THEMorteDarthurwasfnshed，astheeploguetellsus，nthennthyearofEdwardV。，。e。betweenMarch4，1469andthesamedaten1470。tsthus，ftlyenough，thelastmportantEnglshbookwrttenbeforethentroductonofprntngntothscountry，andsncenomanuscrptofthascomedowntoustsalsothefrstEnglshclasscforourknowledgeofwhchweareentrelydependentonaprntedtext。Caxton’sstoryofhowthebookwasbroughttohmandhewasnducedtoprnttmaybereadfartheronnhsownpreface。Fromthswelearnalsothathewasnotonlytheprnterofthebook，buttosomeextenttsedtoralso，dvdngMalory’sworkntotwenty-onebooks，splttngupthebooksntochapters，bynomeanssklfully，andsupplyngthe``Rubrsh’’orchapter-headngs。tmaybeaddedthatCaxton’sprefacecontans，moreover，abrefcrtcsmwhch，onthepontsonwhchttouches，sstllthesoundestandmostsympathetcthathasbeenwrtten。
　　CaxtonfnshedhsedtonthelastdayofJuly1485，someffteenorsxteenyearsafterMalorywrotehseplogue。tsclearthattheauthorwasthendead，ortheprnterwouldnothaveactedasaclumsyedtortothebook，andrecentdscoveresfbblographymay，forthemoment，enlargetsboundstomentonsuchmattershaverevealedwthtolerablecertantywhenMalorydedandwhohewas。nletterstoTheAthenaeumnJuly1896Mr。T。WllamspontedoutthatthenameofaSrThomasMaloreoccurredamongthoseofanumberofotherLancastransexcludedfromageneralpardongrantedbyEdwardV。n1468，andthataWllamMalleryewasmentonednthesameyearastakngpartnaLancastranrsng。nSeptember1897，agan，nanotherlettertothesamepaper，Mr。A。T。MartnreportedthefndngofthewllofaThomasMaloryofPapworth，ahundredpartlynCambrdgeshre，partlynHunts。ThswllwasmadeonSeptember16，1469，andastwasprovedthe27thofthenextmonththetestatormusthavebeennmmedateexpectatonofdeath。tcontansthemostcarefulprovsonfortheeducatonandstartngnlfeofafamlyofthreedaughtersandsevensons，ofwhomtheyoungestseemstohavebeenstllannfant。
　　WecannotsaywthcertantythatthsThomasMalory，whoselastthoughtsweresobusyforhschldren，wasourauthor，orthattheLancastranknghtdscoveredbyMr。Wllamswasdentcalwthetherorboth，butsuchevdenceastheMorteDarthuroffersfavourssuchabelef。Theresnotonlytheeploguewthtspetton，``prayformewhleamalvethatGodsendmegooddelveranceandwhenamdeadprayyouallformysoul，’’butthsveryrequestsforeshadowedattheendofchap。
　　37ofBookx。nthetouchngpassage，surelynspredbypersonalexperence，astothesckness``thatsthegreatestpanaprsonermayhave’’；andthereflectonsonEnglshfcklenessnthefrstofBook。，thoughtheWarsoftheRosesmghthavenspredthemnanyone，comemostnaturallyfromanauthorwhowasaLancastranknght。
　　ftheMorteDarthurwasreallywrttennprsonandbyaprsonerdstressedbyll-healthaswellasbylackoflberty，surelynotaskwaseverbetterdevsedtowhleawaywearyhours。
　　Leavngabundantscopefororgnaltynselecton，modfcaton，andarrangement，asacomplatonandtranslatonthadntthatmechancalelementwhchaddsthetouchofrestfulnesstolterarywork。Noorgnal，tssad，hasyetbeenfoundforBookv。，andtspossblethatnonewlleverbeforthcomngforchap。20ofBook。，whchdescrbesthearrvalofthebodyoftheFarMadenofAstolatatArthur’scourt，orforchap。25ofthesamebook，wthtsdscourseontruelove；butthegreatbulkoftheworkhasbeentracedbytothe``Merln’’ofRobertdeBorronandhssuccessorsBks-v。，theEnglshmetrcalromanceLaMorteArthuroftheThorntonmanuscrptBk。v。，theFrenchromancesofTrstanBks。v-x。andofLauncelotBks。v。，x。，andlastlytotheEnglshproseMorteArthurofHarleyMS。2252
　　Bks……，。，。。AstoMalory’schoceofhsauthortescrtcshavenotfaledtopontoutthatnowandaganhegvesaworseversonwhereabetterhascomedowntous，andfhehadbeenabletoorderacompletesetofArthuranmanuscrptsfromhsbookseller，nodoubthewouldhavedoneevenbetterthanhedd!Butoftheskll，approachngtoorgnalgenus，wthwhchheusedthebooksfromwhchheworkedthereslttledspute。
