Le Morte Darthur: The Winchester Manuscript (Oxford World's Classics)

by Malory, Thomas

  1 See Carol M. Meale, ‘Manuscripts, Readers and Patrons in Fifteenth-Century England: Sir Thomas Malory and Arthurian Romance’, Arthurian Literature, 4 (1985), 93–126.

  2 The following account is indebted to P. J. C. Field, The Life and Times of Sir Thomas Malory (Cambridge, 1993), modified in the light of Christine Carpenter, ‘Sir Thomas Malory and Fifteenth-century Local Polities’, Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research, 53 (1980), 31–43.

  3 See William Matthews, The Ill-Framed Knight: A Skeptical Enquiry into the Identity of Sir Thomas Malory (Berkeley, California, 1966); and Richard R. Griffith, ‘The Authorship Question Reconsidered: A Case for Sir Thomas Malory of Papworth St Agnes, Cambridgeshire’, in Aspects of Malory, ed. Toshiyuki Takamiya and Derek Brewer (Cambridge, 1981), 159–77.

  4 Edward D. Kennedy, ‘Malory and his English Sources’, gives a more extended study of these (in Aspects of Malory, ed. Takamiya and Brewer, 27–55).

  1 ‘The Malory Manuscript and Caxton’, in Aspects of Malory, ed. Takamiya and Brewer, 127–41.

  2 ‘Editor/Compositor at Work: The Case of Caxton’s Malory’, in Arthurian and Other Studies presented to Shunichi Noguchi, ed. T. Suzuki and T. Mukai (Cambridge, 1993), 143–51.

  3 Arthuriana 5: 2 (Summer 1995) and 7: 1 (Spring 1997) are devoted to this issue.

  passing°] surpassingly (° see Glossary, p. xxxii)

  accorded both] brought to agreement

  stuff him and garnish him] furnish himself with men and provisions

  biggest°] strongest

  anon°] immediately

  hight°] was called

  ado] concern

  there shall be … desire] you shall have whatever you want within reason

  deal] part

  worship°] honour

  the child’s avail … worth] to the child’s advantage, as noble as he is

  wait] be careful

  slain or° ever] slain even before

  fain°] gladly

  and° it might] if it might

  purvey you] provide

  privy postern] secluded gate

  made affiance to] promised

  but° if] unless

  battle] battalion

  appurtenance] associated rights and privileges

  worshipfully°] honourably

  longed°] pertained, was appropriate to

  weened°] intended, thought

  cursing] excommunication

  All Hallowmas] All Saints’ Day (1 November)

  wist°] knew

  is no mastery] needs no great skill

  wot°] know

  weened°] believed, thought

  betaken] given, entrusted

  dole°] grief

  Twelfth-day] i.e. Twelfth Night (6 January)

  sped]succeeded

  bereft] taken from

  beseen°] clothed, equipped

  whoever saith nay] no matter who denies it

  nill] will not

  jesseraunt] mail coat

  to bow and he lived] to submit if he survived

  stint°] cease

  awroke] revenged

  more chivalry … may make] more knights than he can gather

  with bands … gold] i.e. as his heraldic device

  avoid] leave the field

  battles] battalions

  astoned°] stunned, disorientated

  wood°] furiously, madly

  cantle] piece

  trapper] trapping, horse-armour

  broached] pierced

  mister] need

  me repents°] I regret

  actual] active, vigorous

  put them on a heap all together] kept as close together as they could

  dress° him] set himself, prepare

  lightly that he be slain] let him be killed swiftly

  plumb] block

  dere] injure

  Merlin did° his master … write them] Merlin had his master … write them

  disport] amusement

  So the King … imbossed] when the King saw the hart had taken cover

  Gramercy°] thank you, grand merci:

