cosyn and germayn vnto ky­nge Vryence

¶Capitulum xij

WYthm a daye or two kynge Arthur was somwhat se­ke / and he lete pytche his pauelione in a medowe / & there he leyd hym doune on a paylet to slepe / but he myght haue no rest / Ryght so he herd a grete noyse of an hors and therwith the kynge loked oute at the porche of the pauelione / and sawe a knyght comynge euen by hym makyng grete dole Abyde fair syr said Arthur / & telle me wherfor thow makest this sorowe / ye maye lytel amend me said the knyghte and soo passed forthe to the castel of Melyot / A none after ther cam balen / and whan he sawe kynge Arthur / he alyght of his hors / and cam to the kynge on foote / and salewed hym / by my hede saide Arthur ye be welcome / Sire ryght now cam rydynge this way a knyght makynge grete moorne / for what cause I can not telle / wlerfor I wold desyre of yow of your curtosye and of your gentylnesse to fetche ageyne that knyght / eyther by force or els by his good wil / I wil do more for your lordship than that said balyn / and so he rode more than a paas and found the knyght with a damoysel in a forest & said sir knyȝt [Page] ye must come with me vnto kynge Arthur for to telle hym of your sorow / that wille I not / sayd the knyghte / for hit wylle scathe me gretely / and do yow none auaylle / syr sayd Balyn I pray yow make yow redy for ye must goo with me / or els I must fyghte with yow and brynge yow by force / and that were me both to doo / wylle ye be my Waraunt said the knyght and I goo with yow / ye saide Balyn or els I wylle deye therfore / And so he made hym redy to go with Balyn / and lefte the damoysel stylle / And as they were euen afore kynge Arthurs pauelione / there came one inuysybel and smote thys knyghte that wente with Balyn thorow oute the body wyth a spere / Allas sayd the knyght I am slayne vnder youre cō ­duyt with a knyght called Garlon / therfor take my hors that is better than yours and ryde to the damoysel and folowe the quest that I Was in / as she wylle lede yow and reuenge my deth whan ye may / That shalle I doo sayd Balyn / and that I make a vowe vnto knygthode / and so he departed from thys knyghte with grete sorowe / Soo kyng Arthur lete berye thys knyght rychely / and made a mensyon on his tombe / how there was slayne Herlews le berbeus / and by whome the trechery was done the knyght garlon / But euer the damoysel bare the truncheon of the spere with her that syr Harlews was slayn with al

¶Capitulum xiij

SO Balyn and the damoysel rode in to a forest / & ther met with a knyght that had ben on huntynge / and that knyght asked Balyn for what cause he made so grete so­rowe / me lyst not to telle yow saide Balyn / Now saide the knyghte and I were armed as ye be I wolde fyghte wyth yow / that shold lytel nede sayd Balyn / I am not aferd to telle yow / and told hym alle the cause how it was A sayd the knyght is this al / Here I ensure yow by the feithe of my bo­dy neuer to departe from yow whyle my lyf lasteth / & soo they wente to the hostry and armed hem / and so rode forth with balyn / And as they came by an heremytage euen by a Chyrcheyerd / ther cam the knyghte garlon inuysybel and smote thys knyghte Peryn de mountebeliard thurgh the body with a spe­re / Allas saide the knyghte I am slayne by this traytoure [Page] knyghte that rydeth Inuysyble / Allas said balyn it is not the fyrst despyte he hath done me / and there the heremyte and Ba­lyn beryed the knyght vnder a ryche stone and a tombe royal And on the morne they fond letters of gold / wryten / how syr Gaweyn shalle reuenge his faders deth kynge Lot / on the kynge Pellinore / Anone after this balyn and the damoysel rode tyl they came to a castel and there balyn alyghte / and he and the damoysel wende to goo in to the castel / and anone as balyn came within the castels yate the portroolys fylle doune at his bak / and there felle many men about the damoysel / and wold haue slayne her / whan balyn sawe that / he was sore a­greued / for he myghte not helpe the damoysel / and thenne he wente vp in to the toure and lepte ouer the wallys in to the dyche / and hurte hym not / and anone he pulled oute his suerd and wold haue fouȝten with hem / and they all sayd nay they wold not fyghte with hym / for they dyd no thyng but thold custome of the castel / and told hym how her lady was seke / & had layne many yeres / and she myghte not be hole but yf she had a dysshe of syluer ful of blood of a clene mayde & a kyn­ges doughter / and therfore the custome of this castel is / there shalle no damoysel passe this way but she shal blede of her blo­od in a syluer dysshe ful / wel said balyn she shal blede as moche as she may blede / but I wille not lese the lyf of her why­les my lyf lasteth / & soo balyn made her to blede by her good will / but her blood halpe not the lady / and so he & she rested there al nyght / & had there ryght good chere / and on the morn they passed on their wayes / And as it telleth after in the sangraylle that syre Percyualis syster halpe that lady with her blood wherof she was dede

¶Capitulum xiiij

THenne they rode thre or foure dayes and neuer mette with aduenture / and by happe they were lodged with a gentyll man that was a ryche man and well at ease / And as they sat at her souper balyn herd ouer complayne greuous­ly by hym in a chayer / what is this noyse said balen / forsothe said his hoost I wylle telle yow / I was but late att a Iust­ynge / and there I Iusted with a knyghte that is broder vnto kynge Pellam / and twyes smote I hym doune / & thenne [Page] he promysed to quyte me on my best frynde / and so he woun­ded my sone that can not be hole tyll I haue of that knyghtes blood / and he rydeth alwey Inuysyble / but I knowe not his name / A sayd Balyn / I knowe that knyght / his name is Garlon / he hath slayne two knyghtes of myn in the same ma­ner / therfor I had leuer mete with that knyght than alle the gold in this realme / for the despyte he hath done me / wel said his ooste I shalle telle yow kynge Pellam of lystyneyse hath made do crye in all this countrey a grete feest that shal be with in these xx dayes / & no knyght may come ther but yf he bryn­ge his wyf wyth hym / or his peramour / & that knyȝte youre e­nemy and myn ye shalle see that daye / Thenne I behote yow sayd Balyn parte of his blood to hele youre sone with alle / we wille be forward to morne sayd his oost / So on the morne they rode all thre toward Pellam / and they had xv dayes Io­urney or they cam thyder / and that same day began the greete feeste / and soo they alyght and stabled theyr horses / & went in to the Castel / but balyns oost myght not be lete in by cause he had no lady / thenne Balyn was wel receyued & brought vnto a chamber and vnarmed hym / and there were brought hym robes to his pleasyr / and wold haue had Balen leue his swerd behynde hym Nay sayd Balen that doo I not for it is the customme of my Countrey a knyghte alweyes to ke­pe his wepen with hym and that customme wylle I kepe / or els I wyll departe as I cam / thenne they gaf hym leue to were his swerd / and so he wente vnto the castel / and was sette amonge knyghtes of worship and his lady afore hym / Soo­ne balyn asked a knyght / is ther not a knyghte in this court whos name is Garlon / yonder he goth sayd a knyght / he with the blak face / he is the merueyllest knyȝt that is now lyuyng for he destroyeth many good knyghtes / for he goth Inuysyble A wel said Balen is that he / thēne balyn auysed hym long yf I slee hym here I shall not scape / And yf I leue hym now perauentur I shalle neuer mete with hym ageyne at suche a steuen / and moche harme he wille doo and he lyue / Ther with this Garlon aspyed that this Balen behelde hym / and then­ne he came and smote Balyn on the face with the bak of his hand / and sayd knyȝt why beholdest thow me so for shame [Page] therfor ete thy mete and doo that thow cam for / Thow sayst so­the said Balyn / this is not the fyrst despyte that thow hast done me / and therfor I will doo that I cam for and rose vp fyersly and claue his hede to the sholders / gyue me the truncheon sayd Balyn to his lady where with he slewe your knyghte / anone she gaf it hym / for alwey she bare the troncheon with her And therwith Balyn smote hym thurgh the body / and sayd openly with that truncheon thow hast slayn a good knyghte / and now it stycketh in thy body / And thenne Balyn called vnto hym his hoost / sayenge / now may ye fetche blood ynough to hele your sone with all /

Capitulum xv

ANone all the knyghtes aroos from the tabyl for to set on Balyn / and kynge Pellam hym self aroos vp fyersly / & sayd knyȝt hast thow slayn my broder / thow shalt dye therfor or thou departe / wel said balen do it your self yis sayde kyng pellā / ther shall no mā haue ado with the / but my self for the loue of my broder / Thenne kyng Pellam cauȝt in his hand a grym wepen and smote egrely at balyn / but ba­lyn put his swerd betwixe his hede and the stroke / and ther­with his swerd brest in sonder / And whan balyn was wepenles he ranne in to a chamber for to seke somme wepen / and soo fro chamber to chamber / and no wepen he coude fynde / and al­weyes kynge Pellam after hym / And at the last he entryd in to a chambyr that was merueillously wel dyȝte and ryche­ly / and a bedde arayed with clothe of gold the rychest that myghte be thought / and one lyenge theryn / and therby stode a table of clene gold with four pelours of syluer / that bare vp the table / and vpon the table stood a merueillous spere straungely wrought / And whan balyn sawe that spere / he gat it in his hand and torned hym to kyng Pellam / and smote hym passyngly sore With that spere that kynge Pellam felle doune in a swoune / and therwith the castel roofe and wallys brake and fylle to the erthe / and balyn felle doune so that he myghte not stere foote nor hand / And so the moost party of the castel that was falle doune thorugh that dolorous stroke laye vpon Pellam and balyn thre dayes

¶Capitulum xvj

[Page]THenne Merlyn cam thyder and toke vp Balyn and gat hym a good hors for his was dede / and bad hym ryde oute of that countrey / I wold haue my damoysel sayd balyn / Loo sayd Merlyn where she lyeth dede & kynge Pellam lay so many yeres sore wounded / and myght neuer be hole tyl Galahad the haute prynce heled hym in the quest of the Sangraille / for in that place was part of the blood of our lord Ihesu cryst that Ioseph of Armathe broughte in to this lond / and ther hym self lay in that ryche bed / And that was the same spere that Longeus smote oure lorde to the herte / and kynge Pellam was nyghe of Ioseph kynne / and that was the moost worshipful man that lyued in tho dayes / and gre­te pyte it was of his hurte / for thorow that stroke torned to grete dole tray and tene / Thenne departed Balyn from Mer­lyn and sayd in this world we mete neuer nomore / Soo he rode forth thorowe the fayr countreyes and Cytees & fond the peple dede slayne on euery syde / and alle that were on ly­ue cryed O balyn thow hast caused grete dommage in these cō trayes for the dolorous stroke thow gauest vnto kynge Pellā thre contreyes are destroyed / and doubte not but the vengeaun­ce wil falle on the at the last / whanne Balyn was past tho contrayes he was passyng fayne / so he rode eyȝt dayes or he met with auenture / And at the last he came in to a fayr forest in a valey and was ware of a Toure / And there besyde he sawe a grete hors of werre tayed to a treee / and ther besyde satte a fayr knyght on the ground and made grete mornynge and he was a lykely man and a wel made / Balyn sayd God saue yow why be ye so heuy / telle me and I wylle amende it and I may to my power / Syr knyghte said he ageyne thow doest me grete gryef / for I was in mery thoughtes and now thou puttest me to more payne / Balyn wente a lytel from hym / & loked on his hors / thenne herd Balyn hym saye thus / a fair lady why haue ye broken my promyse / for thow promysest me to mete me here by none / and I maye curse the that euer ye gaf me this swerd / for with this swerd I slee my self / and pulled it oute / and therwith Balyn sterte vnto hym & took hym by the hand / lete goo my hand sayd the knyght or els I shal slee the / that shal not nede said balyn / for I shal promyse [Page] yow my helpe to gete yow your lady / and ye wille telle me where she is / what is your name sayd the knyght / myn name is Balyn le saueage / A syr I knowe yow wel ynough ye are the knyght with the two swerdys and the man of moost prowesse of your handes lyuyng / what is your name sayd balen / my name is garnysshe of the mount a poure mans sone / But by my prowesse and hardynesse a duke hath maade me knyght / and gaf me landes / his name is duke Hermel / and his doughter is she that I loue and she me as I demed / houfer is she hens sayd Balyn / but vj myle said the knyghte Now ryde we hens sayde these two knyghtes / so they rode mo­re than a paas tyll that they cam to a fayr castel wel wallyd and dyched / I wylle in to the castel sayd Balen / and loke yf she be ther / Soo he wente in and serched fro chamber to chā bir / and fond her bedde but she was not there / Thenne Balen loked in to a fayr litil gardyn / and vnder a laurel tre he sawe her lye vpon a quylt of grene samyte and a knyght in her ar­mes fast halsynge eyther other and vnder their hedes grasse & herbes / whan Balen sawe her lye so with the fowlest knyghte that euer he sawe and she a fair lady / thenne Balyn wente thurgh alle the chambers ageyne and told the knyghte how he fond her as she had slepte fast / and so brought hym in the place there she lay fast slepynge

