Le Morte d'Arthur/Volume I/Book II

by Thomas Malory

Explicit liber primus. Incipit liber secundus

Chapters (not listed in original)

• Chapter I: Of a damosel which came girt with a sword for to find a man of such virtue to draw it out of the scabbard
• Chapter II: How Balin, arrayed like a poor knight, pulled out the sword, which afterward was cause of his death
• Chapter III: How the Lady of the Lake demanded the knight's head that had won the sword, or the maiden's head
• Chapter IV: How Merlin told the adventure of this damosel
• Chapter V: How Balin was pursued by Sir Lanceor, knight of Ireland, and how he jousted and slew him
• Chapter VI: How a damosel, which was love to Lanceor, slew herself for love, and how Balin met with his brother Balan
• Chapter VII: How a dwarf reproved Balin for the death of Lanceor, and how King Mark of Cornwall found them, and made a tomb over them
• Chapter VIII: How Merlin prophesied that two the best knights of the world should fight there, which were Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram
• Chapter IX: How Balin and his brother, by the counsel of Merlin, took King Rience and brought him to King Arthur
• Chapter X: How King Arthur had a battle against Nero and King Lot of Orkney, and how King Lot was deceived by Merlin, and how twelve kings were slain
• Chapter XI: Of the interment of twelve kings, and of the prophecy of Merlin, and how Balin should give the dolorous stroke
• Chapter XII: How a sorrowful knight came before Arthur, and how Balin fetched him, and how that knight was slain by a knight invisible
• Chapter XIII: ow Balin and the damosel met with a knight which was in likewise slain, and how the damosel bled for the custom of a castle
• Chapter XIV: How Balin met with that knight named Garlon at a feast, and there he slew him, to have his blood to heal therewith the son of his host
• Chapter XV: How Balin fought with King Pellam, and how his sword brake, and how he gat a spear wherewith he smote the dolorous stroke
• Chapter XVI: How Balin was delivered by Merlin, and saved a knight that would have slain himself for love
• Chapter XVII: How that knight slew his love and a knight lying by her, and after, how he slew himself with his own sword, and how Balin rode toward a castle where he lost his life
• Chapter XVIII: How Balin met with his brother Balan, and how each of them slew other unknown, till they were wounded to death
• Chapter XIX: How Merlin buried them both in one tomb, and of Balin's sword