Le Morte Darthur
of England after the death of Sir Launcelot, but that was but favour of
makers. For the French book maketh mention, and is authorised, that Sir
Bors, Sir Ector, Sir Blamor, and Sir Bleoberis, went into the holy
land, there as Jesu Christ was quick and dead, and anon as they had
stablished their lands; for the book saith so Sir Launcelot commanded
them for to do, or ever he passed out of this world. And these four
knights did many battles upon the miscreants or Turks. And there they
died upon a Good Friday, for God’s sake.
Here is the end of the whole book of king Arthur, and of his noble
knights of the Round Table, that when they were whole together there
was ever an hundred and forty. And here is the end of the Death of
Arthur. I pray you all gentlemen and gentlewomen that read this book of
Arthur and his knights from the beginning to the ending, pray for me
while I am on live that God send me good deliverance, and when I am
dead, I pray you all pray for my soul; for this book was ended the
ninth year of the reign of king Edward the Fourth by Sir Thomas
Maleore, knight, as Jesu help him for his great might, as he is the
servant of Jesu both day and night.
¶ Thus endeth thys noble and Ioyous book entytled le morte Darthur /
Notwithstondyng it treateth of the byrth / lyf / and actes of the sayd
kynge Arthur / of his noble knyghtes of the rounde table / theyr
meruayllous enquestes and aduentures / thachyeuyng of the sangreal / &
in thende the dolourous deth & departyng out of thys world of them al /
Whiche book was reduced in to englysshe by syr Thomas Malory knyght as
afore is sayd / and by me deuyded in to xxi bookes chapytred and
enprynted / and fynysshed in thabbey westmestre the last day of Iuyl
the yere of our lord M/CCCC/lxxx/V/
¶ Caxton me fieri fecit.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE A.
_See Introduction, page xxxii. note 1_.
‘Oh ye mighty and pompous lords, shining in the glory transitory of
this unstable life, as in reigning over realms great, and mighty
countries, fortified with strong castles and towers, edified with many
a rich city. Ye also, ye fierce and mighty chivalers, so valiant in
adventurous deeds of arms, behold, behold, see how this mighty
conqueror Arthur, whom in his human life all the world doubted—ye
also, the noble queen Guenever, that sometime sat in her chair adorned
with gold, pearls, and precious stones, now lie full low in obscure
foss or pit covered with clods of earth and clay. Behold also this
mighty champion Launcelot, peerless of knighthood, see now how he lieth
groveling on the cold mould, now being so feeble and faint that
sometime was so terrible, how and in what manner ought ye to be so
desirous of the mundane honour so dangerous. Therefore me thinketh this
present book called La Morte Darthur is right necessary often to be
read, for in it shall ye find the gracious, knightly, and virtuous war
of most noble knights of the world, whereby they gat praising
continual. Also me seemeth by the oft reading thereof ye shall greatly
desire to accustom yourself in following of those gracious knightly
deeds, that is to say, to dread God, and to love rightwiseness,
faithfully and courageously to serve your sovereign prince. And the
more that God hath given you the triumphal honour the meeker ye ought
to be, ever fearing the unstableness of this deceivable world. And so I
pass over, and turn again to my matter.’
NOTE B.
_See Introduction, page xxxiv. note 3._
For those who may care to see more of the manner in which the text of
the interpolated passages has been formed, I give the following
specimens in detail.
The first is from the beginning of the 11th Chapter of Book XXI.
CAXTON.
‘Than syr Launcelot rose vp or day/& tolde the heremyte/It were wel
done sayd the heremyte that ye made you redy/& that ye dyshobeye
not the auysyon/Than syr Launcelot toke his vii felowes with hym/&
on fote they yede from glastynburye to almysburye the whyche is
lytel more than xxx myle/& thyder they came within two dayes for
they were wayke and feble to goo/& whan syr Launcelot was come to
almysburye within the Nunerye quene gweneuer deyed but halfe an
oure afore/and the ladyes tolde syr Launcelot that quene Gueneuer
tolde hem al or she passyd/that syr Launcelot had been preest nere
a twelue monthe/& hyder he cometh as faste as he may to fetch my
cors/& besyde my lord kyng Arthur he shal berye me/’
WYNKYN DE WORDE, 1498.