¶Capitulum xvij

ANd whan Garnyssh beheld hir so lyeng for pure sorou his mouth and nose brast oute on bledynge and with his swerd he smote of bothe their hedes / and thenne he maade sorowe oute of mesure and sayd O Balyn / Moche sorow hast thow brought vnto me / for haddest thow not shewed me that [...]yght I shold haue passed my sorow / forsoth said balyn I did it to this entent that it sholde better thy courage / and that ye myght see and knowe her falshede / and to cause yow to leue loue of suche a lady / god knoweth I dyd none other but as I wold ye dyd to me / Allas said garnysshe now is my sorou doubel that I may not endure / Now haue I slayne that I moost loued in al my lyf / and therwith sodenly he roofe hym self on his own swerd vnto the hyltys / when balen sawe that [Page] he dressid hym thens ward / lest folke wold say he had slayne them / and so he rode forth / and within thre dayes he cam by a crosse / & theron were letters of gold wrytē that said / it is not for no knyght alone to ryde toward this Castel / thēne sawe he an old hore gentylman comyng toward hym that sayd Ba­lyn le Saueage thow passyst thy bandes to come this waye / therfor torne ageyne and it will auaille the / and he vanysshed awey anone / and soo he herd an horne blowe as it had ben the dethe of a best / That blast said Balyn is blowen for me / For I am the pryse and yet am I not dede / anone with al he sa­we an honderd ladyes and many knyghtes that welcommed hym with fayr semblaunt and made hym passyng good chere / vnto his syght and ledde hym in to the castel / and ther was daunsynge and mynstralsye and alle maner of Ioye / Then­ne the chyef lady of the castel said / knyghte with the two suerdys ye must haue adoo and Iuste with a knyght hereby that kepeth an Iland / for ther may no man passe this way but he must Iuste or he passe / that is an vnhappy customme said Ba­lyn that a knyght may not passe this wey / but yf he Iuste / ye shalle not haue adoo but with one knyghte sayd the lady / wel sayd Balyn syn I shalle therto I am redy but traueillynge men are ofte wery and their horses to / but though my hors be wery / my hert is not wery / I wold be fayne ther my deth shold be / Syr said a knyght to Balyn / me thynketh your sheld is not good / I wille leue yew a [...]yggar / therof I pray yow / and so he tooke the sheld that was vnknowen and lefte his owne and so rode vnto the Iland / and put hym and his hors in a grete boote / and whan he came on the other syde / he met with a damoysel / and she said / O knyght balyn why haue ye lefte your owne sheld / allas ye haue put your self in grete daunger / for by your sheld ye shold haue ben knowen / it is grete pyte of yow as euer was of knyght / for of thy prowesse & hardynes thou hast no felawe lyuynge / Me repenteth said ba­lyn that euer I cam within this Countrey / but I maye not torne now ageyne for shame and what auenture shalle falle to me be it lyf or dethe I wille take the aduenture that shalle come to me & / thenne he loked on his armour / & vnderstood he was wel armed / and therwith blessid hym and mounted [Page] vpon his hors

¶Capitulum xviij

THenne afore hym he sawe come rydynge oute of a castel a knyght and his hors trapped all reed and hym self in the same colour / whan this knyghte in the reed beheld Balyn hym thought it shold be his broder Balen by cause of his two swerdys / but by cause he knewe not his sheld he demed it was not he / And so they auentryd theyr speres & came merueillously fast to gyders / and they smote other in the sheldes / but theire speres and theire cours were soo bygge that it bare doune hors & man that they lay bothe in a swoun But balyn was brysed sore with the falle of his hors / for he was wery of trauaille / And Balan was the fyrst that rose on foote and drewe his swerd and wente toward Balyn / and he aroos and wente ageynst hym / But balan smote ba­lyn fyrste / and he put vp his shelde and smote hym thorow the shelde and tamyd his helme / thenne Balyn smote hym ageyne with that vnhappy swerd and wel nyghe had fellyd his broder Balan / and so they fought ther to gyders tyl the­yr brethes faylled / thenne Balyn loked vp to the castel and sawe the Towres stand ful of ladyes / Soo they went vnto bataille ageyne and wounded eueryche other dolefully / and thenne they brethed oftymes / and so wente vnto bataille that alle the place there as they fought was blood reed / And att that tyme ther was none of them bothe but they hadde eyther smyten other seuen grete woundes so that the best of them myȝt haue ben the dethe of the myghtyest gyaunt in this world / Thenne they wente to batail ageyn so merueillously that dou­bte it was to here of that bataille for the grete blood shedynge And their hawberkes vnnailled that naked they were on e­uery syde / Atte last balan the yonger broder withdrewe hym a lytel & leid hym doune / Thenne said balyn le Saueage what knyghte arte thow / for or now I found neuer no knyȝt that matched me / my name is said he balan broder vnto the good knyght balyn / Allas sayd balyn that euer I shold see this day / and therwith he felle backward in a swoune / Thenne ba­lan yede on al four feet and handes and put of the helme of his broder and myght not knowe hym by the vysage / it was so ful hewen and bledde / but whan he awoke he sayd O balan [Page] my broder thow hast slayne me and I the / wherfore alle the wyde world shalle speke of vs bothe / ¶Allas sayd Balan that euer I sawe this day that thorow myshap I myght not knowe yow / for I aspyed wel your two swerdys / but by cause ye had another shild I demed ye had ben another knyȝt Allas saide Balyn all that maade an vnhappy knyght in the castel / for he caused me to leue myn owne shelde to our bothes destruction / and yf I myȝt lyue I wold destroye that cas­tel for ylle customes / that were wel done said Balan / For I had neuer grace to departe fro hem syn that I cam hyther / for here it happed me to slee a knyght that kepte this Iland / & syn myght I neuer departe / and nomore shold ye broder & ye myght haue slayne me as ye haue and escaped your self with the lyf / Ryght so cam the lady of the Toure with iiij knygh­tes and vj ladyes and vj yomen vnto them and there she herd how they made her mone eyther to other and sayd we came bothe oute of one tombe that is to say one moders bely / And so shalle we lye bothe in one pytte / So Balan prayd the lady of her gentylnesse for his true seruyse / that she wold burye them bothe in that same place there the bataille was done / and she graunted hem with wepynge it shold be done rychely in the best maner / Now wille ye sende for a preest that we may receyue our sacrament and receyue the blessid body of our lord Ihesu cryst / ye said the lady it shalle be done / and so she sente for a preest and gaf hem her ryghtes / Now sayd balen whan we are buryed in one tombe and the mensyon made ouer vs / how ij bretheren slewe eche other / there wille neuer good knyght nor good man see our tombe but they wille pray for our soules / & so alle the ladyes and gentylwymen wepte for pyte / Thenne anone Balan dyed but Balyn dyed not tyl the mydnyghte after / and so were they buryed bothe / and the lady lete make a mensyon of Balan how he was ther slayne by his broders handes / but she knewe not balyns name /

¶Capitulum xix

IN the morne cam Merlyn and lete w [...]yte balyns name on the tombe with letters of gold / that here lyeth balyn le Saueage that was the knyȝt with the two swerdes [Page] and he that smote the dolorous stroke / Also Merlyn lete ma­ke there a bedde / that ther shold neuer man lye therin / but he wente oute of his wytte / yet Launcelot de lake fordyd that bed thorow his noblesse / and anone after Balyn was dede / merlyn toke his swerd / and toke of the pomel and set on an other pomel / so merlyn bad a knyght that stode afore hym han­deld that swerd / and he assayed / and he myght not handle hit Thenne Merlyn lough / why laugh ye said the knyghte / this is the cause said Merlyn / ther shalle neuer man handle this suerd but the best knyght of the world / and that shalle be syr Launcelot or els Galahad his sone / and Launcelot with this suerd shalle slee the man that in the world he loued best that shalle be syr Gawayne / Alle this he lete wryte in the pomel of the swerd / Thenne Merlyn lete make a brydge of yron & of stele in to that Iland / and it was but half a foote brode / & there shalle neuer man passe that brydge nor haue hardynes to goo ouer / but yf he were a passyng good man and a good kny­ght withoute trechery or vylonye / Also the scaubard of Ba­lyns swerd Merlyn lefte it on this syde the Iland that galahad shold fynde it / Also merlyn lete make by his subtyly­te that Balyns swerd was put in a marbel stone standyng vp ryght as grete as a mylle stone / and the stone houed al­weyes aboue the water and dyd many yeres / and so by aduē ture it swam doun the streme to the Cyte of Camelot that is in englysshe wynchestre / & that same day galahad the haute pryn­ce came with kyng Arthur / and soo galahad broughte wyth hym the scaubard and encheued the swerde / that was there in the marbel stone / houynge vpon the water / And on whytson­day he encheued the swerd as it is reherced in the book of Sācgrayll / Soone after this was done Merlyn came to kyng Ar­thur and told hym of the dolorous stroke that Balyn gaf to kyng Pellam / and how Balyn and Balan foughte to gy­ders the merueillous batail that euer was herd of / and how they were buryed bothe in one Tombe / Allas said kyng Ar­thur / this is the grettest pyte that ouer I herd telle of two knyȝtes / for in the world I knowe not suche two knyghtes /

¶Capitulum primum

IN the begynnynge of Arthur after he was cho­sen kyng by aduēture and by grace for the most party of the barons knewe not that he was V­ther pendragons sone / But as Merlyn made it openly knowen / But yet many kynges & lordes helde grete werre ayenst hym for that cause / But wel Arthur ouercame hem alle / for the mooste party the dayes of his lyf he was ruled moche by the counceil of Merlyn / Soo it fell on a tyme kyng Arthur sayd vnto Merlyn / my barons wille lete me haue no rest but nedes I muste take a wyf / and I wylle none take / but by thy counceill and by thyne aduys / it is wel done said Merlyn / that ye take a wyf / for a man of your bounte and noblesse shold not be without a wyf / Now is ther ony that ye loue more than another / ye said kyng Arthur / I loue gweneuer the kynges doughter Lodegrean of the land of Camelerd / the whiche holdeth in his hows the table round that ye told he had of my fader Vther / And this damoysel is the mo­ost [...]alyaunt and fayrest lady that I knowe lyuynge or yet that euer I coude fynde / Syre sayd Merlyn as of her beaute and fayrenes she is one of the fayrest on lyue / But and ye loued her not so wel as ye doo / I shold fynde yow a damoy­sel of beaute and of goodenesse that shold lyke yow & ple­se yow and your herte were not sette / But there as a mans herte is set / he wylle be lothe to retorne / that is trouth said kyng Arthur / but Merlyn warned the kynge couertly that gwene­uer was not holsome for hym to take to wyf / for he warned hym that launcelot shold loue her and she hym ageyne / and so he torned his tale to the auentures of Sancgreal / Thenne merlyn desyred of the kynge for to haue men with hym that shold enquere of gweneuer / and so the kyng graunted hym / & Merlyn wente forth vnto kyng Lodegrean of Camyllerd / & told hym of the desyre of the kyng that he wold haue vnto his wyf Gweneuer his doughter / that is to me sayd kyng Lodegreans the best tydynges that euer I herd that so worthy a kyng of prowesse and noblesse wille wedde my doughter / And os for my landes I wylle gyue hym wys [...] I it myght please hym / [Page] but he hath londes ynowe / hym nedeth none / but I shalle sende hym a gyfte shalle please hym moche more / for I shalle gyue hym the table round / the whiche Vtherpendragon gaue me / & whan it is ful complete / ther is an C knyghtes & fyfty / And as for on C good knyghtes I haue my self / but I fawte / l / for so many haue ben slayne in my dayes / and so Ladegreans delyuerd his doughter Gweneuer vnto Merlyn / and the table round with the C knyghtes / and so they rode fresshly with grete royalte / what by water and what by land / tyl that they came nyghe vnto london

¶Capitulum Secundum

WHanne kyng Arthur herd of the comyng of gwene­uer and the C knyghtes with the table round / thenne kynge Arthur maade grete Ioye for her comyng / and that ryche presente / and said openly this fair lady is passyng welcome vnto me / for I haue loued her longe / And therfore ther is nothyng so lyef to me / And these knyghtes with the round table pleasen me more than ryght grete rychesse / And in alle hast the kynge lete ordeyne for the maryage and the Co­ronacyon in the moost honorable wyse that coude be deuysed Now Merlyn said kyng Arthur / goo thow and aspye me in al this land l knyghtes whiche ben of most prowesse & wor­ship / within short tyme merlyn had founde suche knyȝtes that shold fulfylle xx & viij knyghtes but no mo he conde fynde Thenne the Bisshop of Caunterbury was fette and he blessid the syeges with grete Royalte and deuocyon / and there sette the viij and xx knyghtes in her syeges / and whan this was done / Merlyn said fayr syrs ye must al aryse and come to ky­ng Arthur for to doo hym homage / he will haue the better wil to mayntene yow / and so they arose and dyd their homage / & when they were gone / merlyn fond in euery syeges letters of gold that told the knyghtes names that had sytten therin / But two syeges were voyde / And so anone cam yong gawayn & asked the kyng a yefte Aske said the kyng / & I shal graunte it yow / syr I aske that ye will make me knyȝt / that same day ye shall wedde faire Gweneuer / I will do it with a good wil said kyng arthur & do vnto yow all the worship that I may / for I must by reson ye ar myn neuew my susters sone /