　　Malorydedleavnghsworkobvouslyunrevsed，andnthscondtontwasbroughttoCaxton，whopreparedtforthepresswthhsusualenthusasmnthecauseofgoodlterature，andalso，tmustbeadded，wthhsusualcarelessness。Newchaptersaresometmesmadetobegnnthemddleofasentence，andnaddtontosmplemsprntstherearenumerouspassagesnwhchtsmpossbletobelevethatwehavethetextasMaloryntendedttostand。AfterCaxton’sedtonMalory’smanuscrptmusthavedsappeared，andsubsequentedtonsaredfferentatedonlybythedegreeofclosenesswthwhchtheyfollowthefrst。EdtonsappearedprntedbyWynkyndeWorden1498and1529，byWllamCoplandn1559，byThomasEastabout1585，andbyThomasStansbyn1634，eachprnterapparentlytakngthetextofhsmmedatepredecessorandreproducngtwthmodfcatons。Stansby’sedtonservedforreprntsn1816and1856thelatteredtedbyThomasWrght；
　　butn1817anedtonsupervsedbyRobertSoutheywentbacktoCaxton’stext，thoughtoacopyonlytwoareextant，andonlyoneperfect!nwhchelevenleavesweresuppledfromWynkyndeWorde’sreprnt。n1868SrEdwardStracheyproducedforthepresentpublshersareprntofSouthey’stextnmodernspellng，wththesubsttutonofcurrentwordsforthosenowobsolete，andthesoftenngofahandfulofpassageslkely，hethought，topreventthebookbengplacednthehandsofboys。
　　n1889aboonwasconferredonscholarsbythepublcatonofDr。H。OskarSommer’spage-for-pagereprntofCaxton’stext，wthanelaboratedscussonofMalory’ssources。Dr。Sommer’sedtonwasusedbySrE。StracheytorevsehsGlobetext，andn1897Mr。sraelGollanczproducedforthe``TempleClasscs’’
　　averyprettyedtonnwhchSrEdwardStrachey’sprncplesofmodernsatonnspellngandpunctuatonwereadopted，butwththerestoratonofobsoletewordsandomttedphrases。Astothepresentedton，SrEdwardStracheyalteredwthsosparngahandthatonmanypagesdfferencesbetweenhsversonandthathereprntedwllbelookedfornvan；butthemostanxouscarehasbeentakentoproduceatextmodernsedastotsspellng，butnotherrespectsnaccurateaccordancewthCaxton’stext，asrepresentedbyDrSommer’sreprnt。Obvousmsprntshavebeenslentlycorrected，butnafewcasesnotesshowwhereemendatonshavebeenntroducedfromWynkyndeWorde——notthatWynkynhadanymorerghttoemendCaxtonthanwe，butbecauseevenaprnter’sconjecturegansalttlesancttyafterfourcentures。Therestoratonofobsoletewordshasnecesstatedamuchfullerglossary，andthendeofnameshasthereforebeenseparatedfromtandenlarged。ntspresentformthendestheworkofMr。HenryLttlehales。
　　AFTERthathadaccomplshedandfnsheddvershstores，aswellofcontemplatonasofotherhstoralandworldlyactsofgreatconquerorsandprnces，andalsocertanbooksofensamplesanddoctrne，manynobleanddversgentlemenofthsrealmofEnglandcameanddemandedmemanyandofttmes，whereforethat
　　havenotdomadeandmprntthenoblehstoryoftheSantGreal，andofthemostrenownedChrstankng，frstandchefofthethreebestChrstan，andworthy，KngArthur，whchoughtmosttoberememberedamongusEnglshmento-foreallotherChrstankngs；fortsnotoyrlyknownthroughtheunversalworld，thattherebenneworthyandthebestthateverwere，thatstowt，threePaynms，threeJews，andthreeChrstanmen。AsforthePaynms，theywereto-forethencarnatonofChrst，whchwerenamed，thefrstHectorofTroy，ofwhomthehstoryscomenbothnballadandnprose，thesecondAlexandertheGreat，andthethrdJulusCaesar，EmperorofRome，ofwhomthehstoresbewellknownandhad。AndasforthethreeJews，whchalsowereto-forethencarnatonofourLord，ofwhomthefrstwasdukeJoshuawhchbroughtthechldrenofsraelntothelandofbehest，thesecondDavdkngofJerusalem，andthethrdJudasMachabeus，ofthesethreetheBblerehearsethallthernoblehstoresandacts。AndsncethesadncarnatonhavebeenthreenobleChrstanmen，stalledandadmttedthroughtheunversalworldntothenumberofthennebestandworthy。OfwhomwasfrstthenobleArthur，whosenobleactspurposetowrtenthspresentbookherefollowng。ThesecondwasCharleman，orCharlestheGreat，ofwhomthehstoryshadnmanyplaces，bothnFrenchandnEnglsh。AndthethrdandlastwasGodfreyofBolone，ofwhoseactsandlfemadeabookuntotheexcellentprnceandkngofnoblememory，KngEdwardtheFourth。