‘Thenne syre Launcelot rose vp or day. And tolde the heremyte. It
were well doon sayd the heremyte/that ye made ye redy/and that ye
dysobeye not the aduysyon. Thenē syr Launcelot toke his .vij.
felowes w^t hym/& on fote they yede from Glastynbury to Almesbury.
the whyche is lytyl more than .xxx. myle. And thyder they came
wythin two dayes for they were weyke & feble to go. And whan syr
Launcelot was come to Almesbury wythin the Nunnery/quene Gweneuer
deyed but halfe an houre afore/And the ladyes tolde syr
Launcelot/that quene Gweneuer tolde them all or she passyd/that syr
Launcelot had be preest nere a twelue month and hither he cometh as
fast as he may/to fetche my corps. And besyde my lorde kyng
Arthur/he shal bury me.’
UPCOTT.
‘Than syr Launcelot rose vp or it was day, and tolde the heremyte
therof. It were well done sayd the heremyte that ye made you redy,
and that ye dysobeye not thys aduysyon. The[=n]e syr Launcelot toke
his .vii felawes with hym, & on foote they yede from Glastynbury to
Almesbury, the whyche is lytyl more than xxx myle. And thyder they
came wythin two dayes for they were weyke and feble to go. And whan
syr Launcelot was come to Almesbury wythin the Nonnery, quene
Gweneuer deyed but halfe an houre afore. And the ladyes tolde syre
Launcelot that quene Gueneuer tolde them all or she passyd, that
syr Launcelot had been preest nere a twelue moneth, and hither he
cometh as faste as he may for to fetche my corps. And besyde my
lorde kynge Arthur he shal burye me.’
The last lines of the same Chapter are as follows:—
CAXTON.
‘For whan I remembre of hir beaulte and of hir noblesse that was
bothe with hyr king & with hyr/So whan I sawe his corps and hir
corps so lye togyders/truly myn herte wold not serue to susteyne my
careful body/Also whan I remēbre me how by my defaut & myn orgule
and my pryde/that they were bothe layed ful lowe that were pereles
that euer was lyuyng of cristen people, wyt you wel sayd syr
Launcelot/this remembred of there kyndnes and myn vnkyndnes sanke
so to myn herte that I miȝt not susteyne myself so the frensshe
book maketh mencyon.’
UPCOTT.
(Who follows Wynkyn de Worde exactly, except in the spelling, and in
the insertion of ‘me’ after ‘wold not serue.’)
‘For whan I remembre _& calle to mynde_ her beaute, _bountee &_
noblesse, that was _as wel_ wyth her kyng _my lord Arthur_ as wyth
her. _And also_ whanne I saw _the corses of that noble kinge &
noble quene_ so lye to gyder _in that colde graue made of erthe,
that somtyme were so hyghly sette in moost honourable places_,
truly myn herte wolde not serue _me_ to susteyne my _wretchyd &_
carefull body. Also whan I remembre me how by my defawte myn
orgulyte and my pride, that they were both layed full lowe whyche
were pereles that euer were lyuenge of crysten peple, wyte yow wel
sayd syr Launcelot, this remembred, of ther kyndnesse & _of_ myn
vnkyndnesse, sanke _and enprest_ soo _in_ to my herte that _all my
natural strengthe fayled me, so that_ I myghte not susteyne my
selfe. Soo the frensshe boke makyth mencyon.’
The several colophons are as follows:—
CAXTON.
