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  ‘Thys ys a grete mervayle,’ seyde Arthure. ‘If thys be sothe I woll assay myselffe to draw oute the swerde, nat presumynge myselff that I — am the beste knyght; but I woll begynne to draw youre swerde in gyvyng an insample to all the barownes, that they shall assay everych one aftir othir whan I have assayde.’

  Than Arthure toke the swerde by the sheethe and gurdil and pulled at hit egirly, but the swerde wolde nat oute.

  ‘Sir,’ seyd the damesell, ye nede nat for to pulle halffe so sore, for he that shall pulle hit oute shall do hit with litill myght.’

  ‘Ye sey well,’ seyde Arthure. ‘Now asssay ye all, my barownes.”But beware ye be nat defoyled with shame, trechory, nother gyle, for than hit woll nat avayle,’ seyde the damesel, ‘for he muste be a clene knyght withoute vylony and of jantill strene of fadir syde and of modir syde.’

  The moste parte of all the barownes of the Rounde Table that were there at that tyme assayde all be rew, but there myght none spede. Wherefore the damesel made grete sorow oute of mesure and seyde, ‘Alas! I wente in this courte had bene the beste knyghtes of the worlde withoute trechory other treson.’

  ‘Be my faythe,’ seyde Arthure, ‘here ar good knyghtes as I deme as ony be in the worlde, but their grace ys nat to helpe you, wherefore I am sore displeased.’

  [2] Than hit befelle so that tyme there was a poore knyght with kynge Arthure that had bene presonere with hym half a yere for sleyng of a knyght which was cosyne unto kynge Arthure. And the name of thys knyght was called Balyne, and by good meanys of the barownes he was delyverde oute of preson, for he was a good man named of his body, and he was borne in Northehumbirlonde. And so he wente pryvaly into the courte and saw thys adventure whereoff hit reysed his herte, and wolde assayde as othir knyghtes ded. But for he was poore and poorly arayde, he put hymselff nat far in prees. But in hys herte he was fully assured to do as well if hys grace happed hym as ony knyght that there was. And as the damesell toke her leve of Arthure and of all the barownes, so departynge, thys knyght Balyn called unto her and seyde, ‘Damesell, I pray you of youre curteysy suffir me as well to assay as thes other lordis. Thoughe that I be pourely arayed yet in my herte mesemyth I am fully assured as som of thes other, and mesemyth in myne herte to spede ryght welle.’

  Thys damesell than behelde thys poure knyght and saw he was a lyckly man; but for hys poure araymente she thought he sholde nat be of no worship withoute vylony or trechory. And than she seyde unto that knyght, ‘Sir, hit nedith nat you to put me to no more payne, for hit semyth nat you to spede thereas all thes othir knyghtes have fayled.’

  ‘A, fayre damesell,’ seyde Balyn, ‘worthynes and good tacchis and also good dedis is nat only in araymente, but manhode and worship ys hyd within a mannes person; and many a worshipfull knyght ys nat knowyn unto all peple. And therefore worship and hardynesse ys nat in araymente.’

  ‘Be God,’ seyde the damesell, ‘ye sey soth, therefore ye shall assay to do what ye may.’

  Than Balyn toke the swerde by the gurdyll and shethe and drew hit oute easyly; and whan he loked on the swerde hit pleased hym muche. Than had the kynge and all the barownes grete mervayle that Balyne had done that aventure; many knyghtes had grete despite at hym.

  ‘Sertes,’ seyde the damesell, ‘thys ys a passynge good knyght and the beste that ever y founde, and moste of worship withoute treson, trechory, or felony. And many mervayles shall he do. Now, jantyll and curtayse knyght, geff me the swerde agayne.’

  ‘Nay,’ seyde Balyne, ‘for thys swerde woll I kepe but hit be takyn fro me with force.’

  ‘Well,’ seyde the damesell, ye ar nat wyse to kepe the swerde fro me, for ye shall sle with that swerde the beste frende that ye have and the man that ye moste love in the worlde, and that swerde shall be youre destruccion.’

  ‘I shall take the aventure,’ seyde Balyn, ‘that God woll ordayne for me. But the swerde ye shall nat have at thys tyme, by the feythe of my body!’

  ‘Ye shall repente hit within shorte tyme,’ seyde the damesell, ‘for I wolde have the swerde more for youre avauntage than for myne; for I am passynge hevy for youre sake, for and ye woll nat leve that swerde hit shall be youre destruccion, and that ys grete pité.’

