Specimens of English literature from the 'Ploughmans crede' to the ...

VIII. LE MORTE DARTHUR, 83'for al this wyl not auaylle me ; for wyte thow wel, and Imyght lyue my self, the deth of syr Lucan wolde greue meeuer more ; but my tyme hyeth fast/ sayd the kyng. Ther- 20fore sayd Arthur vnto syr Bedwere, take thou Excalybur'my good swerde, and goo with it to yonder water syde ; andwhan thou comest there, I charge the throwe my swerde inthat water, & come ageyn and telle me what thou thereseest/ ' My lord,' said Bedwere, your commaundement ' 25shal be doon ; & lyghtly brynge you worde ageyn.' So syrBedwere departed, & by the waye he behelde that nobleswerde, that the pomel & the hafte was al of precyous stones,& thenne he sayd to hym self, ' yf I throwe this ryche swerdein the water, therof shal neuer come good, but harme & 30losse.' And thenne syr bedwere. hydde excalybur vnder atree. And so as sone as he myght, he came ageyn vnto thekyng, and sayd he had ben at the water and had throwenthe swerde in to the water.' What sawe thou there ? ' saydthe kyng ;'syr,' he sayd, ' sawe no thynge but wawes and 35wyndes.' ' That is vntrewly sayd of the,' sayd the kynge.*Therfore goo thou lyghtelye ageyn and do niy commaundemente,as thou arte to me leef & dere ;spare not, but throweit in.' Than syr bedwere retorned ageyn, & took the swerdein hys hande, and than hym thought synne and shame to 40throwe awaye that nobyl swerde, and so efte he hydde theswerde, and retorned ageyn and tolde to the kyng that hehad ben at the water and done his commaundement. ' Whatsawe thou there.?' sayd the kyng. ' Syr,' he sayd, ' I saweno thynge but the waters wappe and wawes wanne.' ' A 45traytour vntrewe,' sayd kyng Arthur, ' now hast thou betrayedme twyse. W^ho wold haue wente that thou that hast beento me so leef and dere, and thou arte named a noble knyghte,and wold betraye me for the richesse of the swerde ? Butnow goo ageyn lyghtly, for thy longe taryeng putteth me in 50G 2!