The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round TableMalory, Thomas, Sir
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The Boy's King Arthur: Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table
Malory, Thomas, Sir
Arthur, King -- Legends; Arthurian romances -- Adaptations; Folklore -- England; Knights and knighthood -- Folklore
"Gramercy," [_thanks_] said Sir Ector, and departed and came to the
tree, and saw many fair shields, and among them he saw his brother's
shield, Sir Lionel, and many more that he knew that were his fellows
of the Round Table, the which grieved his heart, and he promised to
revenge his brother. Then anon Sir Ector beat on the basin as he were
wood [_crazy_], and then he gave his horse drink at the ford: and
there came a knight behind him and bade him come out of the water and
make him ready; and Sir Ector anon turned him shortly, and in fewter
cast[10] his spear, and smote the other knight a great buffet that his
horse turned twice about.
[Footnote 10: "In fewter cast his spear," _in rest placed his spear_.]
"This was well done," said the strong knight, "and knightly thou hast
stricken me:" and therewith he rushed his horse on Sir Ector and caught
him under his right arm, and bare him clean out of the saddle, and rode
with him away into his own hall, and threw him down in the midst of the
floor. The name of this knight was Sir Turquine. Then he said unto Sir
Ector, "For thou hast done this day more unto me than any knight did
these twelve years, now will I grant thee thy life, so thou wilt be
sworn to be my prisoner all thy life-days."
"Nay," said Sir Ector, "that will I never promise thee, but that I will
do mine advantage."
"That me repenteth," said Sir Turquine.
And then he made to unarm him, and beat him with thorns all naked,
and after put him down in a deep dungeon, where he knew many of his
fellows. But when Sir Ector saw Sir Lionel, then made he great sorrow.
"Alas, brother," said Sir Ector, "where is my brother Sir Launcelot?"
"Fair brother, I left him on sleep when that I from him went, under an
apple tree, and what is become of him I cannot tell you."
"Alas," said the knights, "but Sir Launcelot help us we may never be
delivered, for we know now no knight that is able to match our master
Turquine."
* * * * *
Now leave we these knights prisoners, and speak we of Sir Launcelot
du Lake that lieth under the apple tree sleeping. Even about the noon
there came by him four queens of great estate; and, for the heat of the
sun should not annoy them, there rode four knights about them and bare
a cloth of green silk on four squares, betwixt them and the sun, and
the queens rode on four white mules.
Thus as they rode they heard by them a great horse grimly neigh, and
then were they ware of a sleeping knight that lay all armed under an
apple tree; anon as these queens looked on his face they knew that it
was Sir Launcelot. Then they began for to strive for that knight; every
one said she would have him to her love.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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