met and the brain-pan, and therewithal Sir Mordred fell stark dead to the earth; and the noble Arthur fell in a swoon to the earth, and there he swooned ofttimes. And Sir 5 Lucan the Butler and Sir Bedivere ofttimes heaved him up. And so weakly they led him betwixt them both, to a little chapel not far from the seaside. And when the king was there he thought him well eased. Then

the down. Then was Arthur wood wroth out of measure, when he saw his people so slain from him. Then the king looked about him, and then was he ware, of all his host and of all his good knights, were left no more alive but two knights; that one was Sir Lucan the Butler, and his brother Sir Bedivere, and they were full sore wounded. 'Jesu mercy,' said the king, 'where are all my noble knights become? Alas that ever 10 heard they people cry in the field. 'Now I should see this doleful day, for now,' said Arthur, 'I am come to mine end. But would to God that I wist where were that traitor Sir Mordred, that hath caused all this mischief.' Then was King Arthur ware 15 as he yede,' he saw and hearkened by the where Sir Mordred leaned upon his sword among a great heap of dead men. 'Now give me my spear,' said Arthur unto Sir Lucan, 'for yonder I have espied the traitor

go, thou, Sir Lucan,' said the king, 'and do me to wit what betokens that noise in the field.' So Sir Lucan departed, for he was grievously wounded in many places. And so

moonlight, how that pillers and robbers were come into the field, to pill and to rob many a full noble knight of brooches, and beads, of many a good ring, and of many a

Chapter V

'But I may not stand, mine head works so. Ah, Sir Launcelot,' said King Arthur, 'this day have I sore missed thee: alas, that ever I was against thee, for now have I my

that all this woe hath wrought.' 'Sir, let 20 rich jewel; and who that were not dead all him be,' said Sir Lucan, 'for he is unhappy; out, there they slew them for their harness and if ye pass this unhappy day, ye shall and their riches. When Sir Lucan underbe right well revenged upon him. Good stood this work, he came to the king as soon lord, remember ye of your night's dream, as he might, and told him all what he had and what the spirit of Sir Gawaine told you 25 heard and seen. "Therefore by my rede,5' this night, yet God of his great goodness said Sir Lucan, 'it is best that we bring you hath preserved you hitherto. Therefore, for to some town.' 'I would it were so,' said God's sake, my lord, leave off by this, for, the king. blessed be God, ye have won the field, for here we be three alive, and with Sir Mordred 30 is none alive; and if ye leave off now, this wicked day of destiny is past.' 'Tide me death, betide me life,' saith the king, 'now I see him yonder alone he shall never escape mine hands, for at a better avail shall I 35 death, whereof Sir Gawaine me warned in never have him.' 'God speed you well,' said Sir Bedivere. Then the king gat his spear in both his hands, and ran toward Sir Mordred, crying: "Traitor, now is thy death-day come.' And when Sir Mordred 40 the lift, that the part of his guts fell out of heard Sir Arthur, he ran until him with his sword drawn in his hand. And there King Arthur smote Sir Mordred under the shield, with a foin of his spear, throughout the body, more than a fathom. And when Sir Mor-45 dred felt that he had his death wound, he thrust himself with the might that he had up to the bur2 of King Arthur's spear. And right so he smote his father Arthur, with his sword holden in both his hands, on the side 50 was so set to help me: now Jesu have mercy of the head, that the sword pierced the hel

1 mad, insane

my dream.' Then Sir Lucan took up the king the one part, and Sir Bedivere the other part, and in the lifting the king swooned; and Sir Lucan fell in a swoon with

his body, and therewith the noble knight's heart brast. And when the king awoke, he beheld Sir Lucan, how he lay foaming at the mouth, and part of his guts lay at his feet. 'Alas,' said the king, 'this is to me a full heavy sight, to see this noble duke so die for my sake, for he would have holpen me, that had more need of help than I. Alas, he would not complain him, his heart

upon his soul!' Then Sir Bedivere wept for

2 a broad iron ring, to prevent the hand from slipping

the death of his brother. 'Leave this mourning and weeping,' said the king, 'for all this will not avail me, for wit thou well an I might live myself, the death of Sir Lucan would grieve me evermore; but my time hieth fast,' said the king. 'Therefore,' said Arthur unto Sir Bedivere, 'take thou Excalibur, my good sword, and go with it to yonder water side, and when thou comest there I charge thee throw my sword in that 10 him what he saw. 'Alas,' said the king, water, and come again and tell me what thou there seest.' 'My lord,' said Bedivere, 'your commandment shall be done, and lightly bring you word again.' So Sir Bedi

up, and went to the water side; and there he bound the girdle about the hilts, and then he threw the sword as far into the water as he might; and there came an arm 5 and an hand above the water and met it, and caught it, and so shook it thrice and brandished, and then vanished away the hand with the sword in the water. So Sir Bedivere came again to the king, and told

