SIR THOMAS MALORY
(1430?-1470?)
3. (Colophon)
Thus endeth thys noble and Joyous book entytled le morte | Darthur / Notwythſtondyng it treateth of the byrth / lyf / and | actes of the ſayd kyng Arthur / of his noble knyghtes of the | rounde table / ... whiche book was re | duced in to englyſſhe by ſyr Thomas Malory knyght as afore | is ſayd / and by my deuyded in to xxj bookes chapytred and | enprynted / and fynyſſhed in thabbey westmestre the last day | of Juyl the yere of our lord / M / CCCC / lxxxv /
Caxton me fieri fecit.
The book begins with a prologue by Caxton wherein he tells how he came to print it, presents his reason for the belief that Arthur was an historical personage, and relates some facts with regard to the sources of the romance. He says:
"After that I had accomplysshed and fynysshed dyuers hystoryes as wel of contemplacyon as of other hyſtoryal and worldly actes of grete conquerours & prynces, and also certeyn bookes of ensaumples and doctryne, Many noble and dyuers gentylmen of thys royame of Englond camen and demaunded me many and oftymes, wherfore that I haue not do made & enprynte the noble hystorye of the saynt greal, and of the moost renomed crysten Kyng,... kyng Arthur....
Thēne al these thynges forsayd aledged J coude not wel denye, but that there was suche a noble kyng named arthur, and reputed one of the ix worthy, & fyrst & chyef of the crysten men, & many noble volumes be made of hym & of his noble knyztes in frensshe which I haue seen & redde beyonde the see, which been not had in our maternal tongue, but in walsshe ben many & also in frensshe, & Somme in englysshe but nowher nygh alle, wherfore such as haue late ben drawen oute bryefly in to englysshe, I haue after the symple connynge that god hath sente me, vnder the fauour and correctyon of al noble lordes and gentylmen enprysed to enprynte a book of the noble hystoryes of the sayd kynge Arthur, and of certeyn of his knyghtes after a copye vnto me delyuerd, whyche copys Syr Thomas Malorye dyd take oute of certayn bookes of frensshe and reduced it in to Englysshe, And I accordyng to my copye haue doon sette it in emprynte...."
The volume is printed without folios, head-lines, or catchwords, in the type known as No. 4, already referred to under the Confessio. The initial letters are printed from wood.