¶Ca iij

[Page]FOrth with alle ther cam a poure man in to the Courte and broughte with hym a fayre yonge man of xviij yere of age rydynge vpon a lene mare / and the poure man asked all men that he met / where shall I fynde kyng arthur / yonder he is sayd the knyghtes / wylt thow ony thynge with hym ye sayd the poure man / therfor I cam hyder / anone as he came before the kyng he salewed hym and sayd O kyng Arthur the floure of all knyghtes and kynges I byseche Ihesu saue the / Syr it was told me that at this tyme of your maryage ye wolde yeue any man the yefte that he wold aske / oute excepte that were vnresonable / that is trouth said the ky­nge suche cryes I lete make / and that will I holde so it apay­re not my realme nor myne estate / ye say wel and graciously said the poure man / Syre I aske no thyng els but that ye wil make my sone here a knyghte / it is a grete thynge thow askest of me said the kyng / what is thy name said the kyng to the po­ure man / syr my name is Aryes the Cowherd / whether cometh this of the or of thy sone said the kyng / Nay syre said Aryes / this desyre cometh of my sone and not of me / For I shal telle yow I haue xiij sones / & alle they will falle to what laboure I put them & wille be ryght glad to doo labour / but this child wylle not laboure for me for ony thyng that my wyf or I may doo / but alweyes he wille be shetynge or castynge dartes / and glad for to see batailles and to behold knyghtes / And alweyes day and nyghte he desyreth of me to be made a knyȝt what is thy name sayd the kynge vnto the yonge man / Syre my name is Tor / the kyng beheld hym fast / and sawe he was passyngly wel vysaged and passyngly wel made of his yeres wel said kyng Arthur vnto Aryes the Cowherd fetche al thy sones afore me that I may see them / and so the poure man did and al were shapen moche lyke the poure man / But Tor was not lyke none of hem al in shap ne in contenaunce / for he was moche more than ony of hem / Now said kyng Arthur vnto the Cowherd / where is the swerd he shalle be maade knyght with al / it is here sayd Tor / take it oute of the shethe sayd the ky­nge / and requyre me to make yow a knyght

Thenne Tor alyght of his mare and pulled oute his swerd knelynge and requyrynge the kynge / that he wold maake [Page] hym knyght / & that he myghte be a knyght of the table round As for a knyȝt I will make yow / & therwith smote hym in the neck with the swerd sayēg be ye a good knyȝt / & so I pray to god so ye may be / & yf ye be of prowesse and of worthy­nesse ye shalle be a knyght of the table round / Now Merlyn sayd Arthur say whether this Tor shall be a good knyghte / or no / ye syre he ought to be a good knyght / for he is comen of as good a man as ony is on lyue / and of kynges blood / how so syr sayd the kynge / I shalle telle yow sayd Merlyn / This poure man Aryes the cowhe [...]d is not his fader / he is nothyng syb to hym / for kynge Pellinore is his fader / I suppose nay said the Cowherd / fetche thy wyf afore me said merlyn / and she shalle not say nay / anon the wyf was fet which was a fair houswyf / and there she ansuerd Merlyn ful womanly / and there she told the kynge and Merlyn that whan she was a maide & went to mylke kyen / ther met with her a sterne kny­ght / & half by force he had my maidenhede / & at that tyme he bigat my sone Tor / & he toke awey from me my greyhound that I had that tyme with me / & saide that he wold kepe the greyhound for my loue / A said the Cowherd I wende not thys / but I may bileue it wel / for he had neuer no tatches of me / sir said Tor vnto Merlyn dishonoure not my moder / syr said mer­lyn it is more for your worship than hurte / for your fader is a good man & a kyng / & he may ryght wel auaunce you and your moder / for ye were begoten or euer she was wedded / that is trouth said the wyf / hit is the lasse gryef vnto me sayd the Cowherd

¶Capitulum Quartum

SO on the morne kyng Pellinore cam to the Court of kynge Arthur / whiche had grete ioye of hym and told hym of Tor / how he was his sone / and how he hadde made hym knyght at the request of the Cowherd / Whan Pel­linore beheld Tor / he pleasyd hym moche / so the kyng made ga­wayne knyght / but Tor was the fyrst he made at the feest / what is the cause said kyng Arthur that there ben two places voyde in the syeges / Syre said Merlyn / ther shalle no man syt in tho places / but they that shall be of moost wor̄ship / But in the sege perillous there shall no man sytte therin but one / and yf ther be ony so hardy to doo it he shall be destroyed / & he that [Page] shalle sytte there shalle haue no felawe / And therwith Mer­lyn tooke kynge Pellinore by the hand / and in the one hand next the two seges and the sege peryllous he said in open audyence this is your place and best ye are worthy to sytte there in of ony that is here / there at sat syr gauayne in grete enuy & told Gaherys his broder / yonder knyghte is put to grete wor­ship / the whiche greueth me sore / for he slewe our fader kynge Lot / therfor I wille slee hym said Gauayne with a swerd / that was sente me that is passyng trenchaunt / ye shall not soo said Gaherys at this tyme / For at this tyme I am but a squyer / and whan I am made knyght / I wol be auengyd on hym and therfor broder it is best ye suffre tyl another tyme that we may haue hym oute of the Courte / for & we dyd so / we shold trouble this hyhe feest / I wyl wel said gauayn as ye wylle /

¶Capitulum quintum

THenne was the hyghe feeste made redy / and the kynge was wedded att Camelott vnto Dame Gweneuer in the chirche of saynt steuyns with grete solempnyte / And as e­uery man was set after his degree / Merlyn wente to alle the knyghtes of the round table / and bad hem sytte styll that no­ne of hem remeue / for ye shalle see a straunge and a merueil­lous aduenture / Ryght so as they sat ther came rennyng in a whyte hert in to the halle and a whyte brachet next hym and xxx couple of black rennyng houndes cam after with a greete crye / and the hert went aboute the table round as he went by other boordes / the whyte brachet boot hym by the buttok & pulled oute a pees / where thurgh the herte lepte a grete lepe / and ouerthrewe a knyght that sat at the boord syde / and therwith the knyȝt aroos & toke vp the brachet / & so went forth oute of the halle & toke his hors & rode his wey with the brachet / right so anone cam in a lady on a whyte palfrey & cryed aloude to kyng Arthur / Syre suffre me not to haue this despyte for the brachet was myn that the knyght lad aweye / I maye not doo therwith said the kynge ¶With this there came a knyght rydynge al armed on a grete hors / and tooke the lady awey with hym with force / and euer she cryed and made grete dole / whanne she was gone the kynge was glad for she [Page] made suche a noyse / Nay said merlyn / ye may not leue this aduētures so lyghtely / For these aduentures must be brought a­gayne or els it wold be disworship to yow and to your feest I wyll said the kynge that al̄ be done by your aduys / Then­ne saide merlyn lete calle syr gauayne / for he must brynge a­geyne the whyte herte / Also syr ye must lete calle Syre Tor / for he must brynge ageyne the brachet / and the knyght or els slee hym / Also lete calle kynge Pellinore for he must brynge ageyne the lady and the knyght or els slee hym / and these thre knyghtes shalle doo merueillous auētures or they come ageyn Thenne were they called al thre as it reherceth afore / and eueryche of hem toke his charge / and armed them surely / But sir gauayne had the fyrst request / and therfore we wille begynne at hym /

¶Capitulum vj

SYre gauayne roode more than a paas and gaheryse his broder that roode with hym in stede of a squyer to doo hym seruyse / Soo as they rode they sawe two knyȝtes fyghte on horsbak passyng sore / so syr gauayn & his broder ro­de betwixe them / and asked them for what cause they foughte so / the one knyght ansuerd and sayd / we fyghte for a symple mater / for we two be two bretheren born & hegoten of one man & of one woman / allas said sir gauayn why do ye so / syr said the eldar / ther cam a whyte hert this way this day & many hoū des chaced hym / & a whyte brachet was alwey next hym / and we vnderstood it was auenture made for the hyhe feest of ky­nge Arthur / and therfore I wold haue gone after to haue wonne me worship / and here my yonger broder said he wolde go after the herte / for he was better knyght than I / And for this cause we felle at debate / & so we thouȝt to preue whiche of vs bothe was better knyȝt / This is a symple cause said sir ga­uayn / vncouth mē ye shold debate with al & no broder with broder / therfor but yf ye wil do by my coūceil I wil haue ado with yow / that is ye shal yelde you vnto me / & that ye go vnto kyng Arthur and yelde yow vnto his grace / sir knyȝt said the ij bretheren we are forfoughten & moche blood haue we loste thorow our wilfulnesse / And therfore we wolde be loth to haue adoo with yow / thenne do as I will haue yow said sir gauayne / [Page] we wille agree to fulfylle your wylle / But by whom shalle we saye that we be thyder sente / ye maye say / by the knyȝt that foloweth the quest of the herte that was whyte / Now what is your name sayd gauayne / Sorlouse of the forest said the eldar & my name is sayde the yonger Bryan of the forest and soo they departed and wente to the kynges Court / and Syr ga­uayne on his quest / and as gauayne folowed the herte by the crye of the houndes euen afore hym ther was a grete Ryuer / and the hert swamme ouer / and as syr gauayne wold folo­we after / ther stode a knyght ouer the other syde and sayd / Syre knyghte come not ouer after this herte / but yf thou wilt Iuste with me / I wille not faille as for that said sir gauayn to folowe the quest that I am in / and soo maade his hors to swymme ouer the water / and anone they gat theire speres / and ranne to gyder ful hard / but syre gauayne smote hym of his hors / and thenne he torned his hors & had hym yelde hym / Nay sayd the knyght not so though thow haue the bet­ter of me on horsbak / I pray the valyaunt knyght alyghte a foote and matche we to gyders with swerdes / what is youre name said sir gauayne / Alardyn of the Ilys said the other / thenne eyther dressid her sheldes and smote to gyders / but sir gauayne smote hym so hard thorow the helme that it went to the braynes and the knyght felle doune dede / A said Gaheryse that was a myghty stroke of a yonge knyght /

¶Capitulum Septimum

THēne Gauayne and Gaheryse rode more than a paas after the whyte herte / and lete slyppe at the herte thre couple of greyhoundes / and so they chace the herte in to a cas­tel / and in the chyef place of the castel they slewe the hert / syr gauayne and gaheryse folowed after / Ryght soo there came a knyght oute of a chamber with a swerd drawe in his hand and slewe two of the greyhoundes euen in the syghte of syre gauayne / and the remenaunte he chaced hem with his swerd oute of the castel / And whan he cam ageyne he sayd / O my whyte herte / me repenteth that thow art dede / for my souerayne lady gaf the to me / and euyll haue I kepte the / and thy deth [Page] shalle be dere bought and I lyue / and anone he wente in to his chamber and armed hym / and came oute fyersly / & there mette he with syr gauayne / why haue ye slayne my houndes said syr gauayn / for they dyd but their kynde / and leuer I had ye had wroken your angre vpon me than vpon a dom best thow saist trouth said the knyght I haue auengyd me on thy houndes and so I wille on the or thow goo / Thenne syr Ga­uayne alyght a soote and dressid his shelde and stroke to gyders myghtely / and clafe their sheldes and stoned their helmes and brak their hawberkes that the blood ranne doune to their feet / Atte last syr gauayne smote the knyght so hard that he felle to the erthe / and thenne he cryed mercy / and yelded hym and besought hym as he was a knyghte and gentylman / to saue his lyf / thow shalt dye said sir gauayne for sleyng of my houndes / I wille make amendys said the knyght vnto my power / Syr gauayne wold no mercy haue but vnlacyd his helme to haue stryken of his hede / Ryght soo came his lady oute of a chamber and felle ouer hym / and soo he smote of her hede by mysauenture / Allas saide Gaheryse that is fowle and sha­mefully done / that shame shal neuer from yow / Also ye shold gyue mercy vnto them that aske mercy / for a knyȝt without mercy is withoute worship / Syr gauayne was so stonyed of the deth of this fair lady / that he wiste not what he dyd / and said vnto the knyght aryse I wille gyue the mercy / nay nay said the knyght / I take no force of mercy now / for thou hast slayne my loue and my lady that I loued best of alle erthe­ly thynge / Me sore repenteth it said syr gauayn / for I thoughte to stryke vnto the / But now thow shalt goo vnto kyng Ar­thur and telle hym of thyne aduentures and how thow arte o­uercome by the knyghte that wente in the queste of the whyte herte / I take no force said the knyȝt whether I lyue or I dye but so for drede of deth he swore to goo vnto kynge Arthur / & he made hym to bere one greyhound before hym on his hors and another behynde hym / what is your name said sir gauayn or we departe / my name is said the knyght Ablamor of the marise / soo he departed toward Camelot