  So with that departed the damesell and grete sorow she made. And anone afftir Balyn sente for hys horse and armoure, and so wolde departe frome the courte, and toke his leve of kynge Arthure. ‘Nay,’ seyde the kynge, ‘I suppose ye woll nat departe so lyghtly from thys felyship. I suppose that ye ar displesyd that I have shewed you unkyndnesse. But blame me the lesse, for I was mysseinfourmed ayenste you: but I wente ye had nat bene such a knyght as ye ar of worship and prouesse. And if ye woll abyde in thys courte amonge my felyship, I shall so avaunce you as ye shall be pleased.’

  ‘God thanke youre Hyghnesse,’ seyde Balyne. ‘Youre bounté may no man prayse halff unto the valew, butt at thys tyme I muste nedis departe, besechynge you allway of youre good grace.’

  ‘Truly,’ seyde the kynge, ‘I am ryght wroth of youre departynge. But I pray you, fayre knyght, that ye tarry nat longe frome me, and ye shall be ryght wellcom unto me and to my barownes, and I shall amende all mysse that I have done agaynste you.’

  ‘God thanke youre good grace,’ seyde Balyn, and therewith made hym redy to departe. Than the moste party of the knyghtes of the Rounde Table seyde that Balyne dud nat this adventure all only by myght but by wycchecrauflte.

  [3] So the meanwhyle that thys knyght was makynge hym redy to departe, there com into the courte the Lady of the Laake, and she com on horsebacke rychely beseyne, and salewed kynge Arthure and there asked hym a gyffte that he promysed her whan she gaff hym the swerde.

  ‘That ys sothe,’ seyde Arthure, ‘a gyffte I promysed you, but I have forgotyn the name of my swerde that ye gaff me.’

  ‘The name of hit,’ seyde the lady, ys Excalibir, that ys as muche to sey as Kutte Stele.’

  ‘Ye sey well,’ seyde the kynge. ‘Aske what ye woll and ye shall have hit and hit lye in my power to gyff hit.’

  ‘Well,’ seyde thys lady, ‘than I aske the hede of thys knyght that hath wonne the swerde, othir ellis the damesels hede that brought hit. I take no force though I have both theire hedis: for he slew my brothir, a good knyght and a trew; and that jantillwoman was causer of my fadirs death.’

  ‘Truly,’ seyde kynge Arthure, ‘I may nat graunte you nother of theire hedys with my worship; therefore aske what ye woll els, and I shall fulfille youre desire.’

  ‘I woll aske none other thynge,’ seyde the lady.

  So whan Balyn was redy to departe, he saw the Lady of the Lake which by hir meanys had slayne hys modir; and he had sought hir three yere before. And whan hit was tolde hym how she had asked hys hede of kynge Arthure, he wente to hir streyght and seyde, ‘Evyll be ye founde: ye wolde have myne hede, and therefore ye shall loose youres!’

  And with hys swerde lyghtly he smote of hyr hede before kynge Arthure.

  ‘Alas, for shame!’ seyde the kynge. ‘Why have ye do so? Ye have shamed me and all my courte, for thys lady was a lady that I was much beholdynge to, and hyder she com undir my sauffconduyghte. Therefore I shall never forgyff you that trespasse.’

  ‘Sir,’ seyde Balyne, ‘me forthynkith of youre displeasure, for this same lady was the untrwyste lady lyvynge, and by inchauntement and by sorcery she hath bene the destroyer of many good knyghtes, and she was causer that my modir was brente thorow hir falsehode and trechory.’

  ‘For what cause soever ye had,’ seyde Arthure, ‘ye sholde have forborne in my presence. Therefore thynke nat the contrary: ye shall repente hit, for such anothir despite had I nevir in my courte. Therefore withdraw you oute of my courte in all the haste that ye may.’

  Than Balyn toke up the hede of the lady and bare hit With hym to hys ostry, and there mette with hys squyre that was sory he had displeased kynge Arthure, and so they rode forthe oute of towne.

  ‘Now,’ seyde Balyne, ‘we muste departe; therefore take thou thys hede and bere hit to my frendis and tell
e hem how I have spedde, and telle hem in Northhumbirlonde how my moste foo ys dede. Also telle hem how I am oute of preson, and what adventure befelle me at the getynge of this swerde.’

  ‘Alas!’ seyde the squyre, ‘ye ar gretly to blame for to displease kynge Arthure.’

  ‘As for that,’ seyde Balyne, ‘I woll hyghe me in all the haste that I may to mete with kyng Royns and destroy hym, othir ellis to dye therefore. And iff hit may happe me to wynne hym, than woll kynge Arthure be my good frende.’

  ‘Sir, wher shall I mete with you?’ seyde his squyre.

  ‘In kynge Arthurs courte,’ seyde Balyne. So his squyre and he departed at that tyme. Than kynge Arthure and all the courte made grete dole and had grete shame of the Lady of the Lake. Than the kynge buryed hir rychely.

