„Kto wyciągnie ten miecz z kamienia tego i kowadła jest prawowitym królem całej Anglii.“
— Thomas Malory
Źródło: Śmierć Artura, Londyn 1485.
Thomas Malory cytaty
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Thomas Malory
Data urodzenia:1405
Data zgonu:14. Marzec 1471
Sir Thomas Malory – pisarz angielski, autor romansu rycerskiego Śmierć Artura , stanowiącego kompilację legend o królu Arturze i uważanego za jedno z najwybitniejszych dzieł angielskiej literatury średniowiecznej.
Nazwisko Malory'ego pochodzi z języka francuskiego, starofrancuskie maleüré oznacza "nieszczęśnika". Istnieją różne wersje jego pisowni, np. Maillorie i Maleore.
Malory w swojej pracy inspirował się zarówno źródłami francuskimi , jak i angielskimi .
Niewiele jest na temat życiorysu Malory'ego informacji. Prawdopodobnie pochodził z Newbold Revel w Warwickshire. Wiadomo na pewno, że był rycerzem i więźniem, a odautorski opis siebie samego zawarty w kolofonie Śmierci Artura może sugerować, że był również księdzem. Uważa się, że został pasowany na rycerza w 1442 roku, co umożliwiło mu wejście w skład angielskiego parlamentu, jako przedstawiciela Warwickshire w 1445 roku. Prawdopodobnie w 1450 roku zszedł na drogę zbrodni, był oskarżony m.in. o gwałt, morderstwo i kradzieże. Prawdopodobnie był więziony w londyńskim Newgate w latach pięćdziesiątych XV wieku i tam właśnie rozpoczął spisywanie legend o królu Arturze i rycerzach okrągłego stołu, nadając im pierwotnie tytuł The Book of King Arthur and His Noble Knights of the Round Table. W czasie Wojny Dwóch Róż był prawdopodobnie stronnikiem Lancasterów. Jego dzieło zostało opublikowane przez Williama Caxtona pod tytułem Le Morte d'Arthur w 1485 roku. Malory napisał, iż skończył utwór w dziewiątym roku panowania Króla Edwarda IV, czyli około roku 1470.
Cytaty 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.“
— Thomas Malory
le morte d'arthur
„What... is the wind in that door?“
— Thomas Malory
Le Morte D' Arthur
„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
„... 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...“
— Thomas Malory
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