‘Thus endeth thys noble and Ioyous book entytled le morte
Darthur/Notwithstondyng it treateth of the byrth/lyf/and actes of
the sayd kynge Arthur/of his noble knyghtes of the rounde
table/theyr meruayllous enquestes and aduentures/thachyeuyng of the
sangreal/& in thende the dolourous deth & departyng out of thys
world of them al/Whiche book was reduced in to englysshe by syr
Thomas Malory knyght as afore is sayd/and by me deuyded in to xxi
bookes chapytred and enprynted/and fynysshed in thabbey westmestre
the last day of Iuyl the yere of our lord M/CCCC/lxxx/V/ Caxton me
fieri fecit.’/
WYNKYN DE WORDE, 1498.
‘Thus endyth this noble and Ioyous boke entytled Le morte dathur.
Notwythstondyng it treateth of the byrth lyf & actes of the sayd
kynge Arthur of his noble knyghtes of the rounde table. theyr
merueyllous enquestes & aduentures. thachyeuynge of the Sancgreall.
And in the ende the dolorous deth. & depaytynge out of this worlde
of them al. Whyche boke was reduced in to Englysshe by the well
dysposyd knyghte afore namyd. And deuyde[d] into .xxi. bokes
chapitred. & enprynt[ed] fyrst by Wylliam Caxton/on who[se] soule
god haue mercy. And newel[ye] prynted. and chapitres of the sam[e
ru-]brisshed at Westmestre, by Wynk[yn de] Worde y^e yere of our
lord. M.C[CCC].lxxxxviij. and ended the .xxv [daye of] Marche. the
same yere.’
AMES.
‘Thus endeth this noble and joyous boke, entytled La morte
d’Arthur. Notwithstondyng it treateth of the byrth, lyf, and actes
of the sayd Kynge Arthur, of his noble knyghts of the rounde table,
theyr merueylous enquestes and aduentures, thacheuynge of the
Sancgreal and in the ende the dolourous deth and depaytynge out of
this worlde of them al; whyche boke was reduced into Englysshe by
syr Thomas Malory, Knight, as afore is sayd, and by me devyded into
xxi. bookes, chapitred and enprynted, and fynisshed in thabbey,
Westmestre, the last day of Juyl, the yere of our Lord MCCCCLXXXV.
Caxton me fieri fecit.’
HARLEIAN CATALOGUE.
‘The Byrth, Lyf, and Actes of Kyng Arthur; of his noble Knyghtes of
the Rounde Table, theyr marvayllous Enquestes and Adventures; the
Achyeviyng of the Sang real; and in the end le Morte d’Arthur, with
the dolourous Deth and Departyng out of thys world of them Al.
Whiche Book was reduced to the Englysshe, by Syr Thomas Malory
Knyght, and by me (_W. Caxton_) devyded into 21 bookes, chaptyred
and emprynted, and fynyshed in th’ Abbey Westmestre, the last day
of July, the yere of our Lord 1485.’
UPCOTT.
‘Thus endeth this noble & joyous booke entytled _La_ Mort _dathur_.
Notwythstanding it treateth of the byrth, lyf & actes of the sayd
Kynge Arthur, _&_ of his noble knyghtes of the Rounde Table, theyr
marueyllous Enquestes & aduentures, thacheyuyng of the _Sang real_,
and in the ende _le Morte darthur with_ the dolourous deth and
departyng out of thys worlde of them al. Whiche booke was reduced
in to Englysshe by Syr Thomas Malory knyght _as afore is sayd_, and
by me deuyded in to xxi bookes chaptyred and emprynted and
fynysshed in thabbey Westmestre the last day of July the yere of
our lord MCCCCLXXXV. _Caxton me fieri fecit._’
On a comparison of these colophons we see that the article _La_ is only
in Ames: the spelling of _dathur_ is peculiar to Wynkyn de Worde, who
has it also in another passage; the words _le Morte darthur with_ are
in the Harleian Catalogue only: _as afore is said_ is in neither of
these, but it is in Ames: the peculiar mode of writing _Sang real_[47],