The first published English novel was writtn by Thomas Malory, Le Morte d'Arthur, The death of Arthur. Written in 1470 and published 1485, Le Morte d'Arthur was the compilation of some French and English Arthurian romances. The book contains some of Malory's own original material and retells the older stories in light of Malory's own views and interpretations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Morte_d%27Arthur