Le Morte Darthur
Book treateth of queen Guenever and Launcelot, and containeth xiii
chapters. The Twentieth Book treateth of the piteous death of Arthur,
and containeth xxii chapters. The Twenty-first Book treateth of his
last departing, and how Sir Launcelot came to revenge his death, and
containeth xiii chapters. The sum is twenty-one books, which contain
the sum of five hundred and seven chapters, as more plainly shall
follow hereafter.
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The Table or Rubrysshe
of the
Content of Chapters.
Shortly of the First Book of King Arthur.
First how Uther Pendragon sent for the duke of Cornwall and Igraine his
wife, and of their departing suddenly again. Chap. i.
How Uther Pendragon made war on the duke of Cornwall, and how by the
means of Merlin he made the duchess his queen. Chap. ii.
Of the birth of king Arthur, and of his nouriture, and of the death of
king Uther Pendragon; and how Arthur was chosen king; and of wonders
and marvels of a sword that was taken out of a stone by the said
Arthur. Chap. iii.
How king Arthur pulled out the sword divers times. Chap. iv.
How king Arthur was crowned and how he made officers. Chap. v.
How king Arthur held in Wales, at a Pentecost, a great feast, and what
kings and lords came to his feast. Chap. vi.
Of the first war that king Arthur had, and how he won the field. Chap.
vii.
How Merlin counselled king Arthur to send for king Ban and king Bors,
and of their counsel taken for the war. Chap. viii.
Of a great tourney made by king Arthur and the two kings Ban and Bors,
and how they went over the sea. Chap. ix.
How eleven kings gathered a great host against king Arthur. Chap. x.
Of a dream of the king with the hundred knights. Chap. xi.
How the eleven kings with their host fought against Arthur and his
host, and many great feats of the war. Chap. xii.
Yet of the same battle. Chap. xiii.
Yet more of the same battle. Chap. xiv.
Yet more of the said battle, and how it was ended by Merlin. Chap. xv.
How king Arthur, king Ban, and king Bors rescued king Leodegrance, and
other incidents. Chap. xvi.
How king Arthur rode to Carlion, and of his dream, and how he saw the
questing beast. Chap. xvii.
How king Pellinore took Arthur’s horse and followed the questing beast,
and how Merlin met with Arthur. Chap. xviii.
How Ulfius appeached queen Igraine, Arthur’s mother, of treason; and
how a knight came and desired to have the death of his master
revenged. Chap. xix.
How Griflet was made knight and justed with a knight. Chap. xx.
How twelve knights came from Rome and asked truage for this land of
Arthur, and how Arthur fought with a knight. Chap. xxi.
How Merlin saved Arthur’s life, and threw an enchantment upon king
Pellinore, and made him to sleep. Chap. xxii.
How Arthur by the mean of Merlin got Excalibur his sword of the Lady of
the Lake. Chap. xxiii.
How tidings came to Arthur that king Ryons had overcome eleven kings,
and how he desired Arthur’s beard to trim his mantle. Chap. xxiv.
How all the children were sent for that were born on May-day, and how
Mordred was saved. Chap. xxv.
The Second Book.
Of a damsel which came girded with a sword, for to find a man of such
virtue to draw it out of the scabbard. Chap. i.
How Balin, arrayed like a poor knight, pulled out the sword, which
afterward was cause of his death. Chap. ii.
How the Lady of the Lake demanded the knight’s head that had won the
sword, or the maiden’s head. Chap. iii.
How Merlin told the adventure of this damsel. Chap. iv.
How Balin was pursued by Sir Lanceor, knight of Ireland, and how he
justed and slew him. Chap. v.
How a damsel which was love to Lanceor, slew herself for love, and how
Balin met with his brother Balan. Chap. vi.
How a dwarf reproved Balin for the death of Lanceor, and how king Mark
of Cornwall found them, and made a tomb over them. Chap. vii.
How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the world should
fight there, which were Sir Launcelot and Sir Tristram. Chap. viii.
How Balin and his brother, by the counsel of Merlin, took king Ryons
and brought him to king Arthur. Chap. ix.
How king Arthur had a battle against Nero and king Lot of Orkney; and
how king Lot was deceived by Merlin, and how twelve kings were slain.
Chap. x.
Of the interment of twelve kings, and of the prophecy of Merlin how
Balin should give the dolorous stroke. Chap. xi.
How a sorrowful knight came tofore Arthur, and how Balin fetched him,
and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible. Chap. xii.
How Balin and the damsel met with a knight which was in like wise
slain, and how the damsel bled for the custom of a castle. Chap. xiii.
How Balin met with that knight named Garlon at a feast, and there he
slew him to have his blood to heal therewith the son of his host.
Chap. xiv.
How Balin fought with king Pellam, and how his sword brake, and how he
gat a spear, wherewith he smote the dolorous stroke. Chap. xv.
How Balin was delivered by Merlin, and saved a knight that would have
slain himself for love. Chap. xvi.
How that knight slew his love, and a knight with her; and after how he
slew himself with his own sword, and how Balin rode toward a castle
where he lost his life. Chap. xvii.
How Balin met with his brother Balan, and how each of them slew other
unknown, till they were wounded to death. Chap. xviii.
How Merlin buried them both in one tomb, and of Balin’s sword. Chap.
xix.
Here follow the Chapters of the Third Book.
How king Arthur took a wife, and wedded Guenever daughter to
Leodegrance, king of the land of Cameliard, with whom he had the
Round Table. Chap. i.
