_How after Sir Gawaine’s ghost appeared to king Arthur, and warned him
that he should not fight that day._
And then the king let search all the towns for his knights that were
slain, and interred them; and salved them with soft salves that so sore
were wounded. Then much people drew unto king Arthur. And then they
said that Sir Mordred warred upon king Arthur with wrong. And then king
Arthur drew him with his host down by the sea side, westward toward
Salisbury, and there was a day assigned between king Arthur and Sir
Mordred, and they should meet upon a down beside Salisbury, and not far
from the sea side, and this day was assigned on a Monday after Trinity
Sunday, whereof king Arthur was passing glad, that he might be avenged
upon Sir Mordred. Then Sir Mordred araised much people about London,
for they of Kent, Southsex, and Surrey, Estsex, and Southfolk, and of
Northfolk, held the most party with Sir Mordred, and many a full noble
knight drew unto Sir Mordred and to the king; but they that loved Sir
Launcelot drew unto Sir Mordred. So upon Trinity Sunday at night king
Arthur dreamed a wonderful dream, and that was this, that him seemed he
sat upon a chaflet in a chair, and the chair was fast to a wheel, and
thereupon sat king Arthur in the richest cloth of gold that might be
made: and the king thought there was under him, far from him, an
hideous deep black water, and therein were all manner of serpents, and
worms, and wild beasts, fowl and horrible: and suddenly the king
thought the wheel turned up so down, and he fell among the serpents,
and every beast took him by a limb. And then the king cried as he lay
in his bed and slept, Help! And then knights, squires, and yeomen
awaked the king; and then he was so amazed that he wist not where he
was. And then he fell on slumbering again, not sleeping nor thoroughly
waking. So the king seemed verily that there came Sir Gawaine unto him
with a number of fair ladies with him. And when king Arthur saw him,
then he said, Welcome, my sister’s son, I wend thou hadst been dead,
and now I see thee on live, much am I beholding unto Almighty Jesu. Oh,
fair nephew, and my sister’s son, what be these ladies that hither be
come with you? Sir, said Sir Gawaine, all these be ladies for whom I
have foughten when I was man living: and all these are those that I did
battle for in righteous quarrel. And God hath given them that grace at
their great prayer, because I did battle for them, that they should
bring me hither unto you, thus much had God given me leave, for to warn
you of your death; for and ye fight as to-morn with Sir Mordred, as ye
both have assigned, doubt ye not ye must be slain, and the most part of
your people on both parties. And for the great grace and goodness that
Almighty Jesu hath unto you, and for pity of you and many more other
good men there shall be slain, God hath sent me to you, of his special
grace, to give you warning, that in no wise ye do battle as to-morn,
but that ye take a treaty for a month day; and proffer you largely, so
as to-morn to be put in a delay. For within a month shall come Sir
Launcelot, with all his noble knights, and rescue you worshipfully, and
slay Sir Mordred and all that ever will hold with him. Then Sir Gawaine
and all the ladies vanished. And anon the king called upon his knights,
squires, and yeomen, and charged them wightly to fetch his noble lords
and wise bishops unto him. And when they were come, the king told them
his vision, what Sir Gawaine had told him, and warned him that if he
fought on the morn he should be slain. Then the king commanded Sir
Lucan de butlere, and his brother Sir Bedivere, with two bishops with
them, and charged them in any wise and they might take a treaty for a
month day with Sir Mordred;—And spare not, proffer him lands and
goods, as much as ye think best. So then they departed, and came to Sir
Mordred, where he had a grim host of an hundred thousand men. And there
they intreated Sir Mordred long time, and at the last Sir Mordred was
agreed for to have Cornwall and Kent, by king Arthur’s days:—after,
all England, after the days of king Arthur.