Le Morte d'Arthur: Volume 1

Le Morte D’Arthur
King Arthur and of his Noble Knights of the Round Table

by Thomas Malory


IN TWO VOLS.—VOL. I


Contents

 BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
 PREFACE OF WILLIAM CAXTON

 BOOK I.

 CHAPTER I. First, How Uther Pendragon sent for the duke of Cornwall
 and Igraine his wife, and of their departing suddenly again.

 CHAPTER II. How Uther Pendragon made war on the duke of Cornwall, and
 how by the mean of Merlin he lay by the duchess and gat Arthur.

 CHAPTER III. Of the birth of King Arthur and of his nurture.

 CHAPTER IV. Of the death of King Uther Pendragon.

 CHAPTER V. How Arthur was chosen king, and of wonders and marvels of a
 sword taken out of a stone by the said Arthur.

 CHAPTER VI. How King Arthur pulled out the sword divers times.

 CHAPTER VII. How King Arthur was crowned, and how he made officers.

 CHAPTER VIII. How King Arthur held in Wales, at a Pentecost, a great
 feast, and what kings and lords came to his feast.

 CHAPTER IX. Of the first war that King Arthur had, and how he won the
 field.

 CHAPTER X. How Merlin counselled King Arthur to send for King Ban and
 King Bors, and of their counsel taken for the war.

 CHAPTER XI. Of a great tourney made by King Arthur and the two kings
 Ban and Bors, and how they went over the sea.

 CHAPTER XII. How eleven kings gathered a great host against King
 Arthur.

 CHAPTER XIII. Of a dream of the King with the Hundred Knights.

 CHAPTER XIV. How the eleven kings with their host fought against
 Arthur and his host, and many great feats of the war.

 CHAPTER XV. Yet of the same battle.

 CHAPTER XVI. Yet more of the same battle.

 CHAPTER XVII. Yet more of the same battle, and how it was ended by
 Merlin.

 CHAPTER XVIII. How King Arthur, King Ban, and King Bors rescued King
 Leodegrance, and other incidents.

 CHAPTER XIX. How King Arthur rode to Carlion, and of his dream, and
 how he saw the questing beast.

 CHAPTER XX. How King Pellinore took Arthur's horse and followed the
 Questing Beast, and how Merlin met with Arthur.

 CHAPTER XXI. How Ulfius impeached Queen Igraine, Arthur's mother, of
 treason; and how a knight came and desired to have the death of his
 master revenged.

 CHAPTER XXII. How Griflet was made knight, and jousted with a knight

 CHAPTER XXIII. How twelve knights came from Rome and asked truage for
 this land of Arthur, and how Arthur fought with a knight.

 CHAPTER XXIV. How Merlin saved Arthur's life, and threw an enchantment
 on King Pellinore and made him to sleep.

 CHAPTER XXV. How Arthur by the mean of Merlin gat Excalibur his sword
 of the Lady of the Lake.

 CHAPTER XXVI. How tidings came to Arthur that King Rience had overcome
 eleven kings, and how he desired Arthur's beard to trim his mantle.

 CHAPTER XXVII. How all the children were sent for that were born on
 May-day, and how Mordred was saved.

 BOOK II.

 CHAPTER I. Of a damosel which came girt with a sword for to find a man
 of such virtue to draw it out of the scabbard.

 CHAPTER II. How Balin, arrayed like a poor knight, pulled out the
 sword, which afterward was the cause of his death.

 CHAPTER III. How the Lady of the Lake demanded the knight's head that
 had won the sword, or the maiden's head.

 CHAPTER IV. How Merlin told the adventure of this damosel.

 CHAPTER V. How Balin was pursued by Sir Lanceor, knight of Ireland,
 and how he jousted and slew him.

 CHAPTER VI. How a damosel, which was love to Lanceor, slew herself for
 love, and how Balin met with his brother Balan.

 CHAPTER VII. How a dwarf reproved Balin for the death of Lanceor, and
 how King Mark of Cornwall found them, and made a tomb over them.

 CHAPTER VIII. How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the
 world should fight there, which were Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram.

 CHAPTER IX. How Balin and his brother, by the counsel of Merlin, took
 King Rience and brought him to King Arthur.

 CHAPTER X. 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.

 CHAPTER XI. Of the interment of twelve kings, and of the prophecy of
 Merlin, and how Balin should give the dolorous stroke.

 CHAPTER XII. How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin
 fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible.

 CHAPTER XIII. How Balin and the damosel met with a knight which was in
 likewise slain, and how the damosel bled for the custom of a castle.

 CHAPTER XIV. 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.

 CHAPTER XV. How Balin fought with King Pellam, and how his sword
 brake, and how he gat a spear wherewith he smote the dolorous stroke.

 CHAPTER XVI. How Balin was delivered by Merlin, and saved a knight
 that would have slain himself for love.

 CHAPTER XVII.