How the knights of the Round Table were ordained and their sieges
blessed by the bishop of Canterbury. Chap. ii.
How a poor man riding upon a lean mare desired of king Arthur to make
his son knight. Chap. iii.
How Sir Tor was known for son of king Pellinore, and how Gawaine was
made knight. Chap. iv.
How at the feast of the wedding of king Arthur to Guenever, a white
hart came into the hall, and thirty couple hounds, and how a brachet
pinched the hart, which was taken away. Chap. v.
How Sir Gawaine rode for to fetch again the hart, and how two brethren
fought each against other for the hart. Chap. vi.
How the hart was chased into a castle, and there slain; and how Gawaine
slew a lady. Chap. vii.
How four knights fought against Sir Gawaine and Gaheris, and how they
were overcome and their lives saved at the request of four ladies.
Chap. viii.
How Sir Tor rode after the knight with the brachet, and of his
adventure by the way. Chap. ix.
How Sir Tor found the brachet with a lady, and how a knight assailed
him for the said brachet. Chap. x.
How Sir Tor overcame the knight, and how he lost his head at the
request of a lady. Chap. xi.
How king Pellinore rode after the lady and the knight that led her
away, and how a lady desired help of him, and how he fought with two
knights for that lady, of whom he slew that one at the first stroke.
Chap. xii.
How king Pellinore gat the lady, and brought her to Camelot to the
court of king Arthur. Chap. xiii.
How on the way he heard two knights as he lay by night in a valley, and
of other adventures. Chap. xiv.
How when he was come to Camelot he was sworn upon a book to tell the
truth of his quest. Chap. xv.
Here follow the Chapters of the Fourth Book.
How Merlin was assotted, and doted on one of the ladies of the lake,
and how he was shut in a rock under a stone, and there died. Chap. i.
How five kings came into this land to war against king Arthur, and what
counsel Arthur had against them. Chap. ii.
How king Arthur had ado with them, and overthrew them, and slew the
five kings, and made the remnant to flee. Chap. iii.
How the battle was finished or he came, and how the king founded an
abbey where the battle was. Chap. iv.
How Sir Tor was made knight of the Round Table, and how Bagdemagus was
displeased. Chap. v.
How king Arthur, king Uriens, and Sir Accolon of Gaul chased an hart,
and of their marvellous adventure. Chap. vi.
How Arthur took upon him to fight, to be delivered out of prison, and
also for to deliver twenty knights that were in prison. Chap. vii.
How Accolon found himself by a well, and he took upon him to do battle
against Arthur. Chap. viii.
Of the battle between king Arthur and Accolon. Chap. ix.
How king Arthur’s sword that he fought with brake, and how he recovered
of Accolon his own sword Excalibur, and overcame his enemy. Chap. x.
How Accolon confessed the treason of Morgan le fay, king Arthur’s
sister, and how she would have done slay him. Chap. xi.
How Arthur accorded the two brethren, and delivered the twenty knights,
and how Sir Accolon died. Chap. xii.
How Morgan would have slain Sir Uriens her husband, and how Sir Ewain
her son saved him. Chap. xiii.
How queen Morgan le fay made great sorrow for the death of Accolon, and
how she stole away the scabbard from Arthur. Chap. xiv.
How Morgan le fay saved a knight that should have been drowned, and how
king Arthur returned home again. Chap. xv.
How the damsel of the lake saved king Arthur from a mantle which should
have burnt him. Chap. xvi.
How Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewain met with twelve fair damsels, and how
they complained on Sir Marhaus. Chap. xvii.
How Sir Marhaus justed with Sir Gawaine and Sir Ewain, and overthrew
them both. Chap. xviii.
How Sir Marhaus, Sir Gawaine, and Sir Ewain met three damsels, and each
of them took one. Chap. xix.
How a knight and a dwarf strove for a lady. Chap. xx.
How king Pelleas suffered himself to be taken prisoner because he would
have a sight of his lady, and how Sir Gawaine promised him for to get
to him the love of his lady. Chap. xxi.
How Sir Gawaine came to the lady Ettard, and how Sir Pelleas found them
sleeping. Chap. xxii.
How Sir Pelleas loved no more Ettard, by the mean of the damsel of the
lake, whom he loved ever after. Chap. xxiii.
How Sir Marhaus rode with the damsel, and how he came to the duke of
the South Marches. Chap. xxiv.
How Sir Marhaus fought with the duke and his six sons, and made them to
yield them. Chap. xxv.
How Sir Ewain rode with the damsel of sixty year of age, and how he gat
the prize at tourneying. Chap. xxvi.
How Sir Ewain fought with two knights, and overcame them. Chap. xxvii.
How at the year’s end all three knights with their three damsels met at
the fountain. Chap. xxviii.
Of the Fifth Book the Chapters follow.
How twelve aged ambassadors of Rome came to king Arthur to demand
truage for Britain. Chap. i.
How the kings and lords promised to king Arthur aid and help against
the Romans. Chap. ii.
How king Arthur held a parliament at York, and how he ordained how the
realm should be governed in his absence. Chap. iii.
How king Arthur being shipped, and lying in his cabin, had a marvellous
dream, and of the exposition thereof. Chap. iv.
How a man of the country told to him of a marvellous giant, and how he
fought and conquered him. Chap. v.
How king Arthur sent Sir Gawaine and other to Lucius, and how they were
assailed and escaped with worship. Chap. vi.
How Lucius sent certain spies in a bushment, for to have taken his
knights, being prisoners, and how they were letted. Chap. vii.