Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory (ebook reader with android os TXT) 📕
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Thomas Malory did not invent the stories of Arthur, King of Britain, but it is fair to say that he reinvented them. Although the legends were already hundreds of years old by the fifteenth century, the contemporary stories of Arthur in Malory’s day were primarily French. The French had added many of the elements familiar to modern readers, among them Lancelot, and the search for the Holy Grail. Malory combined, edited, and added some of his own material to the stories available to him, and in the process created a uniquely British work. (It was his printer Caxton who gave it a French name.) Le Morte d’Arthur is the source material for almost all modern retellings of King Arthur and his knights, from Hollywood movies and musicals to Nobel-prize winning writers.
Malory’s identity is still in some dispute, as there are several men of various spellings of the name to choose from. Sir Thomas Malory from Newbold Revel in Warwickshire is the most popular choice, but his life of crime—he was a rapist and serial thief at the minimum—seems to be at odds with the acts of chivalry and moral code present in this book. It is known from the author’s own notes that he wrote the book while in prison; perhaps he was trying to make amends for his crimes. Regardless, the result was to give new life to King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
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- Author: Thomas Malory
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Thus they kept Sir Launcelot’s corpse aloft fifteen days, and then they buried it with great devotion. And then at leisure they went all with the Bishop of Canterbury to his hermitage, and there they were together more than a month. Then Sir Constantine, that was Sir Cador’s son of Cornwall, was chosen king of England. And he was a full noble knight, and worshipfully he ruled this realm. And then this King Constantine sent for the Bishop of Canterbury, for he heard say where he was. And so he was restored unto his Bishopric, and left that hermitage. And Sir Bedivere was there ever still hermit to his life’s end. Then Sir Bors de Ganis, Sir Ector de Maris, Sir Gahalantine, Sir Galihud, Sir Galihodin, Sir Blamore, Sir Bleoberis, Sir Villiars le Valiant, Sir Clarrus of Clermont, all these knights drew them to their countries. Howbeit King Constantine would have had them with him, but they would not abide in this realm. And there they all lived in their countries as holy men. And some English books make mention that they went never out of England after the death of Sir Launcelot, but that was but favour of makers.305 For the French book maketh mention, and is authorised, that Sir Bors, Sir Ector, Sir Blamore, and Sir Bleoberis, went into the Holy Land thereas 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 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 readeth this book of Arthur and his knights, from the beginning to the ending, pray for me while I am alive, 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 this noble and joyous book entitled Le Morte Darthur. Notwithstanding it treateth of the birth, life, and acts of the said King Arthur, of his noble knights of the Round Table, their marvellous enquests and adventures, the achieving of the Sangreal, and in the end the dolorous death and departing out of this world of them all. Which book was reduced into English by Sir Thomas Malory, knight, as afore is said, and by me divided into twenty-one books, chaptered and emprinted, and finished in the abbey, Westminster, the last day of July the year of our Lord MCCCCLXXXV.
EndnotesFor this edition, glosses that only appear once in the work have been converted to endnotes. Any non-gloss endnotes are Pollard’s. ↩
Notoriously. ↩
Affiance, promise. ↩
Rightly. ↩
Entrusted. ↩
A short cuirass. ↩
Agreement. ↩
Quivered. ↩
Glanced back. ↩
Usage. ↩
Belonging to. ↩
Cluster. ↩
Belongs to. ↩
Fixed revenue. ↩
Embroidered. ↩
Most ignorant. ↩
Trimming. ↩
Vagabond. ↩
Grief. ↩
Sorrow. ↩
Embracing. ↩
Weaken. ↩
Akin to. ↩
Strange. ↩
Wreaked. ↩
Painted. ↩
Joint. ↩
Shove off. ↩
Capture. ↩
Liberality. ↩
Martial. ↩
Week. ↩
Misnumbered XX by Caxton. ↩
Actively. ↩
Treaty. ↩
Common. ↩
Assurance. ↩
Collar bone. ↩
Predecessors. ↩
Like, equal. ↩
Taxes. ↩
Determined. ↩
Forthwith. ↩
Expenses. ↩
Faith. ↩
Octave of a festival. ↩
Small boats. ↩
War vessels. ↩
Roared. ↩
Sound of wind. ↩
Fluttered. ↩
Cut to pieces. ↩
Made ready. ↩
Ranged for battle. ↩
Shook, trembled. ↩
Displays. ↩
Advantage. ↩
Disadvantage. ↩
Governor. ↩
Be able. ↩
Haughty. ↩
Like. ↩
Short coats. ↩
Hard rider. ↩
Lowered. ↩
That same. ↩
Anointing oil. ↩
Set in rest, couch. ↩
Clutched. ↩
Lover’s. ↩
Glen. ↩
Worsted. ↩
Painting. ↩
Pressing forward. ↩
Most courteous. ↩
Deed, story. ↩
Leashes, strings. ↩
Falcon. ↩
Bush, branch of a tree. ↩
Trunk of a tree. ↩
Branch. ↩
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