　　ThesadnoblegentlemennstantlyrequredmetomprntthehstoryofthesadnoblekngandconquerorKngArthur，andofhsknghts，wththehstoryoftheSantGreal，andofthedeathandendngofthesadArthur；affrmngthatoughtrathertomprnthsactsandnoblefeats，thanofGodfreyofBolone，oranyoftheothereght，consderngthathewasamanbornwthnthsrealm，andkngandemperorofthesame：andthattherebenFrenchdversandmanynoblevolumesofhsacts，andalsoofhsknghts。TowhomansweredthatdversmenholdopnonthattherewasnosuchArthur，andthatallsuchbooksasbeenmadeofhmbefegnedandfables，becausethatsomechronclesmakeofhmnomenton，norrememberhmnothng，norofhsknghts。Wheretotheyanswered，andonenspecalsad，thatnhmthatshouldsayorthnkthattherewasneversuchakngcalledArthurmghtwellbearettedgreatfollyandblndness。Forhesadthatthereweremanyevdencesofthecontrary。FrstyemayseehssepulchrenthemonasteryofGlastonbury。AndalsonPolcroncon，ntheffthbookthesxthchapter，andntheseventhbookthetwenty-thrdchapter，wherehsbodywasbured，andafterfound，andtranslatedntothesadmonastery。YeshallseealsonthehstoryofBochas，nhsbookDeCasuPrncpum，partofhsnobleacts，andalsoofhsfall。AlsoGalfrdusnhsBrtshbookrecountethhslfe：andndversplacesofEnglandmanyremembrancesbeyetofhm，andshallremanperpetually，andalsoofhsknghts。FrstntheabbeyofWestmnster，atSt。Edward’sshrne，remaneththeprntofhssealnredwaclosednberyl，nwhchswrtten，PatrcusArthurusBrtanne，Galle，Germane，Dace，mperator。temnthecastleofDoveryemayseeGawane’sskull，andCradok’smantle：atWnchestertheRoundTable：notherplacesLauncelot’sswordandmanyotherthngs。
　　Thenallthesethngsconsdered，therecannomanreasonablygansaybuttherewasakngofthslandnamedArthur。Fornallplaces，Chrstanandheathen，hesreputedandtakenforoneofthenneworthy，andthefrstofthethreeChrstanmen。
　　Andalso，hesmorespokenofbeyondthesea，morebooksmadeofhsnobleacts，thantherebenEngland，aswellnDutch，talan，Spansh，andGreeksh，asnFrench。AndyetofrecordremannwtnessofhmnWales，nthetownofCamelot，thegreatstonesandthemarvellousworksofronlyngundertheground，androyalvaults，whchdversnowlvnghaveseen。
　　Whereforetsamarvelwhyhesnomorerenownednhsowncountry，saveonlytaccordethtotheWordofGod，whchsaththatnomansacceptedforaprophetnhsowncountry。
　　Thenallthesethngsaforesadalleged，couldnotwelldenybutthattherewassuchanoblekngnamedArthur，andreputedoneofthenneworthy，andfrstandchefoftheChrstanmen。
　　AndmanynoblevolumesbemadeofhmandofhsnobleknghtsnFrench，whchhaveseenandreadbeyondthesea，whchbenothadnourmaternaltongue。ButnWelshbemanyandalsonFrench，andsomenEnglshbutnowherenghall。Wherefore，suchashavelatebeendrawnoutbreflyntoEnglshhaveafterthesmpleconnngthatGodhathsenttome，underthefavourandcorrectonofallnoblelordsandgentlemen，enprsedtomprntabookofthenoblehstoresofthesadKngArthur，andofcertanofhsknghts，afteracopyuntomedelvered，whchcopySrThomasMaloryeddtakeoutofcertanbooksofFrench，andreducedtntoEnglsh。And，accordngtomycopy，havedonesettnmprnt，tothententthatnoblemenmayseeandlearnthenobleactsofchvalry，thegentleandvrtuousdeedsthatsomeknghtsusednthosedays，bywhchtheycametohonour，andhowtheythatwerevcouswerepunshedandoftputtoshameandrebuke；humblybeseechngallnoblelordsandlades，wthallotherestatesofwhatestateordegreetheybeenof，thatshallseeandreadnthssadbookandwork，thattheytakethegoodandhonestactsntherremembrance，andtofollowthesame。Wherentheyshallfndmanyjoyousandpleasanthstores，andnobleandrenownedactsofhumanty，gentleness，andchvalry。Forherenmaybeseennoblechvalry，courtesy，humanty，frendlness，hardness，love，frendshp，cowardce，murder，hate，vrtue，andsn。Doafterthegoodandleavetheevl，andtshallbrngyoutogoodfameandrenown。
　　Andfortopassthetmethsbookshallbepleasanttoreadn，butfortogvefathandbelefthatallstruethatscontanedheren，yebeatyourlberty：butallswrttenforourdoctrne，andfortobewarethatwefallnottovcenorsn，buttoexercseandfollowvrtue，bywhchwemaycomeandattantogoodfameandrenownnthslfe，andafterthsshortandtranstorylfetocomeuntoeverlastngblssnheaven；thewhchHegrantusthatregnethnheaven，theblessedTrnty。
　　Amen。