  [4] So at that tyme there was a knyght, the which was the kynges son of Irelonde, and hys name was Launceor, the which was an orgulus knyght and accompted hymselff one of the beste of the courte. And he had grete despite at Balyne for the enchevynge of the swerde, that ony sholde be accompted more hardy or more of prouesse, and he asked kynge Arthure licence to ryde afftir Balyne and to revenge the despite that he had done.

  ‘Do youre beste,’ seyde Arthur. ‘I am ryght wrothe with Balyne. I wolde he were quytte of the despite that he hath done unto me and my courte.’

  Than thys Launceor wente to his ostré to make hym redy. So in the meanewhyle com Merlyon unto the courte of kynge Arthure, and anone was tolde hym the adventure of the swerde and the deth of the Lady of the Lake.

  ‘Now shall I sey you,’ seyde Merlion; ‘thys same damesell that here stondith, that brought the swerde unto youre courte, I shall telle you the cause of hir commynge. She ys the falsist damesell that lyveth — she shall nat sey nay! For she hath a brothir, a passyng good knyght of proues and a full trew man, and thys damesell loved anothir knyght that hylde her as paramoure. And thys good knyght, her brothir, mette with the knyght that helde hir to paramoure, and slew hym by force of hys hondis. And whan thys false damesell undirstoode this she wente to the lady Lyle of Avylion and besought hir of helpe to be revenged on hir owne brothir.

  [5] ‘And so thys lady Lyle of Avylion toke hir this swerde that she brought with hir, and tolde there sholde no man pulle hit oute of the sheethe but yf he be one of the beste knyghtes of thys realme, and he sholde be hardy and full of prouesse; and with that swerde he sholde sle hys brothir. Thys was the cause, damesell, that ye com into thys courte. I know hit as well as ye. God wolde ye had nat come here; but ye com never in felyship of worshipfful folke for to do good, but allwayes grete harme. And that knyght that hath encheved the swerde shall be destroyed thorow the swerde; for the which woll be grete damage, for there lyvith nat a knyght of more prouesse than he ys. And he shall do unto you, my lorde Arthure, grete honoure and kyndnesse; and hit ys grete pité he shall nat endure but a whyle, for of his strengthe and hardinesse I know hym nat lyvynge hys macche.’

  So thys knyght of Irelonde armed hym at all poyntes and dressed his shylde on hys sholdir and mownted uppon horsebacke and toke hys glayve in hys honde, and rode aftir a grete pace as muche as hys horse myght dryve. And within a litill space on a mowntayne he had a syght of Balyne, and with a lowde voice he cryde, Abyde, knyght! for ells ye shall abyde whethir ye woll other no. And the shelde that ys tofore you shall nat helpe you,’ seyde thys Iryshe knyght, ‘therefore com I affter you.’

  ‘Peradventure,’ seyde Balyne, ‘ye had bene bettir to have holde you at home. For many a man wenyth to put hys enemy to a rebuke, and of te hit fallith on hymselff. Oute of what courte be ye com fro?’ seyde Balyn.

  ‘I am com frome the courte of kynge Arthure,’ seyde the knyght of Irelonde, ‘that am com hydir to revenge the despite ye dud thys day unto kynge Arthure and to his courte.’

  ‘Well,’ seyde Balyne, ‘I se well I must have ado with you; that me forthynkith that I have greved kynge Arthure or ony of hys courte. And youre quarell ys full symple,’ seyde Balyne, ‘unto me; for the lady that ys dede dud to me grete damage, and ellis I wolde have bene lothe as ony knyght that lyvith for to sle a lady.’

  ‘Make you redy,’ seyde the knyght Launceor, and dresse you unto me, for that one shall abyde in the fylde.’

  Than they fewtred their spearis in their restis and com togidirs as muche as their horsis myght dryve. And the Irysh knyght smote Balyn on the shylde that all wente to shyvers of hys spere. And Balyne smote hym agayne thorow the shylde, and the hawbirk perysshed, and so bore hym thorow the body and over the horse crowper; and anone turned hys horse fersely and drew oute hys swerde, and wyst nat that he had slayne hym.

  Than he saw hym lye as a dede corse, he loked aboute hym and [6] was ware of a damesel that com rydynge full faste as the horse myght dryve, on a fayre palferey. And whan she aspyed that Launceor was slayne she made sorow oute of mesure and seyde, ‘A! Balyne, two bodyes thou haste slain in one herte, and two hertes in one body, and two soules thou hast loste.’

  And therewith she toke the swerde frome hir love that lay dede, and felle to the grounde in a swowghe. And whan she arose she made grete dole oute of mesure, which sorow greved Balyn passyngly sore. And he wente unto hir for to have tane the swerde oute of hir honde; but she helde hit so faste he myght nat take hit oute of hir honde but yf he sholde have hurte hir. And suddeynly she sette the pomell to the grounde, and rove hirselff thorowoute the body.

