How Sir Lancelot came the same time that Sir Meleagant waited for him in the field and prepared himself for battle
10 How Sir Urry came to King Arthur’s court to be healed of his wounds, and how King Arthur handled him
11 How King Arthur handled Sir Urry, and after him many other knights of the Round Table
12 How Sir Lancelot was commanded by Arthur to handle his wounds, and anon he was all whole, and how they thanked God
13 How there was a party made of a hundred knights against a hundred knights; and of other matters
Book XX
1 How Sir Aggravain and Sir Mordred were busy upon Sir Gawain for to disclose the love between Sir Lancelot and Queen Guenevere
2 How Sir Aggravain disclosed their love to King Arthur, and how King Arthur gave them license to take him
3 How Sir Lancelot was spied in the queen’s chamber, and how Sir Aggravain and Sir Mordred came with twelve knights to slay him
4 How Sir Lancelot slew Sir Colgrevance and armed him in his harness, and after slew Sir Aggravain, and twelve of his fellows
5 How Sir Lancelot came to Sir Bors, and told him how he had sped, and in what adventure he had been, and how he had escaped
6 Of the counsel and advice which was taken by Sir Lancelot and by his friends for to save the queen
7 How Sir Mordred rode hastily to the king to tell him of the affray and death of Sir Aggravain and the other knights
8 How Sir Lancelot and his kinsmen rescued the queen from the fire, and how he slew many knights
9 Of the sorrow and lamentation of King Arthur for the death of his nephews and other good knights, and also for the queen, his wife
10 How King Arthur at the request of Sir Gawain concluded to make war against Sir Lancelot, and laid siege to his castle called Joyous Gard
11 Of the communication between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, and how King Arthur reproved him
12 How the cousins and kinsmen of Sir Lancelot encouraged him to go out to battle, and how they made them ready
13 How Sir Gawain jousted and smote down Sir Lionel, and how Sir Lancelot horsed King Arthur
14 How the pope sent down his bulls to make peace, and how Sir Lancelot brought the queen to King Arthur
15 Of the deliverance of the queen to the king by Sir Lancelot, and what language Sir Gawain had for Sir Lancelot
16 Of the communication between Sir Gawain and Sir Lancelot, and much other language
17 How Sir Lancelot departed from the king and from Joyous Gard over the sea, and what knights went with him
18 How Sir Lancelot passed over the sea, and how he made great lords of the knights that went with him
19 How King Arthur and Sir Gawain made a great host ready to go over the sea and make war on Sir Lancelot
20 What message Sir Gawain sent to Sir Lancelot, and King Arthur laid siege to Benwick, and other matters
21 How Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain did battle together, and how Sir Gawain was overthrown and hurt
22 Of the sorrow that King Arthur made for the war, and of another battle where also Sir Gawain had the worse
Book XXI
1 How Sir Mordred presumed and took on him to be king of England, and would have married the queen, his father’s wife
2 How after that King Arthur had tidings, he returned and came to Dover, where Sir Mordred met him to let his landing; and of the death of Sir Gawain
3 How after, Sir Gawain’s ghost appeared to King Arthur, and warned him that he should not fight that day
4 How by misadventure of an adder the battle began, where Mordred was slain, and Arthur hurt to the death
5 How King Arthur commanded his sword Excalibur to be cast into the water, and how he was delivered to ladies in a barge
6 How Sir Bedevere found himself in the morning dead in a hermitage, and how he abode there with the hermit
7 Of the opinion of some men of the death of King Arthur; and how Queen Guenevere made her a nun at Amesbury
8 How Sir Lancelot heard of the death of King Arthur, and of Sir Gawain, and other matters, and how he came into England
9 How Sir Lancelot departed to seek the queen Guenevere, and how he found her at Amesbury
10 How Sir Lancelot came to the hermitage where the Archbishop of Canterbury was, and how he took the habit on him
11 How Sir Lancelot went with his seven fellows to Amesbury, and found there Queen Guenevere dead, whom they brought to Glastonbury
12 How Sir Lancelot began to sicken, and after died, whose body was borne to Joyous Gard
13 How Sir Ector found Sir Lancelot his brother dead, and how Constantine reigned next after Arthur; and of the end of this book
William Caxton’s Preface
After I had printed and issued various histories, books of contemplation, stories of great conquerors and princes, and certain books of religious examples and doctrine, many noble and diverse gentlemen of this realm of England often came to me and asked why I had not set and printed the story of the Holy Grail and of the most renowned Christian king, King Arthur. He is the first among the three best of all Christian kings, and it is right that he be held in the highest honor among us Englishmen, before all other Christian kings.
It is well known throughout the world that there have been nine “worthies”—specifically, three pagans, three Jews, and three Christians. The pagan worthies are those who lived before the life of Christ. The first is Hector of Troy, whose story has been told in both song and tale; the second is Alexander the Great. The third is Julius Caesar, Emperor of Rome, whose story is well known and easily found. As for the three Jews—they also lived before the incarnation of Our Lord. The first is Duke Joshua, who brought the children of Israel into the land of behest. The second is David, King of Jerusalem, and the third is Judas Maccabee. The Bible tells the stories of these three men and their nobles lives and acts.
Since the birth of Christ, three noble Christian men have been acclaimed throughout the world and installed as three of the Nine Worthies. The first is the noble Arthur, whose great deeds are to be found in the pages that follow. The second is Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, of whom stories are told in many places in both French and English. The third and last is Godfrey of Bouillon; I made a book of his life and deeds for that excellent prince and king of noble memory, King Edward IV.
The aforementioned noble gentlemen urgently asked that I print the story of the aforementioned noble king and conqueror King Arthur and his knights, along with the story of the Quest for the Holy Grail, as well as the death of Arthur; they said that it was more right that I should print that story than that of Godfrey of Bouillon or any of the other eight Worthies, considering that
