Thomas Malory > Quotes

“The very purpose of a knight is to fight on behalf of a lady.”
― Thomas Malory

“Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place; and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross.”
― Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“We shall now seek that which we shall not find.”
― Thomas Malory

“The sweetness of love is short-lived, but the pain endures.”
― Thomas Malory

“In the midst of the lake Arthur was ware of an arm clothed in white samite, that held a fair sword in that hand. ”
― Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“Enough Is as Good as a feast.”
― Sir Thomas Malory

“They both laughed and drank to each other; they had never tasted sweeter liquor in all their lives. And in that moment they fell so deeply in love that their hearts would never be divided. So the destiny of Tristram and Isolde was ordained.”
― Sir Thomas Malory

“For I have promised to do the battle to the uttermost, by faith of my body, while me lasteth the life, and therefore I had liefer to die with honour than to live with shame ; and if it were possible for me to die an hundred times, I had liefer to die oft than yield me to thee; for though I lack weapon, I shall lack no worship, and if thou slay me weaponless that shall be thy shame.”
― sir thomas malory, le morte d'arthur

“for it is better that we slay a coward, than through a coward all we to be slain.”
― Thomas Malory, Le Mort d'Arthur, Volume 1

“And thus it passed on from Candlemass until after Easter, that the month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit; for like as herbs and trees bring forth fruit and flourish in May, in like wise every lusty heart that is in any manner a lover, springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds. For it giveth unto all lovers courage, that lusty month of May, in something to constrain him to some manner of thing more in that month than in any other month, for divers causes. For then all herbs and trees renew a man and woman, and likewise lovers call again to their mind old gentleness and old service, and many kind deeds that were forgotten by negligence. For like as winter rasure doth alway arase and deface green summer, so fareth it by unstable love in man and woman. For in many persons there is no stability; for we may see all day, for a little blast of winter's rasure, anon we shall deface and lay apart true love for little or nought, that cost much thing; this is no wisdom nor stability, but it is feebleness of nature and great disworship, whosomever useth this. Therefore, like as May month flowereth and flourisheth in many gardens, so in like wise let every man of worship flourish his heart in this world, first unto God, and next unto the joy of them that he promised his faith unto; for there was never worshipful man or worshipful woman, but they loved one better than another; and worship in arms may never be foiled, but first reserve the honour to God, and secondly the quarrel must come of thy lady: and such love I call virtuous love.

But nowadays men can not love seven night but they must have all their desires: that love may not endure by reason; for where they be soon accorded and hasty heat, soon it cooleth. Right so fareth love nowadays, soon hot soon cold: this is no stability. But the old love was not so; men and women could love together seven years, and no licours lusts were between them, and then was love, truth, and faithfulness: and lo, in like wise was used love in King Arthur's days. Wherefore I liken love nowadays unto summer and winter; for like as the one is hot and the other cold, so fareth love nowadays; therefore all ye that be lovers call unto your remembrance the month of May, like as did Queen Guenever, for whom I make here a little mention, that while she lived she was a true lover, and therefore she had a good end.”
― Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table

“What... is the wind in that door?”
― Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“O Merlin", said Arthur, "Here hadst thou been slain for all thy crafts had I not been." "Nay," said Merlin, "Not so, for I could save myself an I would; and thou art more near thy death than I am, for thou goest to the deathward, an God be not thy friend.”
― Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“And when matins and the first mass was done, there was seen in the churchyard, against the high altar, a great stone four square, like unto a marble stone; and in midst thereof was like an anvil of steel a foot on high, and therein stuck a fair sword naked by the point, and letters there were written in gold about the sword that said thus:—Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England.”
― Thomas Mallory, Le Morte D'Arthur

“I shall bere your noble fame, for ye spake a grete worde and fulfilled it worshipfully.”
― Thomas Malory, Malory: Complete Works

“Better is peace than ever war.”
― Sir Thomas Mallory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise king born of all England. Then the people marvelled, and told it to the Archbishop. I command, said the Archbishop, that ye keep you within your church and pray unto God still, that no man touch the sword till the high mass be all done. So when all masses were done all the lords went to behold the stone and the sword. And when they saw the scripture some assayed, such as would have been king. But none might stir the sword nor move it. He is not here, said the Archbishop, that shall achieve the sword, but doubt not God will make him known.”
― Sir Thomas Mallory, King Arthur And His Knights

“Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place... many men say that there is written upon his tomb this verse: Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam, Rexque futurus.

Here lies Arthur, King that was, King that will be.”
― Thomas Malory

“But she pursued them through their tangled lair And caught them, and put fire-flies in their hair; And then they all joined hands, and round and round They danced a morris on the moonlit ground.”
― Thomas Malory, King Arthur Collection

“Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another place. And men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the the Holy Cross.”
― Sir Thomas Mallory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“Ah Gawaine, Gawaine, ye have betrayed me; for never shall my court be amended by you, but ye will never be sorry for me as I am for you”
― Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“Sir Tor dressed his shield, and took his spear in his hands, and the other came fiercely upon him, and smote both horse and man to the earth.”
― Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur & the Legends of the Round Table

“Ah! fair damosel, said Balin, worthiness, and good tatches, and good deeds, are not only in arrayment, but manhood and worship is hid within man's person, and many a worshipful knight is not known unto all people, and therefore worship and hardiness is not in arrayment.”
― Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur

“...and then the threw the sword as far into the water as he might; and there came an arm and a hand above the water and met it, and caught it, and so shook it thrice and brandished, and then vanished away the hand with the sword in the water.”
― Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table

“Well, said the haut prince, this day must noble knights joust.”
― Sir Thomas Malory

“...and there encountered with him all at once Sir Bors, Sir Ector, and Sir Lionel, and they three smote him at once with their spears, and with force of themselves they smote Sir Lancelot's horse reverse to the earth. And by misfortune Sir Bors smote Sir Lancelot through the shield into the side...”
― Malory Thomas Sir, Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table

“Ah, bella damigella, dignità, virtù e valore non sono riposti solo nell'abbigliamento!" esclamò Balin. "La virilità e l'onore sono celati nella persona, e vi sono molti insigni cavalieri ignoti a tutti, a riprova che il pregio e l'ardimento non hanno alcun rapporto con le vesti che indossano.”
― Thomas Malory, Storia di re Artù e dei suoi cavalieri

“When she saw him come nigh, she said, Away, kitchen knave, out of the wind, for the smell of thy bawdy clothes grieveth me.”
― Thomas Malory, Le Morte D' Arthur

“Signora, il suo amore era talmente ardente che avrei potuto ricambiarlo solo facendo di lei mia moglie o la mia amante. Io non accettai ma, per il grande amore che mi portava, le offrii mille lire sterline di rendita all'anno per lei e per i suoi eredi se avesse sposato un cavaliere di suo gradimento. Signora, non mi piace essere obbligato ad amare; l'amore deve nascere dal cuore, non dalla costrizione.”
― Thomas Malory, Storia di re Artù e dei suoi cavalieri

“Enough is the same as a feast.”
― Thomas Malory, Le Mort d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table - Volume I, Large Print

“Laugh if you will, My queen, but let me be a woman still. You fairies love where love is wise and just; We mortal women love because we must:”
― Thomas Malory, King Arthur Collection