¶Capitulum Octauum

[Page]ANd syr gauayne went in to the castel and made hym redy to lye there al nyght / and wold haue vnarmed hym / what wylle ye doo sayd gaheryse / wylle ye vn­arme yow in this Countrey / ye may thynke ye haue many e­nemyes here / they had not sooner sayd that word but ther cā four knyghtes wel armed and assaylled syr gauayne hard and said vnto hym thou newe made knyght thow hast shamed thy knyghthode / for a knyght withoute mercy is dishonoured Also thow hast slayne a fayr lady to thy grete shame to the worldes ende / and doubte thow not thow shalt haue grete ne­de of mercy or thow departe from vs / And therwith one of hem smote syr gauayne a grete stroke that nygh he felle to the erthe / and gaheryse smote hym ageyne sore / and soo they were on the one syde and on the other / that syr gauayne and gahe­ryse were in ieopardy of their lyues / and one with a bowe an archer smote syr gauayne thurȝ the arme that it greued hym wonderly sore / And as they shold haue ben slayne / there cam four fair ladyes / and besought the knyghtes of grace for syre gauayne / and goodely atte request of the ladyes they gaf syr gauayne and gaheryse their lyues / & made hem to yelde them as prysoners / thenne gauayne and gaheryse made grete dole / Allas sayd syre gauayne myn arme greueth me sore / I am lyke to be maymed and so made his complaynt pytously / er­ly on the morow ther cam to syr gauayne one of the four la­dyes / that had herd alle his complaynte and said syr knyȝte what chere / not good said he it is your owne defaulte sayd the lady / for ye haue doone a passynge fowle dede in the sleynge of the lady / the whiche will be grete vylany vnto yow / But be ye not of kynge Arthurs kyn saide the lady / yes truly sayd syr gauayne / what is your name saide the lady / ye must telle it me or ye passe / my name is gauayne the kyng Lott of Orkeney sone / and my moder is kynge Arthurs syster / A thenne are ye neuewe vnto kyng Arthur sayd the lady / and I shalle so speke for yow that ye shall haue conduyte to go to kynge Arthur for his loue / and soo she departed / and told the foure knyghtes how theire prysoner was kynge Arthurs neuewe / and his name is syr gauayne kyng Lots sone of Orkeney / and they gaf hym the hertes hede by cause it was in [Page] his quest / ¶Thenne anone they delyuerd syr Gauayne vnder this promyse that he shold bere the dede lady with hym in this maner / The hede of her was hanged aboute his neck and the hole body of hyr lay before hym on his hors mane / Ryght soo rode he forth vnto Camelot / And anone as he was come merlyn desyred of kyng Arthur y ^t Syre Gauayne shold be sworne to telle of alle his auentures / and how he slewe the lady / and how he wold gyue no mercy vnto the knyght / where thurgh the lady was slayne / Thenne the kynge and the quene were gretely displeasyd with syr gauayn for the sleynge of the lady / And ther by ordenaunce of the quene ther was set a quest of ladyes on syr gauayn / and they Iuged hym for euer whyle he lyued to be with all ladyes & to fyȝte for her quarels / & that euer he shold be curteys / & neuer to refuse mercy to hym / that asketh mercy / Thus was gauayne sworne vpon the four euuangelystes that he shold neuer be ageynst lady ne gentil woman / but yf he fought for a lady / and his aduersary fouȝt for another / And thus endeth the auenture of syr gauayn that he dyd at the maryage of kyng Arthur Amen

¶Capitulum ix

THan Syre Tor was redy he mounted vpon his horsbak / and rode after the knyght with the brachet / so as he rode he mette with a dwarf sodenly / that smote hys hors on the hede with a staf / that he wente backward his spere lengthe / why dost thou so said syre Tor / for thou shalt not pas­se this way / but yf thow Iuste with yonder knyghtes of the pauelions / Thenne was Tor ware where two pauelions were / & grete sperys stood oute / and two sheldes henge on trees by the pauelions / I may not tary said syr Tor / for I am in a quest that I must nedes folowe / thou shalt not passe said the dwarf and therwith alle he blewe his horne / thenne ther cam one armed on horsbak / and dressyd his shelde / and cam fast toward Tor / and he dressid hym ageynst hym / and so ranne to gyders that Tor bare hym from his hors / and anone the knyght yeld hym to his mercy / But syr I haue a felawe in yonder pauelione that wille haue adoo with yow anone / he shall be welcome said syr Tor / Thenne was he ware of another knyght comyng with grete raundon / and eche of them dressid to other / that [Page] merueille it was to see / but the knyght smote syre Tor a gre­te stroke in myddes of the shelde that his spere all to sheuered And syr Tor smote hym thurgh the sheld by lowe of the sheld that it wente thorow the coost of the knyȝt / but the stroke sle­we hym not / And therwith syr Tor alyght & smote hym on the helme a grete stroke / and therwith the knyght yelded hym and besought hym of mercy / I wille wel said syr Tor / But thou and thy felawe must goo vnto kynge Arthur / and yelde yow prysoners vn to hym / by whome shall we say are we thy­der sente / ye shall say by the knyght that wente in the quest of the knyght that wente with the brachet / Now what be your ij names said syr Tor / my name is sayd the one Sire Felot of Langduk / & my name is said the other Sir Petypase of wynchylse / Now go ye forth saide syre Tor and god spede yow & me / Thenne cam the dwarf and saide vnto syr Tor / I praye yow gyue me a yefte / I wylle wel said syr Tor / aske / I as­ke nomore saide the dwarf / but that ye wille suffre me to doo yow seruyse / for I will serue no more rec [...]eaunt knyghtes / Take an hors said syr Tor and ryde on with me / I wote ye ryde after the knyght with the whyte braclet / and I shalle brynge yow there he is said the dwerf / And soo they rode tho­row oute a forest / and at the last they were ware of two pauelions euen by a pryory with two sheldes / And the one shylde was enewed with whyte / and the other shelde was reed

¶Capitulum x

THer with syr Tor alyghte and toke the dwarf his glayue / and soo he cam to the whyte pauelione / and sawe thre damoysels lye in it / and one paylet slepyng / & so he wente to the other pauelione / and found a lady lyeng slepyng ther in / But ther was the whyte brachet that bayed at her fast / and therwith the lady yede oute of the pauelione & all her damoysels / But anone as syr Tor aspyed the whyte brachet / he took her by force and took her to the dwerf / what / wille ye so sayd the lady take my brachet from me / ye sayd syr Tor / this bra­chet haue I sought from kynge Arthurs Courte hyder / well said the lady / knyght ye shalle not go fer with her / but that ye shalle be mette and greued / I shall abyde what auenture that [Page] cometh by the grace of god / and so mounted vpon his hors / and passed on his way towarde Camelot / but it was so nere nyght he myȝt not passe but lytel ferther / knowe ye ony lod­gyng said Tor I knowe none said the dwarf / but here besy­des is an hermytage / and there ye muste take lodgynge as ye fynde / And within a whyle they cam to the heremytage & took lodgyng / and was there gras otys and breed for their horses soone it was sped / and full hard was their souper but there they rested hem al nyght tyl on the morne / and herd a masse deuoutely / and tooke their leue of the heremyte / and syre Tor prayed the heremyte to pray for hym / he sayd he wold and be­tooke hym to god / And soo mounted vpon horsbak and rode towardes Camelot a long whyle / with that they herd a knyȝte calle lowde that came after hem / and he sayd knyghte abyde / & yelde my brachet that thow took from my lady / Syr Tor retorned ageyne / and behelde hym how he was a semely knyghte and wel horsed and wel armed at al poyntes / thenne Syre Tor dressyd his shelde and took his spere in his handes and the other cam fyersly vpon hym / and smote bothe hors & man to the erthe / anone they aroos lyghtely and drewe her swerdes as egrely as lyons and put their sheldes afore them and smote thorow the sheldes that the cantels felle of bothe partyes / Also they tamyd their helmes that the hote blood ranne oute / and the thyck maylles of their hawberkes they carfe and rofe in sonder that the hote blood ranne to the erthe / and both they had many woundes and were passyng wery / But syr Tor aspyed that the other knyght faynted / and thenne he sewed fast vpon hym and doubled his strokes and garte hym go to the erthe on the one syde / thenne Syre Tor bad hym yelde hym / that wille I not said Abilleus whyle my lyf lasteth and the soule is within my body onles that thou wilt yeue me the brachet / that wylle I not doo sayd syre Tor / for it was my quest to brynge ageyne thy brachet / the or bothe /

¶Capitulum xj

WYth that cam a damoysel rydynge on a palfrey as fast as she myȝt dryue and cryed with a lowde voys vnto Syre Tor / what wille ye with me sayd syr Tor / I byseche the [Page] said the damoysel for kynge Arthurs loue / gyue me a yefte / I requyre the gentyl knyght as thow arte a gentilman / Now said Tor Aske a yefte and I wille gyue it yow / gramercy said the damoy [...]el / Now I aske the hede of the fals knyght Abelleus / for he is the mooste outragyous knyght that lyueth & the grettest murtherer / I am both seid syr Tor of that gyfte I haue gyuen yow / lete hym make amendys in that he hath tre­spaced vnto yow / now said the damoysel he may not / for he sle­we myn owne broder afore myn owne eyen that was a better knyght than he / and he hadde had grace / and I kneled half an houre afore hym in the myre for to saue my broders lyf that had done hym no dammage but fought with hym by auentu­re of armes / and so for al that I coude do / he stroke of his hede wherfore I requyre the as thow arte a true knyght to gyue me my yefte or els I shal shame the in al the Court of kyng Arthur / for he is the falsest knyght lyuynge and a grete des­troyer of good knyghtes / Thenne whan Abelleus herd this / he was more aferd / and yelded hym and asked mercy / I maye not now saide syr Tor / but yf I shold be founde fals of my promesse / for whyle I wold haue taken you to mercy / ye wold none aske but yf ye had the brachet ageyn that was my quest And therwith he tooke of his helme / and he aroos and fled / and syr Tor after hym and smote of his hede quyte / ¶Now syr said the damoysel / it is nere nyght / I pray yow come & lod­ge with me here at my place / it is here fast by / I will Wel said syr Tor / for his hors and he had ferd euyll syn they departed from Camelot / and soo he rode with her and had passyng go­od there with her / and she hadde a passyng fair old knyght to her husband that made hym passynge good chere and wel ea­syd bothe his hors and he / and on the morne he herd his masse and brake his fast and tooke his leue of the knyghte and of the lady that besought hym to telle hym his name / Truly he sa­id my name is syr Tor that was late made knyght / and this was the fyrst queste of armes that euer I dyd to brynge a­geyn that this knyght Abelleus toke awey fro kyng arthurs courte / O fayr knyght said the lady and her husband / and ye come here in oure marches / come and see oure poure lodgynge / and it shalle be alweyes at your commaundement / Soo syre [Page] Tor departed and came to Camelot on the thyrdde day by no­one / and the kyng & the quene & alle the Courte was passyng fayne of his comyng and made grete ioye that he was come ageyne / for he wente from the Court with lytel socour / but as kyng Pellinore his fader gaf hym an old courser / and kyng Arthur gaf hym armour and a swerd / and els had he none other socour / but rode so forthe hym self alone / And thenne the kyng and the quene by merlyns aduys made hym to swere to telle of his auentures / and soo he told and made pryeues of his dedes as it is afore reher [...]ed / wherfor the kyng and the quene made grete ioye / nay nay saide Merlyn these ben but Iapes to that he shalle doo / for he shalle preue a noble knyght of prowesse as good as ony is lyuyng and gentyl and curteis & of good tatches and passyng true of his promesse / and neuer shalle outrage where thorow Merlyns wordes kynge Arthur gaf hym an erldome of bondes that felle vnto hym / and here endeth the quest of Syr Tor kynge Pellenors sone