'help me hence, for I dread me I have tarried over long.' Then Sir Bedivere took the king upon his back, and so went with him to that water side. And when they were at the

vere departed, and by the way he beheld 15 water side, even fast by the bank hoved a that noble sword, that the pommel and the haft was all of precious stones; and then he said to himself: "If I throw this rich sword in the water, thereof shall never come good,

little barge with many fair ladies in it, and among them all was a queen, and all they had black hoods, and all they wept and shrieked when they saw King Arthur. 'Now

but harm and loss.' And then Sir Bedivere 20 put me into the barge,' said the king. And

so he did softly; and there received him three queens with great mourning; and so they set them down, and in one of their laps King Arthur laid his head. And then that queen said: 'Ah, dear brother, why have ye tarried so long from me? alas, this wound on your head hath caught over-much cold.' And so then they rowed from the land, and Sir Bedivere beheld all those ladies go from

lord Arthur, what shall become of me, now ye go from me and leave me here alone among mine enemies?' 'Comfort thyself,' said the king, 'and do as well as thou mayest, for in me is no trust for to trust in; for I will into the vale of Avilion to heal me of my grievous wound: and if thou hear never more of me, pray for my soul.' But ever the queens and ladies wept and shrieked, that

hid Excalibur under a tree. And so, as soon as he might, he came again unto the king, and said he had been at the water, and had thrown the sword in the water. 'What saw thou there?' said the king. 'Sir,' he said, 25 'I saw nothing but waves and winds.' 'That is untruly said of thee,' said the king, 'therefore go thou lightly' again, and do my commandment; as thou art to me lief and dear, spare not, but throw it in.' Then Sir Bedi- 30 him. Then Sir Bedivere cried: 'Ah, my vere returned again, and took the sword in his hand; and then him thought sin and shame to throw away that noble sword, and so eft2 he hid the sword, and returned again, and told to the king that he had been at the 35 water, and done his commandment. 'What saw thou there?' said the king. 'Sir,' he said, 'I saw nothing but the waters wappen3 and waves wanne. 'Ah, traitor untrue,' said King Arthur, 'now hast thou betrayed 40 it was pity to hear. And as soon as Sir me twice. Who would have weened that, thou that hast been to me so lief and dear? and thou art named a noble knight, and would betray me for the richness of the sword. But now go again lightly, for thy 45 long tarrying putteth me in great jeopardy of my life, for I have taken cold. And but if thou do now as I bid thee, if ever I may Then was Sir Bedivere glad, and thither see thee, I shall slay thee with mine own he went; and when he came into the chapel, hands; for thou wouldst for my rich sword 50 he saw where lay an hermit groveling on see me dead.' Then Sir Bedivere departed,

Bedivere had lost the sight of the barge, he wept and wailed, and so took the forest; and so he went all that night, and in the morning he was ware betwixt two holts hoar," of a chapel and an hermitage.

Chapter VI

all four, there fast by a tomb was new graven. When the hermit saw Sir Bedi7 dug

5 wooded hills

hoary with age

vere he knew him well, for he was but little` to-fore Bishop of Canterbury, that Sir Mordred flemed1. 'Sir,' said Bedivere, 'what man is there interred that ye pray so fast for?' 'Fair son,' said the hermit, 'I wot not verily, but by deeming. But this night, at midnight, here came a number of ladies, and brought hither a dead corpse, and prayed me to bury him; and here they offered an hundred tapers, an hundred besaunts?.' Bedivere, 'that was my lord King Arthur, that here lieth buried in this chapel.' Then Sir Bedivere swooned; and when he awoke he prayed the hermit he might abide with 15 and such one was buried there, that the her

was he led away in a ship wherein were three queens; that one was King Arthur's sister, Queen Morgan le Fay; the other was the Queen of Northgalis; the third was the 5 Queen of the Waste Lands. Also there was Nimue, the chief lady of the lake, that had wedded Pelleas the good knight; and this lady had done much for King Arthur, for she would never suffer Sir Pelleas to be in and they gave me 10 no place where he should be in danger of his 'Alas,' said Sir life; and so he lived to the uttermost of his days with her in great rest. More of the death of King Arthur could I never find, but that ladies brought him to his burials;

him still there, to live with fasting and prayers. For from hence will I never go,' said Sir Bedivere, 'by my will, but all the days of my life here to pray for my lord Arthur.' 'Ye are welcome to me,' said the 20 the Table Round, made it to be written.

mit bare witness that sometime was Bishop of Canterbury, but yet the hermit knew not in certain that he was verily the body of King Arthur: for this tale Sir Bedivere, knight of

hermit, 'for I know ye better than ye ween that I do. Ye are the bold Bedivere, and

the full noble duke, Sir Lucan the Butler, was your brother.' Then Sir Bedivere told

Chapter VII

Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but

the hermit all as ye have heard to-fore. So 25 had by the will of our Lord Jesu into another there bode Sir Bedivere with the hermit that was to-fore Bishop of Canterbury, and there Sir Bedivere put upon him poor clothes, and served the hermit full lowly in

place; and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross. I will not say it shall be so, but rather I will say: here in this world he changed his life.

fasting and in prayers. Thus of Arthur I 30 But many men say that there is written

find never more written in books that be authorised, nor more of the very certainty of his death heard I never read3, but thus 1 put to flight

upon his tomb this verse: Hic jacet Arthurus, Rex quondam Rexque futurus.

2 gold coins

stell

1485