And

and good rule, ageyn all order of knighthood. Leave this, leave it, and read the noble volumes of St. Grael, of Lancelot, of Galaad, of Tristram, of Perseforest, of Percyval, of Gawain, and many mo3. There shall ye see manhood, courtesy, and gentleness. And look in latter days of the noble acts syth the conquest, as in king Richard's days, Cœur de Lion; Edward I. and III. and his noble sons; sir Robert Knolles, sir John Hawkewoode, sir John Chaundos, and sir Gaultier Manny. Read Froissart. also behold that victorious and noble king Harry V. and the captains under him; his noble brethren; the earl of Salisbury, Montague, and many other, whose names shine gloriously by their virtuous nobleness and acts that they did in honour of the order of chivalry. Alas! what do ye but sleep and take ease, and are all disordered from chivalry. How many knights ben there now in England, that have the use and the exercise of a knight? That is to wit, that he knoweth his horse, and his horse him? That is to say, he being ready at a point, to have all thing that longeth to a knight; an horse that is according and broken after his hand; his armours and harness meet and fitting, and so forth? I suppose, an a due search should be made, there should be many found that lack. The more the pity is. I would it pleased our sovereign lord, that twice, or thrice.

in a year, or at least once, he would do cry Justes of Pees, to the end that every knight should have horse and harness, and also the use and craft of a knight, and also to tourney one against one, or two against two, and the best to have a price, a diamond or jewel, such as should please the prince. This should cause gentlemen to resort to the ancient customs of chivalry, to great fame and renown; and also to be alway ready to serve their prince, when he shall call them or have need. Then let every man that is come of noble blood, and intendeth to come to the noble order of chivalry, read this little book, and do thereafter, in keeping the lore and commandments therein comprised; and then, I doubt not, he shall attain to the order of chivalry, et cetera.

This book Caxton presents to his dread sovereign lord king Richard, king of England and France, that he may command the same to be read to the lords, knights, and gentlemen within this realm, that (as he says) the said noble order of chivalry may be hereafter better practised and honoured than it had been of late times.

MORTE ARTHUR.

THE title of this book at full length is—“ The Birth, Life, and Acts of King Arthur; of his noble Knights of the Round Table; their mar vellous Enquests and Adventures; the achieving of the Sangreal; and in the end, La Mort d'Arthur; with the dolorous death and departing out of this world of them all: which book was reduced to the English by sir Thomas Malory, knight; and by me, William Caxton, divided into twenty-one books; chaptered and emprinted and finished in the abbey of Westminster, the last day of July, the year of our Lord 1485," being about a month before the battle of Bosworth, in which Richard III. was slain.

If we are to credit Leland, and others after him, sir Thomas Malory was a Welchman; and from the legendary cast of some of the stories, he was probably a priest. The history of king Arthur, who died in 542, occupies the

seventh book of Geoffrey of Monmouth; which undoubtedly furnished the ground work of the romance in question. The superstructure was completed by materials derived from MSS. written in the French and Welch, concerning the said king Arthur and his knights; perhaps with some additions by the compiler.

The Prologue.

After that I had accomplished and finished divers histories, as well of contemplation, as of other historial and worldly acts of great conquerors and princes, and also certain books of ensamples and doctrine, many noble and divers gentlemen of this realm of England, came and demanded me many and oft times, wherefore that I have not do made and emprint the noble history of Sangreal, and of the most renowned Christian king, (first and chief of the three best Christian and worthy) king Arthur, which ought most to be remembered among us Englishmen, tofore all other Christian kings; for it is notoirly 1 knowen through the universal world, that there been nine worthy, and the best that ever were; that is to wyte, three Paynims, three Jews, and three Christian men. As for the Paynims, they were tofore the in

1 notoriously.

carnation of Christ, which were named, the first, Hector of Troy, of whom the history is comen, both in ballad and in prose; the second, Alexander the Great; and the third, Julius Cæsar, emperor of Rome, of whom the histories been well knowen and had. And as for the three Jews, which also were tofore the incarnation of our Lord, of whom the first was duke Joshua, which brought the children of Israel into the land of behest; the second, David, king of Jerusalem; and the third, Judas Macabeus. Of these three the Bible rehearseth all their noble histories and acts. And syth the said incarnation have been, three noble Christian men stalled and amytted through the universal world, in to the number nine, best and worthy of whom was Tyra, the noble Arthur, whose noble acts I purpose to write in this present book here following; the second was Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, of whom the history is had in many places, both in French and English; and the third and last, Godfrey of Bologne, of whose acts and life I made a book unto the excellent prince Edward the Fourth. The said noble gentlemen instantly required me to enprint the story of the said noble king and conqueror, king Arthur, and of his knights, with the history of the Sangreal, and of the death and ending of the said king Arthur; affirming that I ought rather to enprint his acts and noble feats, than of Godfrey of Bologne, or any of the other