¶Capitulum xij

THenne kynge Pellinore armed hym and mounted vpon his hors and rode more than a paas after the lady that the knyȝt ladde awey / And as he rode in a forest he sawe in a valey a damoysel sitte by a welle and a wounded knyght in her armes / and Pellenore salewed her / And whan she was ware of hym she cryed ouer lowde / helpe me knyghte for crystes sake kynge Pellinore & he wold not tarye he was so eger in his quest / and euer she cryed an C tymes after help Whanne she sawe he wold not abyde / she prayd vnto god to sende hym as moche nede of help as she had / and that he myȝt fele it or he dyed / Soo as the book telleth the knyght there dyed that there was wounded / wherfor the lady for pure sorowe slewe her self with his swerd / As kynge Pellinore rode in that valey he met with a poure man a labourer / Sawest thow not saide Pellinore a knyghte rydynge and ledynge aweye a lady / ye said the man / I sawe that knyght and the lady that made grete dole / And yonder bynethe in a valey ther shal ye see two pauelions and one of the knyȝtes of the pauelions [Page] chalengyd that lady of that knyght and sayd she was his cosyn nere / wherfor he shold lede her no ferther / And soo they waged bataill in that quarel / the one saide he wold haue her by force / and the other said he wold haue the rule of her by cause he was her kynnesman and wold lede her to her kyn / for this quarel he lefte them fyghtynge / And yf ye wille ryde a paas ye shalle fynde them fyghtyng / and the lady was beleft with the two squyers in the pauelions / god thanke the sayd kynge Pellenore / Thenne he rode a wallop tyll he had a syght of the two pauelions and the two knyghtes fyghtyng / anon he rode vnto the pauelions / and sawe the lady that was his quest / and sayd fayre lady ye must goo with me vnto the co­urt of kynge Arthur / Syr knyght said the two squyers that were with her yonder are two knyghtes that fyghte for thys lady / goo thyder and departe them / and be agreed with hem / & thenne may ye haue her at your pleasyr / ye say wel sayd kyng Pellenore / And anone he rode betwixt them and departed hem and asked hem the causes why that they fought / Sir knyght said the one / I shalle telle yow / this lady is my kynneswoman nygh myn auntes doughter / And whan I herd her complayne that she was with hym maulgre her hede / I waged ba­taille to fyghte with hym / Syre knyght sayd the other whoos name was Hontzlake of wentland / and this lady I gat by my prowesse of armes this day at Arthurs courte / that is vntruly said / said kynge Pellenore / for ye cam in sodenly ther as we were at the hyghe feest and tooke awey this lady or ony man myght make hym redy and therfore hit was my quest to brynge her ageyne and yow bothe / or els the one of vs to abyde in the felde / therfor the lady shalle goo with me / or I wille dye for it / for I haue promysed hit kynge Arthur / And ther for fyghte ye no more / for none of yow shalle haue no parte of her at this tyme / And yf ye lyst to fyȝte for her / fyȝte with me / and I wille defende her / wel said the knyghtes make you redy / and we shalle assaille yow with al our power / And as kynge Pellenore wold haue put his hors fro them fyr Hontzlake roofe his hors thorow with a swerd and said / Now art thow on foote as wel as we are / whan kynge Pellinore aspyed that his hors was slayne / lyȝtely he lepte from his hors / [Page] and pulled oute his swerd / and put his sheld afore hym / and sayde knyghte kepe wel thy heede / for thow shalt haue a buffet for the sleyng of my hors / So kyng Pellenore gaf hym suche a stroke vpon the helme that he clafe the hede doune to the chynne that he fylle to the erthe dede

¶Capitulum xiij

ANd thenne he torned hym to the other knyȝte that was sore wounded / but whan he sawe the others buffet / he wold not fyghte / but kneled doune and sayd take my cosyn the lady with yow at youre request / and I requyre yow as ye be a true knyghte / put her to no shame nor vylony / what sayd kynge Pellenore wylle ye not fyghte for her / no syr sayd the knyghte I wylle not fyghte with suche a knyȝte of prowesse as ye be / wel said Pellenore / ye say wel / I pro­myse yow she shall haue no vylony by me as I am true kny­ght / but now me lacketh an hors said Mellinore / but I wylle haue hontzlakes hors / ye shalle not nede sayd the knyght / for I shalle gyue yow suche an hors as shalle please yow / so that ye wille lodge with me / for it is nere nyghte / I wille wel sa­yd kynge Pellenore abyde with yow al nyghte / and there he hadde with hym ryght good chere / and faryd of the best with passynge good wyne and had mery rest that nyghte / And on the morne he herd a masse and dyned / And thenne was bro­ughte hym a fayre bay courser / and kynge Pellenors sadel sette vpon hym / Now what shalle I calle yow said the knyȝt in as moche as ye haue my cosyn at your desyre of your quest Syr I shalle telle yow my name is kyng Pellenore of the I­lys and knyghte of the table round / Now I am glad said the knyght that suche a noble man shalle haue the rule of my cosyn / Now what is your name said Pellenore / I pray yow telle me / Syr my name is syr Meliot of Logurs / and this lady my cosyn hyght Nymue / and the knyghte that was in the other pauelione is my sworne broder a passynge good knyȝte and his name is Bryan of the Ilys / and he is ful loth to do wronge and ful lothe to fyghte with ony man / but yf he be so­re souȝt on / so that for shame he may not leue it / It is merueil [Page] said Pellinore that he wille not haue adoo with me / syr he wil not haue adoo with no man but yf it be at his request / Bryn­ge hym to the Courte said Pellenore one of these dayes / Syr we wylle come to gyders / and ye shalle be welcome said Pel­linore to the Courte of kynge Arthur / and gretely allowed for your comynge and so he departed with the lady / & brouȝt her to Camelot / Soo as they rode in a valey it was ful of sto­nes / and there the ladyes hors stumbled and threwe her doun that her arme was sore brysed and nere she swouned for pa­yne / Allas syr sayd the lady myn arme is oute of lythe wher thorow I must nedes reste me / ye shall wel said kyng Pelli­nore / and so he alyȝt vnder a fayr tree where was fayr grasse and he put his hors therto / and so leyd hym vnder the tree / and slepte tyl it was nyghe nyght / And whan he awoke / he wold haue ryden / Sir said the lady it is so derke that ye may as wel ryde backward as forward / soo they abode styll & made there their lodgyng / Thenne syr Pellenore put of his armour thēne a lytel afore mydnyȝt they herd the trottynge of an hors be ye styll said kyng Pellenore / for we shalle here of somme a­uenture

¶Capitulum xiiij

ANd ther with he armed hym / so ryght euen afore hym ther met two knyghtes / the one cam froward Came­lot / and the other from the northe / and eyther salewed other / what tydynges at Camelot sayd the one / by my hede saide the other ther haue I ben & aspyed the courte of kynge Arthur And ther is suche a felauship they may neuer be broken / and wel nyghe al the world holdeth with Arthur / for there is the flour of chyualrye / Now for this cause I am rydyng in to the north to telle our chyuetayns of the felauship that is withholden with kyng Arthur / as for that said the other knyght I ha­ue brought a remedy with me that is the grettest poyson that euer ye herd speke of & to Camelot wyll I with it / for we haue a frend ryght nyghe kyng Arthur and wel cherysshed that shal poysone kynge Arthur / for so he hath promysed oure chyuetayns & receyued grete yeftes for to do it / Beware said the other knyght of Merlyn / for he knoweth alle thynges by the deuyls crafte / therfore wille I not lete it said the knyghte / & so they departed in sonder / Anone after Pellenore maade hym [Page] redy and his lady and rode toward Camelot / And as they cam by the wel there as the wounded knyght was and the lady / there he fond the knyghte and the lady eten with lyons or wylde beestes al sauf the hede / wherfor he made grete sorowe and wepte passynge sore and said Allas her lyf myghte I haue saued / but I was so fyers in my quest therfore I wold not abyde / wherfore make ye suche doole said the lady / I wote not said Pellinore / but my herte morneth sore of the deth of her for she was a passyng fayr lady and a yonge / Now wylle ye doo by myne aduys said the lady / take this knyghte and lete hym be buryed in an heremytage / and thenne take the ladyes hede and bere it with yow vnto Arthur / Soo kyng Pellinore took this dede knyght on his sholders / and broughte hym to the heremytage and charged the heremyte with the corps / that seruyse shold be done for the soule / and take his harneys for your payne / it shalle be done said the heremyte as I wille ansuer vnto god

¶Capitulum xv

ANd ther with they departed and cam there as the he­de of the lady lay with a fair yelow here that greued kyng Pellinore passyngly sore whan he loked on hit / for mo­che he cast his herte on the vysage / And soo by none they came to Camelot / and the kynge and the quene were passyng fayn of his comynge to the Courte / And there he was made to swere vpon the four euuangelystes to telle the trouth of his quest from the one to the other / A syr Pellinore sayd quene Gwe­neuer ye were gretely to blame that ye saued not this ladyes lyf / Madame said Pellinore ye were gretely to blame and ye wold not saue your owne lyf & ye myȝt / but sauf your plea­sir I was so furyous in my quest that I wold not abyde / & that repenteth me & shal the dayes of my lyf / Truly saide Merlyn ye ouȝt sore to repente it / for that lady was your own douȝter begoten on the lady of the rule / & that knyght that was dede was her loue / and shold haue wedded her / and he was a ry­ght good knyght of a yonge man and wold haue preued a good man / & to this court was he comyng & his name was sir Myles of the laūdys / & a knyȝt cam behynde hym / & slewe him with a spere & his name is Lorayne le saueage a fals knyȝt & a coward / & she for grete sorow & dole slewe her self with [Page] his swerd / and her name was Eleyne / And by cause ye wold not abyde and helpe her / ye shalle see youre best frende faylle yow whan ye be in the grettest distresse that euer ye were / or shalle be / And that penaūce god hath ordeyned yow for that dede / that he that ye shalle most truste to of ony man alyue / he shalle leue yow ther ye shalle be slayne / Me forthynketh said kynge Pellinore that this shalle me betyde but god may for­doo wel desteny / Thus whan the quest was done of the why­te herte / the whiche folowed syr gawayne and the quest of the brachet folowed of syr Tor Pellenors sone / & the quest of the lady that the knyghte tooke aweye / the whiche kyng Pellinre at that tyme folowed / Thenne the kyng stablysshed all his knyghtes and gaf them that were of londes not ryche / he gaf them londes / and charged hem neuer to doo outragyousyte nor mordre / and alweyes to flee treason / Also by no meane to be cruel / but to gyue mercy vnto hym that asketh mercy vpon payn of forfeture of their worship and lordship of kyng Arthur for euermore / and alweyes to doo ladyes / damoysels / and gen­tylwymmen socour vpon payne of dethe / Also that no man take noo batails in a wrongful quarel for noo lawe ne for noo worldes goodes / Vnto this were all the knyghtes sworne of the table round both old and yong / And euery yere were they sworne at the hyghe feest of Pentecost

¶Capitulū Primū

SOo after these questys of Syr Gawyne / Syre Tor / and kynge Pellinore / It felle so that Merlyn felle in a dottage on the damoisel that kyng Pellinore broughte to Courte / and she was o­ne of the damoysels of the lake that hyȝte Ny­neue / But Merlyn wold lete haue her no rest but alweyes he wold be with her / And euer she maade Merlyn good chere tyl she had lerned of hym al maner thynge that she desyred and he was assoted vpon her that he myghte not be from her / Soo on a tyme he told kynge Arthur that he sholde not dure longe but for al his craftes he shold be put in the erthe quyck and [Page] so he told the kynge many thynges that shold befalle / but allewayes he warned the kynge to kepe wel his swerd and the scaubard / for he told hym how the swerd and the scaubard shold be stolen by a woman from hym that he most trusted / Also he told kynge Arthur that he shold mysse hym / yet had ye leuer than al your landes to haue me ageyne / A sayd the kynge / syn ye knowe of your aduenture puruey for hit / and put awey by your craftes that mysauenture / Nay said Merlyn it wylle not be / soo he departed from the kynge / And within a whyle the damoysel of the lake departed / and Merlyn wente with her euermore where some euer she wente / And oftymes merlyn wold haue had her pryuely awey by his subtyle craftes / thenne she made hym to swere that he shold neuer do none enchauntement vpon her yf he wold haue his wylle / And so he sware / so she and Merlyn wente ouer the s [...]e vnto the land of Benwyck there as kynge Ban was kynge that had gre­te warre ageynst kynge Claudas / and there Merlyn spake with kynge Bans wyf a fair lady and a good / and her name was Elayne / and there he sawe yonge Launcelot / there the quene made grete sorowe for the mortal werre y ^t kyng claudas made on her lord and on her landes / Take none heuynesse said Merlyn / for this same child within this xx yere shall reuenge yow on kynge Claudas that all Crystendom shalle speke of it And this same child shalle be the moost / man of worship of the world / and his fyrst name is galahad / that knowe I wel said Merlyn / And syn ye haue confermed hym Launce­lot / that is trouthe said the quene / his fyrst name was Galahad / O Merlyn said the quene shalle I lyue to see my sone suche a man of prowesse / ye lady on my parel ye shal̄ see hit / and lyue many wynters after / And soo soone after the lady and Merlyn departed / and by the waye Merlyn shewed her many wondres / and cam in to Cornewaille / And alweyes Merlyn lay aboute the lady to haue her maydenhode / and she was euer passynge wery of hym / and fayne wold haue ben delyuerd of hym / for she was aferd of hym by cause he was a deuyls sone / and she coude not beskyfte hym by no meane / ¶ And soo on a tyme it happed that Merlyn shewed to her in a roche where as was a greete wonder / and wroughte by [Page] enchauntement that wente vnder a grete stone / So by her subtyle wyrchynge she maade Merlyn to goo vnder that stone to [...]ete her wete of the merueilles there / but she wroughte so ther for hym that he cam neuer oute for alle the crafte he coude doo / And so she departed and lefte Merlyn /

¶Capitulum Secundum

ANd as kynge Arthur rode to Camelot / and helde ther a grete feest with myrthe and Ioye / so soone after he retorned vnto Cardoylle / and there cam vnto Arthur newe ty­dynges that the kynge of Denmarke and the kynge of Ireland that was his broder and the kynge of the vale and the kynge of Soleyse / and the kynge of the yle of Longtaynse al these fyue kynges with a grete hoost were entrid in to the lād of kynge Arthur and brente and slewe clene afore hem / both Cytees and castels that it was pyte to here / ¶Allas sayd Arthur yet had I neuer reste one monethe syn I was crowned kyng of this land / Now shalle I neuer reste tyl I mete with tho kynges in a fayre feld / that I make myn auowe for my true lyege peple shalle not be destroyed in my defaul­te / goo with me who wille and abyde who that wylle / thenne the kynge lete wryte vnto kynge Pellenore and prayd hym in alle haste to make hym redy with suche peple as he myght lyȝ­tlyest rere and hye hym after in al hast / All the Barons were pryuely wrothe / that the kynge wold departe so sodenly but the kynge by no meane wold abyde / but made wrytynge vnto them that were not there / and bad them hye after hym su­che as were not at that tyme in the Courte / Thenne the kynge came to quene gweneuer and sayd lady make yow redy / for ye shall goo with me / for I may not longe mysse yow / ye shal cause me to be the more hardy / what auenture so befalle me / I wille not wete my lady to be in no ieopardy / Sire said she I am at your commaundement / and shalle be redy what tyme so ye be redy / So on the morne the kynge and the quene departed with suche felauship as they hadde / and came in to the Northe in to a forest besyde humber and there lodged hem