  quick] alive

  pavilion°] ornamental tent

  sith°] since

  dressed°] set in place

  divers°] various

  to-shivered] broke in pieces

  truncheon°] broken part of a spear

  betook] commended

  leeches°] doctors

  truage] tribute

  rede°] advise

  maugre°] despite

  defend°] forbid, prevent

  cantles] pieces

  danger] power

  me list°] it pleases me

  rased°] pulled

  wrothe] twisted

  liever°] rather

  stint] value

  ride and go] ride and walk

  No force] no matter

  and I may] if I can bring it about

  samite°] rich silk

  purfiled] trimmed

  orgulous and lewdest] arrogant and boorish

  without] unless

  puissance] power

  to–riven] smashed to pieces

  wite] blame

  reared] raised

  but that he were] if he were not

  let make a cry] had it pro-claimed

  beseemeth you not] does not become you, is not fitting for you speed]succeed

  gentle°] noble

  put him not far in press] did not push himself forward

  it seemeth not you] you are not likely

  tatches] qualities

  arrayment] clothing and outward show

  all miss] whatever amiss

  I take no force though] I don’t mind if

  me forthinketh°] I regret

  strait] narrow way

  freshly] eagerly

  win] profit

  porters] gate-keepers

  evil deserved it again] repaid him badly

  purveyed] prepared

  battles] battalions

  faitor] impostor

  body] troops

  Whether … to treat] is it better for me to negotiate

  forfoughten] exhausted with fighting

  borne up by his hands] sustained by his prowess

  wite] blame

  gentleness°] nobility

  more than apace] very fast

  glaive] sword

  clean] pure

  advised] gazed at

  steven] appointed moment

  brast] broke

  void out of] leave

  dole, tray, and tene] grief, pain, and suffering

  semblant] outward show

  I would be fain there my death should be] I would gladly be where my death is to happen

  blessed him] crossed himself

  aventred] readied for combat

  tamed] pierced

  doubt] fearful thing

  yede°] went

  and ye might have slain me] if you had been able to kill me

  hoved] floated

  but as Merlin] except as Merlin

  noblesse] nobility

  freshly] gaily

  lief] dear

  sieges°] seats

  the better be in will] be the more willing

  such cries I let make] I had such proclamations made

  appair] damage

  hardily] indeed

  sib] blood relation

  tatches] marks

  void in the sieges] empty among the seats

  trenchant] sharp

  brachet°] hunting-dog

  side boards] lower tables

  I may not do therewith] I cannot do anything about that

  evil bought] purchased for a bitter price

  stooned] crushed

  thirled] flowed

  take no force of] care nothing for

  did make King Arthur] had King Arthur order

  enforce] rape

  quick] alive

  Take no heaviness] do not grieve

  shift] ridr />
  conceit] intelligence

  and he had done] even if he had done

  so free] so eager to gallop

  imbossed] taken cover

  blew the prize and dight] blew his horn for the capture and killed

  a cloth laid richly beseen … table] a richly decorated cloth laid with everything appropriate for a meal

  sore] heavily

  but as] except for what

  severally] one by one

  uneath°] scarcely

  With this] on this condition

  void] unoccupied

  glaive] sword

  sure handles] hilt guards

  nor bated no cheer] nor looked less fierce

  wite] blame

  withheld with] retained by

  opinion] judgement

  orgulous] proud

  restore … of all their harms] i.e. make satisfactory reparation for their injury

  thereafter] corresponding

  largeness] generosity

  let fetch leeches] had doctors fetched

  let me deal] leave everything to me

  awaited] looked

  save my worship and discover me not] preserve my good name and don’t inform on me

  be about] set about

  and she abode] if she were to stay [at court]

  had been dead] i.e. he would have killed her

  as one might stand by another] set as closely together as possible

  beseem me] be proper for me

  cousin germain] first cousin

  all the estates] all ranks

  laund] open space, glade

  hoved] lingered

  fewtered°] laid in rest ready for combat

  and me list] if it pleased me

  and I might die] if I could die

  but if I did] if I did not act

  harness] armour

  come within her] get access to her

  either clipping other] embracing each other

  or it be long] before long

  But as] although

  quit] requited

  truage] tribute

  misdo] mistreat

  sithen°] since

  breme] fierce

  wise doctors] learned men

  neither child nor horse faulted nothing] that nothing should be wanting to either page or horse

  like me well] please me well

  spiteous] contemptuous

  kind elders] natural ancestors

  evidence enough] a sufficient claim

  sith] afterwards

  hie you that ye were hence] make haste to be gone

  take no keep] do not care

  and that ye be in the water] unless you are at sea hard

  conduct] dangerous safe-conduct

  able] sufficient

  gastfullest] most frightening

  credence] message

  served you unto your hands] waited on you

  beseemed] ought

  saws] words

  dures] exist

  fail of none] are second to none

  Almain] Germany

  cast me] intend

  feoffed] peopled

  Barfleet] Barfleur

  utas of St Hilary] i.e. 21 January: the eighth day after St Hilary’s Day

  arrest] commandeer

  condescended] agreed

  sought] made their way

  galliard] high-spirited

  falleth] is required

  cog] ship

  womb] belly

  dressed him] prepared for combat

  railed] flowed