alm in
rest and peace, then I promised in my mind to have gone and warred on
Christ's enemies, adversaries to our holy Christian faith. To this
purpose mine heart hath ever intended, but our Lord would not consent
thereto... And sith it is so that my body can not go, nor achieve that my
heart desireth, I will send the heart instead of the body, to
accomplish mine avow... I will, that as soon as I am trespassed out of
this world, that ye take my heart out of my body, and embalm it, and
take of my treasure as ye shall think sufficient for that enterprise,
both for yourself and such company as ye will take with you, and
present my heart to the Holy Sepulchre, whereas our Lord lay, seeing my
body can not come there. And take with you such company and purveyance
as shall be appertaining to your estate. And, wheresoever ye come, let
it be known how ye carry with you the heart of King Robert of Scotland,
at his instance and desire to be presented to the Holy Sepulchre.' Then
all the lords, that heard these words, wept for pity.

There, in the fifteenth century and early in the sixteenth, you have
Malory and Berners writing beautiful English prose; prose the emotion of
which (I dare to say) you must recognise if you have ears to hear. So you
see that already our English prose not only achieves the 'high moment,'
but seems to obey it rather and be lifted by it, until we ask ourselves,
'Who could help writing nobly, having to tell how King Arthur died or how
the Bruce?' Yes, but I bid you observe that Malory and Berners are both
relating what, however noble, is quite simple, quite straightforward. It
is when prose attempts to _philosophise_, to _express thoughts_ as well
as to relate simple sayings and doings--it is then that the trouble
begins. When Malory has to philosophise death, to _think_ about it, this
is as far as he attains:--

'Ah, Sir Lancelot,' said he, 'thou wert head of all Christian Knights!
And now I dare say,' said Sir Ector, 'that, Sir Lancelot, there thou
liest, thou were never matched of none earthly hands; and thou were the
curtiest knight that ever bare shield: and thou were the truest friend
to thy lover that ever strood horse, and thou were the truest lover of
a sinful man that ever loved woman; and thou were the kindest man that
ever strooke with sword; and thou were the goodliest person that ever
came among press of knights; and thou were the meekest man and