¶Whanne the word & tydynge came vnto the fyue kynges [Page] aboue sayd that Arthur was besyde humber in a foreste there was a knyght broder vnto one of the fyue kynges that gafe hem this counceille / ye knowe wel that syre Arthur hath the floure of Chyualrye of the world with hym as it is preued by the grete bataille he dyd with the xj kynges / And therfor hye vnto hym nyghte and daye tyl that we be nyghe hym / for the lenger he taryeth the bygger he is / and we euer the waiker And he is so couragyous of hym self that he is come to the fel­de with lytel peple / And therfore lete vs set vpon hym or day and we shalle slee doune of his knyghtes ther shal none esca­pe

¶Capitulum Tercium

UNto this counceille these fyue kynges assented / and so they passed forth with her hoost thorow Northwalis and came vpon Arthur by nyghte and sett vpon his hoost as the kynge and his knyghtes were in their pauelions kynge Arthur was vnarmed / and had leid hym to rest with hys quene Gweneuer / Sir said syr kaynus it is not good we be vnarmed / we shalle haue no nede said syre Gawayne and Syr Gryflet that laye in a lytel pauelione by the kynge / with that they herd a grete noyse and many cryed treson tre­son / Allas said kynge Arthur we ben bitrayed / Vnto armes felawes thenne he cryed / so they were armed anone at al po­yntes / Thenne cam ther a wounded knyghte vnto the kynge & saide syr saue your self and my lady the quene for our hooste is destroyed and moche peple of ours slayne / Soo anone the kynge and the quene and the thre knyghtes took her horses & rode toward humber to passe ouer it / and the water was so ro­ugh that they were aferd to passe ouer / Now may ye chese [...]ayd kynge Arthur whether ye wille abyde and take the aduentur on this syde / for and ye be taken / they wille slee yow / It were me leuer sayd the quene to dye in the water than to falle in your enemyes handes & there be slayne / And as they stode soo talkyng / syr kaynus sawe the fyue kynges comynge on hors­bak by hem self alone with her speres in her handes euen toward hem / loo said syr kaynus yonder be the fyue kynges / lete vs go to them and matche hem / that were foly sayd sire gawayne / for we are but thre and they ben fyue that is trouthe said syre Gryflet / No force said syr kay I wille vndertake for two of [Page] them / and thenne may ye thre vndertake for the other thre / and ther with al syr kay lete his hors renne as fast as he myghte and strake one of them thorow the shelde / and the body a fa­dom that the kynge felle to the erthe stark dede / That sawe syr Gawayne and ranne vnto another kyng so hard that he smote hym thurgh the body / And ther with all kyng Arthur ran to another / and smote hym thurgh the body With a spere that he fylle to the erthe dede / Thenne syr Gryflet ranne vnto the iiij kyng and gaf hym suche a falle that his neck brake / Anone syr kay ranne vnto the fyfthe kynge and smote hym so hard on the helme that the stroke clafe the helme and the hede to the erthe / that was wel stryken sayd kynge Arthur / and wor­shipfully hast thow hold thy promesse / therfor I shal honou­re the / whyle that I lyue / and ther with all they set the que­ne in a barge in to humber / but alweyes quene gweneuer pra­ysed syr kay for his dedes / and sayd what lady that ye loue / and she loue yow not ageyne she were gretely to blame / and amonge ladyes said the Quene I shalle bere youre noble fa­me / for ye spak a grete word and fulfylled it worshipfully and therwith the quene departed / Thenne the kyng and the thre knyghtes rode in to the forest / for there they supposed to he­re of them that were escaped / and there he fond the most party of his peple / and told hem all how the fyue kynges Were dede / and therfor lete vs hold vs to gyders tyll it be day / and whan their hoost haue a spyed that their chyuetayns be slayn they wille make suche dole that they shalle not mowe helpe hem self / and ryght so as the kynge said / so it was / for whan they fonde the fyue kynges dede / they made suche dole that they fell fro their horses / Ther with all cam kyng Arthur but with a fewe peple and slewe on the lyfte hand and on the ryght hand that wel nyhe ther escaped no man / but alle were slayne to the nombre of xxx M / And whan the bataille was all ended the kynge kneled doune and thanked god mekely / and thenne he sente for the quene and soone she was come / and she maade grete Ioye of the ouercomynge of that bataille

¶Capitulum iiij

[Page]THere with alle came one to kynge Arthur / and told hym that kyng Pellinore was within thre myle with a grete hoost / and he said / go vnto hym and lete hym vnderstande how we haue spedde / Soo within a whyle kynge Pellinore cam with a grete hoost / and salewed the peple and the kyng / and ther was grete ioye made on euery syde / Then­ne the kyng lete serche how moche people of his party ther was slayne / And ther were founde but lytel past two honderd men slayne and viij knyȝtes of the table round in their pauelions Thenne the kynge lete rere and deuyse in the same place there as the batail was done a faire abbeye and endowed it wyth grete lyue [...]ode and lete it calle the Abbey of la beale aduentu­re / but whanne somme of them cam in to their Countreyes ther of the fyue kynges were kynges and told hem how they were slayne / ther was made grete dole / And alle kynge Arthurs enemyes as the kynge of Northwales and the kynges of the North wyste of the bataille they were passynge heuy / and soo the kynge retorned vnto Camelot in hast / And whan he was come to Camelot / he called kynge Pellinore vnto hym & sayd ye vnderstand wel that we haue loste viij knyghtes of the best of the table round / and by your aduys we wille chese viij ageyne of the best we may fynde in this Courte / Syr said Pellinore / I shal counceille yow after my conceyte the best / there are in your Courte ful noble knyghtes bothe of old & yonge And therfor by myn aduys ye shal chese half of the old and half of the yonge / whiche be the old said kyng Arthur / Syre said kynge Pellinore me semeth that kynge Vryence that hath wedded your syster Morgan le fay and the kynge of the lake and syr Heruyse d [...] reuel a noble knyght / and syr galagars the iiij / this is wel deuysed said kyng Arthur and right soo shal it be / Now whiche are the four yong knyȝtes said Arthur Syre saide Pellinore the fyrst is syr Gawayne your neuewe that is as good a knyght of his tyme / as ony is in this lād And the second as me semeth best is syre Gryflet le fyse the d [...]ne that is a good knyght and ful desyrous in armes / and who may see hym lyue he shal preue a good knyghte / And the thyrd as me semeth is wel to be one of the knyghtes of the round table syr kay the senescha for many tymes he hath done [Page] ful worshipfully / And now at your last bataille he dyd full honourably for to vndertake to slee two kynges / By my hede said Arthur he is best worthy to be a knyght of the round ta­ble of ony that ye haue reherced / and he had done no more prowesse in his lyf dayes

¶Capitulum Quintum

NOw said kynge Pellenore I shalle putte to yow two knyghtes / and ye shalle chese whiche is moost worthy / that is Syr Bagdemagus and syr Tor my sone / But by cause Syre Tor is my sone I may not prayse hym / but els and he were not my sone / I durst saye that of his a­ge ther is not in this land a better knyghte than he is nor of better condycions and lothe to doo ony wronge / and loth to ta­ke ony wronge / By my hede said Arthur he is a passyng go­od knyght / as ony ye spak of this day that wote I wel sa­id the kyng / for I haue sene hym preued but he seyth lytyll and he doth moche more / for I knowe none in al this courte & he were as wel borne on his moder syde as he is on your syde that is lyke hym of prowesse and of myghte / And therfor I wille haue hym at this tyme and leue syr Bagdemagus tyll another tyme / Soo whan they were so chosen by the assente of alle the barons / Soo were there founden in her syeges euery knyghtes names that here are reherced / and so were they set in their syeges / wherof syr Bagdemagus was wonderly wrothe that syr Tor was auaunced afore hym / and therfore sodenly he departed from the Courte and toke his squyer with hym / & rode longe in a forest tyll they came to a crosse and there alyȝt and sayd his prayers deuoutely / The meane whyle his squyer founde wryten vpon the crosse that Bagdemagus shold ne­uer retorne vnto the Courte ageyne / tyll he had wonne a knyȝ­tes body of the round table body for body / lo syr said his squyer / here I fynde wrytyng of yow / therfor I rede yow retorne ageyne to the Courte / that shalle I neuer said Bagdemagus tyl men speke of me grete worship / and that I be worthy to be a knyghte of the round table / and soo he rode forthe / And ther by the way he founde a braūche of an holy herbe that was the sygne of the Sancgraill / and no knyght founde suche to­kens but he were a good lyuer / So as sir Bagdemagus rode [Page] to see many aduentures / it happed hym to come to the roche / ther as the lady of the lake had put Merlyn vnder the stone / and there he herde hym make grete dole / wherof fyre Bagdemagus wold haue holpen hym and wente vnto the grete stone / and he was so heuy that an C men myght not lyfte hyt vp / whan Merlyn wyste he was there he had leue his labour / for al was in vayne / for he myght neuer be holpen but by her that put hym ther / and so Bagdemagus departed and dyd many auentu­res and preued after a full good knyght / and came ageyne to the Courte and was made knyght of the round table / So on the morne ther felle newe tydynges and other auentures

¶Capitulum Sextum

THenne it befelle that Arthur and many of his knyghtes rode on huntynge in to a grete forest / and it hap­ped kyng Arthur / kynge Vryens and syr Accolon of gaulle folowed a grete herte for they thre were wel horsed / and soo they chaced so fast that within a whyle they thre were thenne x myle from her felauship / And at the last they chaced so sore that they slewe theyr horses vndernethe them / thenne were they al thre on foote / and euer they sawe the herte afore them pas­synge wery and enbusshed / What wille we doo said kyng ar­thur We are hard bestad / lete vs goo on foote said kyng Vryens tyl we may mete with some lodgynge / Thenne were they ware of the herte that lay on a grete water banke / and a bra­chet bytynge on his throte and mo other houndes cam after / Thenne kynge Arthur blewe the pryse and dyghte the herte / Thenne the kynge loked aboute the world / and sawe afore hym in a grete water a lytel ship al apparailled with sylke doune to the water / and the shyp cam ryghte vnto hem and lā ded on the sandes / Thenne Arthur wente to the banke & loked in / and sawe none erthely creature therin / Sirs said the kyng come thens / and lete vs see what is in this ship / Soo they Wente in al thre and founde hit rychely behanged with clothe of sylke / By thenne it was derke nyghte / and there sodenly were aboute them an C torches sette vpon alle the sydes of the shyp bordes and it gaf grete lyghte / And ther with all there [Page] cam out twelue fayr damoysels and salewed kynge Arthur on her knees and called hym by his name / and sayd he was ryght welcome / and suche chere as they had he shold haue of the best / the kynge thanked hem fayre / There with all they lad the kyng and his two felawes in to a fair chambre / and ther was a clothe leyd rychely bysene of al that longed vnto a tabel / and there were they serued of al wynes and metes that they coude thynke / of that the kynge had grete merueille / for he ferd neuer better in his lyf as for one souper / And so when they had souped at her leyser / kyng Arthur was ledde vnto a chamber / a rycher besene chamber sawe he neuer none / and soo was kynge Vryens serued / and ledde in to suche another chā byr / and syr Accolon was ledde in to the thyrd chamber pas­synge rychely and wel bysene / and so were they layde in the­ire beddes easyly / And anone they felle on slepe / and slepte merueillously sore all the nyght / And on the morowe kynge Vryens was in Camelott abed in his wyues armes Morgan le fay / And whan he awoke / he had grete merueylle / how he cam there / for on the euen afore he was two dayes Iourney frō Camelot / And whan kyng Arthur awoke he found hym self in a derke pryson herynge aboute hym many complayntes of woful knyghtes

¶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 wor­shipfully / and is wel biloued of al peple / & this syre Damas our maister is as euyll beloued for he is without mercy / and [Page] 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 knyȝtes haue dyed in this pryson for hongre to the nombre 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 sa­yd 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 kny­ght than to dye in pryson / with this said Arthur I may be delyuerd 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 do­ughter of this castel / yet was she fals for she was one of the damoysels of Morgan le fay / Anone she wente vnto syr Damas 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 knyȝtes 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 [Page] 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

