Le Morte Darthur / by Syr Thomas Malory ; the original edition of William Caxton now reprinted and edited with an introduction and glossary by H. Oskar Sommer ; with an essay on Malory's prose style by Andrew Lang

¶ Capitulum xiij

ANd thēne rode melyas in to an old forest / and therin he rode two dayes and more / And thenne he came in to a fayr medowe / and there was a fayr lodge of bowes / And thenne he aspyed in that lodge a chayer wherin was a crown of gold subtyly wroughte / Also there were clothes couerd vpon the erthe / and many delycious metes sette theron / Sir Melyadas behelde this auenture and thoughte hit merueillous/ but he had no honger / but of the croune of gold he took moch kepe / and there with he stouped doune and took hit vp / and rode his way with it / And anone he sawe a knyght came rydynge after hym that sayd / knyghte sette doune that crowne/ whiche is not yours / & therfor defendeth yow / Thenne syre Melyas blessid hym and said Fair lord of heuen helpe and saue thy newe made knyght / & thenne they lete theire horses renne as fast as they myȝt / so that the other knyȝt smote sir melias

[leaf 315v] thorou hauberk and thorow the lyfte syde that he felle to the erthe nyghe dede / And thenne he took the crowne and went his way and syr Melyas lay stylle and had no power to stere / In the meane whyle by fortune ther came syre Galahad and fond hym there in perille of dethe / And thenne he said A melyas who hath wounded yow / therfor hit had ben better to haue ryden the other way / And whanne sir Melyas herd hym speke / syre he sayd for goddes loue lete me not dye in this forest / but bere me vnto the Abbay here besyde that I may be confessyd and haue my ryghtes / It shal be done said Galahad / but where is he that hath wounded yow / with that syr Galahad herd in the leues crye on hyghe / knyght kepe the from me A syr said Melyas / Beware / For that is he that hath slayne me / Sir Galahad ansuerd syr knyghte come on your perylle/ Thenne eyther dressid to other and came to gyder as fast as their horses myghte renne / and Galahad smote hym soo that hys spere wente thorou his sholder / and smote hym doune of his hors / and in the fallyng Galahadis spere brak / with that cam oute another knyghte of the leues / and brake a spere vpon Galahad or euer he myghte torne hym / Thenne Galahad drewe oute his swerd and smote of the lyfte arme of hym soo that it felle to the erthe / And thenne he fledde / and sire Galahad sewed fast after hym / And thenne he torned ageyne vnto syr Melyas / and there he alyghte and dressid hym softely on his hors to fore hym for the truncheon of his spere was in his body / and syr Galahad sterte vp behynde hym / and helde hym in his armes / and soo broughte hym to the Abbay / and there vnarmed hym and broughte hym to his chamber / And thenne he asked his saueour / And whanne he had receyued hym he said vnto syr galahad / syr lete deth come whan it pleasyd hym And there with he drewe oute the truncheon of the spere oute of his body / And thenne he swouned / Thenne came there an olde monke whiche somtyme had ben a knyghte & behelde syre Melyas / And anone he ransakyd hym / & thenne he saide vnto syr Galahad I shal hele hym of this woūde by the grace of god within the terme of seuen wekes / Thenne was sir galahad glad and vnarmed hym / & said he wold abyde there thre dayes And thenne he asked syr Melyas how it stood with hym /

[leaf 316r] Thenne he sayd he was torned vnto helpyng god be thanked