  Whan Balyne aspyed hir dedis he was passynge hevy in his herte and ashamed that so fayre a damesell had destroyed hirselff for the love of hys dethe. ‘Alas!’ seyde Balyn, ‘me repentis sore the dethe of thys knyght for the love of thys damesel, for there was muche trw love betwyxte hem.’ And so for sorow he myght no lenger beholde them, but turned hys horse and loked towarde a fayre foreste.

  And than was he ware by hys armys that there com rydyng hys brothir Balan. And whan they were mette they put of hyr helmys and kyssed togydirs and wepte for joy and pité. Than Balan seyde, ‘Brothir, I litill wende to have mette with you at thys suddayne adventure, but I am ryght glad of youre delyveraunce of youre dolerous presonment: for a man tolde me in the Castell of Four Stonys that ye were delyverde, and that man had seyne you in the courte of kynge Arthure. And therefore I com hydir into thys contrey, for here I supposed to fynde you.’

  And anone Balyne tolde hys brothir of hys adventure of the swerde and the deth of the Lady of the Laake, and how kynge Arthure was displeased with hym.

  ‘Wherefore he sente thys knyght afftir me that lyethe here dede. And the dethe of thys damesell grevith me sore.’

  ‘So doth hit me,’ seyde Balan. ‘But ye must take the adventure that God woll ordayne you.’

  ‘Truly,’ seyde Balyne, ‘I am ryght hevy that my lorde Arthure ys displeased with me, for he ys the moste worshypfullist kynge that regnith now in erthe; and hys love I woll gete othir ellis I woll putte my lyff in adventure. For kynge Ryons lyeth at the sege of the Castell Terrable, and thydir woll we draw in all goodly haste to preve oure worship and prouesse uppon hym.’

  ‘I woll well,’ seyde Balan, ‘that ye so do; and I woll ryde with you and put my body in adventure with you, as a brothir ought to do.’

  ‘Now go we hense,’ seyde Balyne, ‘and well we beth mette.’ 7

  The meanewhyle as they talked there com a dwarff frome the cité of Camelot on horsebacke as much as he myght, and founde the dede bodyes; wherefore he made grete dole and pulled hys heyre for sorowe and seyde, “Which of two knyghtes have done this dede?’

  ‘Whereby askist thou?’ seyde Balan.

  ‘For I wolde wete,’ seyde the dwarff.

  ‘Hit was I,’ seyde Balyn, ‘that slew this knyght in my defendaunte; for hyder he com to chase me, and othir I muste sle hym other he me. And this damesell slew hirself for his love, which repentith me. And for hir sake I shall owghe all women the bettir wylle and servyse all the dayes of my lyff.’

  ‘Alas!’ seyde the dwarff, ‘thou hast done grete damage unto thyselff. For thys knyght that ys here dede was one of the moste val
yauntis men that lyved. And truste well, Balyne, the kynne of thys knyght woll chase you thorow the worlde tylle they have slayne you.’

  ‘As for that,’ seyde Balyne, ‘the I fere nat gretely; but I am ryght hevy that I sholde displease my lorde, kynge Arthure, for the deth of thys knyght.’

  So as they talked togydirs there com a kynge of Cornuwayle rydyng, which hyght kyng Marke. And whan he saw thes two bodyes dede, and undirstood howe they were dede, by the two knyghtes aboven-seyde, thenne made the kynge grete sorow for the trew love that was betwyxte them, and seyde, ‘I woll nat departe tyll I have on thys erth made a towmbe.’ And there he pyght his pavylyons and sought all the contrey to fynde a towmbe, and in a chirch they founde one was fayre and ryche. And than the kyng lette putte hem bothe in the erthe, and leyde the tombe uppon them, and wrote the namys of hem bothe on the tombe, how ‘here lyeth Launceor, the kyngis son of Irelonde, that at hys owne rekeyste was slayne by the hondis of Balyne,’ and how ‘this lady Columbe and peramour to hym slew hirself with hys swerde for dole and sorow.

  [8] The meanewhyle as thys was adoynge, in com Merlion to kynge Marke and saw all thys doynge.

  ‘Here shall be,’ seyde Merlion, ‘in this same place the grettist bateyle betwyxte two knyghtes that ever was or ever shall be, and the trewyst lovers; and yette none of hem shall slee other.’

  And there Merlion wrote hir namys uppon the tombe with lettirs of golde, that shall feyght in that place: which namys was Launcelot du Lake and Trystrams.

  ‘Thou art a merveylous man,’ seyde kynge Marke unto Merlion, ‘that spekist of such mervayles. Thou arte a boysteous man and an unlyckly, to telle of suche dedis. What ys thy name?’ seyde kynge Marke.