¶Capitulum Octauum

NOw torne we vnto Accolon of Gaulle that whanne he awoke / he found hym self by a depe welle syde within half a foote in grete perylle of dethe / And there cam oute of that fontayne a pype of syluer / and oute of that pype ranne water all on hyhe in a stone of marbel / whan Syre Accolon sawe this / he blessyd hym and sayd Ihesu saue my lorde kyng Arthur and kynge Vryens / for these damoysels in this ship haue bitrayed vs / they were deuyls and noo wymmen / And yf I may escape this misauenture / I shalle destroye all where I may fynde these fals damoysels that vsen enchaūtementys / ¶Ryght with that ther cam a dwarf with a grete mouthe & a flat nose and salewed syre Accolon and said how he came from Quene Morgan le fay / and she greteth yow wel / and byddeth yow be of strong herte / for ye shal fyȝte to morne with a knyghte at the houre of pryme / And therfore she hath sente yow here Excalibur Arthurs swerd and the scaubard / and she byddeth yow as ye loue her that ye doo the batail to the vttermest without ony mercy lyke as ye had promysed her whā ye spake to gyder in pryuete / And what damoysel that bryn­geth her the knyghtes hede whiche ye shal fyghte with al / she wille make her a quene / Now I vnderstand yow wel sayd Accolon / I shalle holde that I haue promysed her now I haue the swerd / whan sawe ye my lady Quene Morgan le fay Ryghte late sayd the dwarf / thenne Accolon tooke hym in his armes / and said recommaunde me vnto my lady Quene / and telle her all shal be done that I haue promysed her / and els I wille dye for hit / Now I suppose said Accolon she hath made alle these craftes and enchauntement for this bataille / ye may wel bileue it said the dwarf / Ryȝt so there cam a kny­ghte and a lady with syxe squyers / and salewed Accolon / and prayd hym for to aryse and come and reste hym at his [Page] maner / and so Accolon mounted vpon a voyde hors / & wente with the knyghte vnto a fayre maner by a pryory / and there he had passynge good chere / Thenne sir Damas sente vnto his broder syr Ontzelake / and badde make hym redy by to morne at the houre of pryme / and to be in the felde to fyghte wyth a good knyght / for he had founden a good knyght that was redy to doo bataill at all poyntes / whan this word cam vnto sir Ontzelake / he was passyng heuy / for he was wounded a ly­tel to fore thorow bothe his thyes with a spere / and made grete dole / But as he was wounded he wold haue taken the bataille on hand / Soo it happed at that tyme by the meanes of Morg [...]n le fay Accolon was with syr Ontzelake lodged / and whan he herd of that bataille and how Ontzelake was woū ­ded / he sayd that he wold fyghte for hym by cause Morgan le fey had sente hym Excalibur and the shethe for to fyȝte with the knyght on the morne / This was the cause syr Accolon to­ke the bataille on hand / thenne syre Ontzelake was passynge glad / and thāked syr Accolon with alle his herte that he wold do so moche for hym / & ther with al syr Ontzelake sente word vnto his broder syre Damas / that he had a knyȝte y ^t for hym shold be redy in the felde by the houre of pryme / Soo on the morne syr Arthur was armed and wel horsed / and asked syr Damas whan shalle we to the felde / syr said syr Damas ye shalle here masse / and so Arthur herd a masse / And whan masse was done / there cam a squyer on a grete hors & asked syr Damas yf his knyght were redy / for oure knyght is re­dy in the felde / Thenne syre Arthur mounted vpon horsbak / & there were alle the knyghtes and comyns of that countrey / & so by alle aduyses ther were chosen xij good men of the coun­trey for to wayte vpon the two knyghtes / And ryght as Arthur was on horsbak / ther cam a damoisel from Morgan le fey and broughte vnto syr Arthur a swerd lyke vnto Excalibur / and the scaubard / and sayd vnto Arthur Morgan le fey sen­deth here your swerd for grete loue / and he thanked her / & wen­de it had ben so / but she was fals / for the swerd and the scaubard was counterfeet & brutyll and fals

¶Capitulum ix

[Page] ANd thenne they dressyd hem on bothe partyes of the felde / & lete their horses renne so fast that eyther smote other in the myddes of the shelde / with their speres hede / that bothe hors and man wente to the erthe / And thenne they sterte vp bothe / and pulled oute their swerdys / the mea­ne whyle that they were thus at the bataille cam the damoysel of the lake in to the felde / that put Merlyn vnder the stone / & she cam thydder for loue of kynge Arthur / for she knewe how Morgan le fay had soo ordeyned / that kynge Arthur shold haue ben slayne that daye / and therfor she cam to saue his lyf And so they went egrely to the bataille / and gaf many grete strokes / but alweyes Arthurs swerd bote not lyke Accolon swerd / But for the most party euery stroke that Accolon gaf he wounded sore Arthur / that it was merueylle he stode / And alweyes his blood fylle from hym fast / whan Arthur beheld the ground so sore bebledde he was desmayed / and thenne he demed treason that his swerd was chaunged / for his swerd boote not styl as it was wonte to do / therfor he dredde hym sore to be dede / for euer hym semed that the swerd in Accolons hand was Excalibur / for at euery stroke that Accolon stroke he drewe blood on Arthur / Now knyghte said Accolon vnto Arthur kepe the wel from me / but Arthur ansuerd not age­yne / and gaf hym suche a buffet on the helme that he made hym to stoupe nygh fallynge doune to the erthe / Thenne syr Acoo­lon withdrewe hym a lytel / and cam on with Excalibur on hyghe / and smote syr Arthur suche a buffet that he felle nyhe to the erthe / Thenne were they wroth bothe / and gaf eche other many sore strokes / but alweyes syr Arthur lost so moche blo­od that it was merueille he stode on his feet / but he was soo ful of knyghthode that knyghtly he endured the payne / And syr Accolon lost not a dele of blood / therfor he waxt passynge lyghte / and syr Arthur was passynge feble / and wende veryly to haue dyed / but for al that he made countenaunce as tho­ugh he myghte endure / and helde Accolon as shorte as he my­ght / But Accolon was so bolde by cause of Excalibur that he waxed passynge hardy / But alle men that beheld hym sayd they sawe neuer knyghte fyghte so wel as Arthur dyd consyderyng the blood that he bled / Soo was all the peple sory for [Page] hym / but the two bretheren wold not accorde / thenne alweyes they fought to gyders as fyers knyghtes / and syre Arthur withdrewe hym a lytel for to reste hym / and syre Accolon called hym to bataille and said it is no tyme for me to suffre the to reste / And therwith he cam fyersly vpon Arthur / and syre Arthur was wrothe for the blood that he had lost / and smote Accolon on hyhe vpon the helme soo myȝtely that he made hym nyhe to falle to the erthe / And therwith Arthurs swerd brast at the crosse and felle in the grasse amonge the blood and the pomel and the sure handels he helde in his handes / when syr arthur sawe that / he was in grete fere to dye / but alweyes he helde vp his shelde and lost no ground nor bated no chere /

¶Capitulum x

THenne syre Accolon beganne with wordes of treason and sayd knyghte thow arte ouercome / and mayste not endure and also thow arte wepenles / and thow hast loste moche of thy blood / and I am ful bothe to slee the / therfor yelde the to me as recreaunt / Nay saide syre Arthur I maye not so / for I haue promysed to doo the bataille to the vttermest by the feythe of my body whyle me lasteth the lyf / and therfor I had leuer to dye with honour than to lyue with shame / And yf it were possyble for me to dye an C tymes I had leuer to dye so ofte / than yelde me to the / for though I lacke wepen / I shalle lacke no worship / And yf thow slee me wepenles that shalle be thy shame / wel sayd Accolon as for the shame I wyl not spare / Now kepe the from me for thow arte but a dede mā And therwith Accolon gaf hym suche a stroke that he felle n [...] ­ghe to the erthe / and wolde haue had Arthur to haue cryed hym mercy / But syre Arthur pressed vnto Accolon with his sheld / and gaf hym with the pomel in his hand suche a buf­fet that he went thre strydes abak / whan the damoisel of the lake beheld arthur / how ful of prowesse his body was & the fals treson that was wrouȝt for hym to haue had hym slayn she had grete pyte that so good a knyȝt & suche a mā of worship shold so be destroyed / And at the next stroke syr Accolon stroke hym suche a stroke that by the damoysels enchauntement the swerd Excalibur felle oute of Accolons hande to the erthe / And therwith alle Syre Arthur lyghtely lepte to hit / and gate hit [Page] in his hand / and forthwith al he knewe that it was his suerd Excalibur / & sayd thow hast ben from me al to long / & moche dommage hast thow done me / & ther with he aspyed the scau­bard hangynge by his syde / and sodenly he sterte to hym and pulled the scaubard from hym and threwe hit fro hym as fer as he myghte throwe hit / O knyghte saide Arthur this daye hast thow done me grete dommage with this swerd / Now are ye come vnto your dethe / for I shalle not waraunt yow but ye shalle as wel be rewarded with this swerde or euer we de­parte as thow hast rewarded me / for moche payne haue ye made me to endure / and moche blood haue I lost / And therwith syr Arthur russhed on hym with alle his myghte and pulled hym to the erthe / and thēne russhed of his helme / and gaf hym suche a buffet on the hede that the blood cam oute at his eres / his nose & his mouthe / Now wylle I slee the said Arthur / Slee me ye may wel said Accolon and it please yow / for ye ar the best knyghte that euer I fonde / and I see wel that god is with yow / But for I promysed to doo this batail said Acoo­lon to the vttermest and neuer to be recreaunt whyle I lyued therfore shal I neuer yelde me with my mouthe / but god doo with my body what he wyll / ¶Thenne syr Arthur remembrid hym and thoughte he shold haue sene this knyghte / Now telle me said Arthur or I wylle slee the / of what coūtrey art thou and of what courte / Syre knyghte sayd syr Accolon I am of the courte of kynge Arthur / & my name is Accolon of gaulle Thenne was Arthur more desmayed than he was before hand For thenne he remembryd hym of his syster Morgan le fay / and of the enchauntement of the ship / O syre knyght sayd he I pray yow telle me who gaf yow this swerd and by whom ye had it /

¶Capitulum xj

THenne syre Accolon bethouȝte hym and said wo worth this swerd / for by hit haue I geten my dethe / it may wel be / said the kynge / Now syre said Accolon I wil telle yow this swerd hath ben in my kepynge the moost party of this twelue moneth / And Morgan le fay kynge Vryens wyf sente it me yester daye by a dwerf to this entente that I shold slee kynge Arthur her broder / For ye shall vnderstand [Page] entente to slee kyng Arthur her broder / for ye shal vnderstand kynge Arthur is the man in the world that she moost hateth by cause he is moost of worship and of prowesse of ony of her blood / Also she loueth me oute of mesure as paramour / and I her ageyne / And yf she myghte brynge aboute to slee Arthur by her craftes / she wold slee her husband kynge Vryens ly­ghtely / And thenne hadde she me deuysed to be kyng in this land / and soo to regne / and she to be my quene / but that is now done saide Accolon / for I am sure of my dethe wel sayd syre Arthur / I fele by yow ye wold haue ben kynge in this land / It had ben grete dommage to haue destroyed your lord sayd Arthur / it is trouth said Accolon / but now I haue told yow trouthe / wherfore I praye yow telle me of whens ye are and of what courte / O Accolon sayd kynge Arthur now I lete the wete / that I am kynge Arthur to whome thow haste done grete dommage / whanne Accolon herd that / he cryed on lowde fayre swete lord haue mercy on me / for I knewe not yow / O syr Accolon sayd kynge Arthur mercy shalt thow haue / by cause I fele by thy wordes at this tyme / thow kno­west not my persone / But I vnderstand wel by thy wordes that thow hast agreed to the dethe of my persone / and therfore thow arte a traytour / but I wyte the the lasse / for my syster Morgan le fay by her fals craftes made the to agree and con­sente to her fals lustes / but I shalle be sore auengyd vpon her and I lyue that alle Crystendome shalle speke of it / god knoweth / I haue honoured her and worshipped her more than alle my kynne / and more haue I trusted her than myn owne wyf and alle my kynne after /

¶Thenne syr Arthur called the kepars of the felde and said Syrs cometh hyder / for here are we two knyghtes that haue foughten vnto a grete dommage vnto vs both / and lyke echone of vs to haue slayne other / yf it had happed soo / And hadde ony of vs knowen other / here had ben no bataille / nor stroke stryken ¶ Thenne al a lowde cryed Accolon vnto alle the knyghtes and men that were thēne there gadred to gyder / and sayd to them in this manere / O lordes this noble knyghte that I haue foughten with all / the whiche me sore repenteth is the mooste man of prowesse of manhode and of [Page] worship in the world / for it is hym self kynge Arthur our al ther liege lord & with myshap and with mysauēture haue I done this bataill with the kyng and lord that I am holden with all

¶Capitulum xij

THenne alle the peple felle doune on her knees and cryed kynge Arthur mercy / mercy shalle ye haue sayd Arthur / here maye ye see what auentures befallen oftyme of erraunte knyghtes how that I haue foughten with a knyght of myn owne vnto my grete dommage and his bothe /

But syrs by cause I am sore hurte and he bothe / and I had grete nede of a lytel rest / ye shalle vnderstande the oppynyon betwixe yow two bretheren as to the syre Damas / for whom I haue ben champyon and wonne the feld of this knyghte / yet wylle I Iuge by cause ye syre Damas are called an org [...] lous knyghte and full of vylony and not worthe of prowesse of youre dedes / therfor I wylle that ye gyue vnto your bro­der alle the hole manoir with the appertenaūce vnder thys for­me / that sir Ontzelake hold the manoir of yow / and yerely to gyue yow a palfrey to ryde vpon / for that wylle become yow better to ryde on than vpon a courser / Also I charge the syre Damas vpon payne of deth / that thow neuer destresse no knyȝtes erraunte that ryde on their aduenture / And also that thow restore these xx knyghtes that thow hast longe kepte prysoners of all their harneis that they be content for / and yf ony of hem come to my court and complayne of the / by my hede thou shalt dye therfore / Also syre Ontzelake as to yow by cause ye are named a good knyghte and ful of prowesse and true and gentyl in all youre dedes this shalle be youre charge I wylle gyue yow that in al goodely haste ye come vnto me and my courte and ye shalle be a knyghte of myne / and yf your dedes be there after I shall so proferre yow by the grace of god that ye shalle in shorte tyme be in ease for to lyue as worshipfully as your broder syre Damas / God thanke your largenesse of your goodenes & of your bounte / I shall be from hens forward at all tymes at your commaundement / For syr said syr Ontzelake as god wold as I was hurte but late with an aduen­tures knyght thurgh both my thyes that greued me sore / & els [Page] had I done this bataille with yow / god wold sayd Arthur it had ben so / for thenne had not I ben hurte as I am / I shalle telle yow the cause why / for I had not ben hurte as I am hadde not ben myne owne swerd / that was stolen from me by treason / And this bataille was ordeyned afore hand to haue slayne me / and so it was brouȝte to the purpos by fals treason and by fals enchauntement / Allas said syr Ontzela­ke that is greete pyte that euer soo noble a man as ye are of your dedes and prowesse / that ony man or woman myȝt fyn­de in their hertes to worche ony treason ageynst yow / I shalle reward them said Arthur in short tyme by the grace of god Now telle me said Arthur how f [...]r am I from Camelot / syr ye are two dayes iourney ther fro / I wold fayn be at some place of worship said syr Arthur that I myghte reste me / Syre said syr Ontzelake / here by is a ryche abbey of your elders foū dacyon of Nonnes but thre myle hens / So the kynge took his leue of alle the peple / and mounted vpon horsbak / and sir Accolon with hym / And whan they were come to the Abbaye / he lete fetche leche [...] and serche his woundes and Accolons bothe / but syr Accolon dyed within four dayes / for he had bled soo moche blood that he myghte not lyue / but kyng Arthur was wel recouerd / Soo whan Accolon was dede / he lete sende hym on an horsbere with syxe knyghtes vnto Camelot / and said / be­re hym to my syster Morgan le fay / and say that I sende her hym to a presente / and telle her I haue my swerd Excalibur and the scaubard / soo they departed with the body

¶Capitulum xiij

THe meane whyle Morgan le fay hadde wend kynge Arthur had ben dede / soo on a day she aspyed kynge Vryens lay in his bedde slepynge / thenne she called vnto her a mayden of her counceyll / & said go fetche me my lordes swerd for I sawe neuer better tyme to slee hym than now /

¶O Madame sayd the damoysel / and ye slee my lord ye can neuer escape / Care not yow said Morgan le fay / for now I see my tyme in the whiche it is best to doo hit / And therfor hye the fast and fetche me the suerd / Thēne the damoisel departed [Page] fonde syre Vwayne slepynge vpon a bedde in another chamber soo she wente vnto [...]ire Vwayne and awaked hym / and badde hym aryse and wayte on my lady youre moder / for she wille slee the kynge your fader slepynge in his bedde / for I goo to fetche his swerd / wel said syr Vwayne go on your waye / and lete me dele / Anone the damoysel brought Morgan the swerd with quakynge handes / and lyghtely took the swerd / & pul­led it out / and wente boldely vnto the beddes syde / and awayted how and where she myght sle hym best / And as she lyfte vp the swerd to smyte / sir Vwayne lepte vnto his moder and caughte her by the hand and sayd A fende what wilt thow do And thow were not my moder with this swerd I shold smyte of thy hede / A sayd syr Vwayn men saith that Merlyn was begoten of a deuylle / but I may saye an erthely deuylle bare me / O fayre sone Vwayne haue mercy vpon me / I was tempted with a deuylle / wherfore I crye the mercy / I wylle neuer more doo soo and saue my worship and discouer me not / On this couenaunt said syr Vwayne I wille forgyue it yow / soo ye wille neuer be aboute to doo suche dedes / Nay sone said she / & that I make yow assuraunce /

¶Capitulum xiiij

THenne came tydynges vnto Morgan le fay that Ac­colon was dede / and his body brought vnto the chirche And how kynge Arthur had his swerd ageyne / But whanne Quene Morgan wyste that Accolon was dede / she was soo sorouful that nere hir herte to brast / But by cause she wold not it were knowen / oute ward she kepte her counte­ce naun / & maade no semblaunt of sorowe / But wel she wyste and she abode tyll her broder Arthur cam thyder / there shold no gold goo for her lyf

¶Thenne she wente vnto Quene Gweneuer / and asked her leue to ryde in to the countreye / ye maye abyde sayde Quene Gweneuer tyll youre brother the kynge come home / I maye not sayde Morgan le fay / for I haue suche hasty tydynges / that I maye not tary / wel saide Gueneuer ye maye departe [Page] whanne ye wille / Soo erly on the morne or hit was daye she tooke her hors and rode alle that daye and mooste parte of the nyghte / And on the morn by none she cam to the same Abbay of Nonnes / where as lay kyng arthur / & she knowyng he was there she asked where he was / And they ansuerd how he had leyd hym in his bed to slepe / for he had had but lytel reste these thre nyghtes / Wel said she I charge yow that none of yow awake hym tyl I doo / and thenne she alyghte of her hors / & thoughte for to stele awey Excalibur his swerd / and soo she wente streyghte vnto his chamber / And noo man durste dys­obeye her commaundement / and there she fond Arthur a slepe in his bedde and Excalibur in his ryght hand naked / Whan she sawe that she was passynge heuy that she myghte not [...] ­me by the swerd withoute she had awaked hym / and thenne she wyst wel she had ben dede / Thenne she tooke the scaubard and wente her wey on horsbak / whan the kynge awoke and myssed his scaubard / he was wrothe / and he asked who had ben there / and they said his syster quene Morgan had ben ther and had put the scaubard vnder her mantel and was gone / Allas sayd Arthur falsly ye haue watched me / Syre sayd they alle we durste not disobeye your systers commaundement A said the kynge lete fetche the best hors maye be founde / And byd syre Ontzlake arme hym in al hast / and take another go­od hors and ryde with me / Soo anone the kynge and Ontzelake were wel armed / and rode after this lady / and soo they cam by a crosse and found a Cowherd / and they asked the poure man yf ther cam ony lady late rydynge that way / Syre said this poure man / ryght late cam a lady rydynge with a xl horses / and to yonder forest she rode / Thenne they spored theire horses / and folowed fast / And within a whyle Arthur had a syghte of Morgan le fay / thenne he chaced as fast as he my­ghte / whanne she aspyed hym folowynge her / she rode a gretter paas thorowe the forest tyl she cam to a playne / And whanne she sawe she myghte not escape she rode vnto a lake ther by / & sayd what soo euer come of me / my broder shall not haue this scaubard / And thenne she lete throwe the scauberd in the de­pest of the water soo it sanke / for it was heuy of gold and precious stones ¶ Thenne she rode in to a valeye [Page] where many grete stones were / And whan she sawe she muste be ouertake she shope her self hors and man by enchauntemēt vnto a grete marbyl stone / Anone with al cam Syr Arthur / and syr Ontzelake where as the kynge myght knowe his syster and her men / and one knyght from another / A sayd the kynge here may ye see the vengeaunce of god / and now am I sory that this mysauenture is befalle / & thenne he loked for the scaubard / but it wold not be founde / so he retorned to the Ab­beye there he came fro / So whan Arthur was gone / she torned alle in to the lykenesse as she and they were before / and sa­yd syrs now may we goo where we wylle /

¶Capitulum xv

THenne said Morgan sawe ye Arthur my broder / ye said 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 knyȝt on his hors before hym boun­de hand and foote blyndefeld to haue drouned hym in a fon­tayne / whan she sawe this knyȝt 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 knyȝt is it trouthe y ^t he sa­ith 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 Acoo­lon 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 kny­ght 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 [Page] 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 Ca­melot / 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 ky­nge 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 stones that euer the kynge sawe / And the damoysel saide youre syster sendeth yow this mantel / and desyreth that ye shold ta­ke this gyfte of her / And in what thyng she hath offended you she wille amende it at youre owne pleasyr / whan the kyng beheld this mantel it pleasyd hym moche / but he said but lytel

¶Capitulum xvj

WYth that came the damoysel of the lake vnto the kyng and said syr I must speke with yow in pryuyte / say on said the kynge what ye wille / Syr sayd the damoysel put not on yow this mantel tyl ye haue sene more / and in no wyse lete it not come on yow nor on no knyghte of yours tyl ye commaunde the brynger therof to put it vpon her / wel said ky­nge Arthur / It shalle be done as ye counceille me / And thenne he said vnto the damoysel that cam fro his sister / damoisel this mantel that ye haue brought me I wille see it vpon yow / syr she said / it wille not biseme me to were a kynges garment / by my hede said Arthur / ye shalle were it or it come on my bak or ony mans that here is / and so the kyng made it to be putt vpon her / And forth with al she felle doune dede / and neuer more [Page] spake word after and brente to coles / Thenne was the kyng wonderly wrothe more than he was to fore hand / and sayd vnto kynge Vryens my syster your wyf is alwey aboute to bytraye me / and wel I wote outher ye or my neuewe youre sone is of counceille with her to haue me destroyed / But as for yow said the kyng to kynge Vryens I deme not gretely that ye be of her counceill / For Acoolon confessyd to me by his own mouth that she wold haue destroyed yow as wel as me ther for I hold yow excused / But as for your sone Syr Vwa­yn I hold hym suspect / therfore I charge yow put hym oute of my courte / So syr Vwayne was discharged / And whanne Syr Gawayne wyst that he made hym redy to go with hym / & said who so bannyssheth my cosyn germayn / shal bannysshe me Soo they two departed / and rode in to a grete forest / and soo they came to an Abbay of Monkes / and ther were wel lodged But whanne the kynge wyst that syr Gawayne was depar­ted from the Courte / ther was made grete sorowe amonge alle the estat [...]s / Now sayd Gaherys Gawayns broder we haue lost two good knyghtes for the loue of one / So on the morne they herd their masses in the abbay / and so they rode forth tyl that they came to a grete forest / thenne was syr Gawayne ware in a valey by a turret xij fayre damoysels / and two knyghtes armed on grete horses / and the damoysels wente to and fro by a tree / And thenne was syr Gawayne ware how there henge a whyte shelde on that tree / And euer as the damoysels cam by it / they spytte vpon it / and some threwe myre vpon the sheld /

¶Capitulum xvij

THenne syr Gawayne and syr Vwayne wente and salewed them / and asked why they dyd that despyte to the shelde / Syrs saiden the damoysels / we shalle telle yow / There is a knyght in this coūtrey that oweth this whyte sheld and he is a passyng good man of his handes / but he hateth al ladyes and gentylwymmen / and therfor we doo alle this des­pyte to the shelde / I shal say yow said syr gawayne / hit byse­meth euylle a good knyghte to despyse all ladyes and gentilwymmen / And parauentur though he hate yow he hath somme [Page] And parauenture he loueth in somme other places ladyes and gentylwymmen / and to be loued ageyne / and he be suche a mā of prowesse as ye speke of / Now what is his name / syr sayd they / his name is Marhaus the kynges sone of Irelond / I knowe hym wel sayd syre Vwayne / he is a passynge good knyght as ony is on lyne / for I sawe hym ones preued at a Iustes where many knyghtes were gadered / and that tyme ther myghte no man withstande hym / A sayd syr Gawayne Damoysels me thynketh ye are to blame / for hit is to suppose / he that henge that sheld ther / he wille not be longe ther fro / & thenne may tho knyghtes matche hym on horsbak / and that is more your worship than thus / For I wille abyde no len­ger to see a knyghtes sheld dishonoured / And therwith syre Vwayne and Gawayne departed a lytel fro them / And thenne were they ware where syre Marhaus cam rydynge on a grete hors streyghte toward them / And whanne the xij damoy­sels sawe syr Marhaus they fled in to the turret as they we­re wylde so that somme of them felle by the wey / Thenne the one of the knyghtes of the Toure dressid his shelde and said on hyghe syr Marhaus defende the / and soo they ranne to gy­ders that the knyȝt brake his spere on Marhaus / & Marhaus smote hym so hard that he brake his neck and the hors back / That sawe the other knyght of the turret and dressyd hym to­ward Marhaus / and they mette so egrely to gyders that the knyhht of the Turret was soone smyten doune hors and man stark dede /