OF SIR MORDRED'S TREASON
As Sir Mordred was ruler of all England he did make letters as though
they came from beyond the sea, and the letters specified that King
Arthur was slain in battle with Sir Launcelot. Wherefore Sir Mordred
made a Parliament, and called the lords together, and there he made
them to choose him king. So was he crowned at Canterbury, and held a
feast there fifteen days. Afterwards he drew unto Winchester, and
there he took the Queen, Guenever, and said plainly that he would wed
her which was his uncle's wife.
So he made ready for the feast, and a day was prefixed when they should
be wedded. Wherefore Queen Guenever was passing heavy, but she durst
not discover her heart, and spake fair, and agreed to Sir Mordred's
will. Then she desired of him for to go to London, to buy all manner
of things that longed unto the wedding, and because of her fair speech
Sir Mordred trusted her well enough, and gave her leave to go. When
she came to London, she took the Tower of London, and suddenly, in all
haste possible, she stuffed it with all manner of victual, and well
garnished it with men, and so kept it.
Then when Sir Mordred wist and understood how he was beguiled, he was
passing wroth out of measure. And, a short tale for to make, he went
and laid a mighty siege about the Tower of London, and made many great
assaults thereat, and threw many great engines unto them, and shot
great guns. But all might not prevail Sir Mordred, because Queen
Guenever, for fair speech nor for foul, would never trust to come in
his hands again.
Then came the Bishop of Canterbury, the which was a noble clerk and an
holy man, and thus he said to Sir Mordred: "Sir, what will ye do? Will
ye first displease God, and then shame yourself and all knighthood?
Leave this matter, or else I shall curse you with book and bell and
candle."
"Do thou thy worst," said Sir Mordred; "wit thou well I shall defy
thee."
"Sir," said the Bishop, "and wit ye well I shall not fear me to do that
I ought to do. Also, when ye noise that my lord Arthur is slain, that
is not so, and therefore ye will make a foul work in this land."
"Peace, thou false priest," said Sir Mordred, "for, if thou chafe me
any more, I shall make strike off thy head."
So the Bishop departed, and did the curse in the haughtiest wise that
might be done. Then Sir Mordred sought the Bishop of Canterbury for to
slay him, and he fled, and, taking part of his goods with him, went
nigh unto Glastonbury, and there lived in poverty and in holy prayers
as priest-hermit in a chapel, for well he understood that mischievous
war was at hand.
Then came word to Sir Mordred that King Arthur had raised the siege
from Sir Launcelot, and was coming homeward with a great host, to be
avenged upon Sir Mordred. Wherefore Sir Mordred made write writs to
all the barony of this land, and much people drew to him, for then was
the common voice among them, that with Arthur was none other life but
war and strife, and with Sir Mordred was great joy and bliss. Thus was
Sir Arthur depraved and evil said of, and many there were that King
Arthur had made up of naught, and had given lands to, who might not
then say of him a good word.
Lo all ye Englishmen, see ye not what a mischief here was, for Arthur
was the most king and knight of the world, and most loved the
fellowship of noble knights, and by him they were all upholden. Now
might not these Englishmen hold us content with him. Lo, thus was the
old custom and usage of this land, and men say, that we of this land
have not yet lost nor forgotten that custom and usage. Alas, this is a
great fault of all Englishmen, for there may no thing please us. And
so fared the people at that time; they were better pleased with Sir
Mordred than they were with King Arthur, and much people drew unto Sir
Mordred, and said they would abide with him for better and for worse.
So Sir Mordred drew with a great host to Dover, for there he heard say
that Sir Arthur would arrive, and so he thought to beat his own uncle
from his lands. And the most part of all England held with Sir
Mordred, the people were so new-fangle.
As Sir Mordred was at Dover with his host, there came King Arthur with
a great navy of ships, galleys, and carracks. And there was Sir
Mordred ready awaiting upon his landage, to keep his own uncle from
landing in the country that he was king over. Then there was launching
of great boats and small, full of noble men of arms, and there was much
slaughter of gentle knights, and many a bold baron was laid full low on
both sides. But King Arthur was so courageous that there might no
manner of knights prevent him from landing, and his knights fiercely
followed him.
So they landed in spite of Sir Mordred and all his power, and they put
him aback, so that he fled and all his people. When this battle was
done, King Arthur let bury his dead, and then was the noble knight Sir
Gawaine found in a great boat lying more than half dead. When Sir
Arthur wist that Sir Gawaine was laid so low, he went unto him and made
sorrow out of measure, for this sister's son was the man in the world
that he most loved. Sir Gawaine felt that he must die, for he was
smitten upon the old wound that Sir Launcelot had given him afore the
city of Benwick. He now knew that he was the cause of this unhappy
war, for had Sir Launcelot remained with the King, it would never have
been, and now King Arthur would sore miss his brave knights of the
Round Table.
Then he prayed his uncle that he might have paper, pen, and ink, and
when they were brought, he with his own hand wrote thus, as the French
book maketh mention: "Unto Sir Launcelot, flower of all noble knights
that ever I heard of, or saw by my days, I, Sir Gawaine, King Lot's son
of Orkney, sister's son unto the noble King Arthur, send thee greeting,
and let thee have knowledge, that this tenth day of May, through the
same wound that thou gavest me I am come to my death. And I will that
all the world wit that I, Sir Gawaine, knight of the Table Round,
sought my death; it came not through thy deserving, but it was mine own
seeking. Wherefore I beseech thee, Sir Launcelot, to return again unto
this realm, and see my tomb, and pray some prayer, more or less, for my
soul. For all the love that ever was betwixt us, make no tarrying, but
come over the sea in all haste, that thou mayest with thy noble knights
rescue that noble king that made thee knight, that is my lord Arthur,
for he is full straitly bestead with a false traitor, my half-brother,
Sir Mordred. We all landed upon him and his host at Dover, and there
put him to flight, and there it misfortuned me to be stricken in the
same wound the which I had of thy hand, Sir Launcelot. Of a nobler man
might I not be slain. This letter was written but two hours and an
half afore my death, with mine own hand, and so subscribed with part of
my heart's blood."
Then Sir Gawaine wept, and King Arthur wept, and then they swooned
both. When they awaked both, the King made Sir Gawaine to receive the
sacrament, and then Sir Gawaine prayed the King to send for Sir
Launcelot, and to cherish him above all other knights. And so at the
hour of noon, Sir Gawaine yielded up the spirit, and the King let inter
him in a chapel within Dover Castle.
Then was it told King Arthur that Sir Mordred had pitched a new field
upon Barham Down. Upon the morn the King rode thither to him, and
there was a great battle betwixt them, and much people were slain on
both parties. But at the last Sir Arthur's party stood best, and Sir
Mordred and his party fled to Canterbury. Upon this much people drew
unto King Arthur, and he went with his host down by the seaside,
westward towards Salisbury, and there was a day assigned between him
and Sir Mordred when they should meet in battle upon a down beside
Salisbury, not far from the sea.
In the night before the battle King Arthur dreamed a wonderful dream,
and it seemed to him verily that there came Sir Gawaine unto him, and
said; "God giveth me leave to come hither for to warn you that, if ye
fight 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.
For the great grace and goodness that Almighty Jesu hath unto you, and
for pity of you and many other good men that 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 to-morn, but that ye take a treaty for a month;
and proffer ye largely, so as to-morn to be put in delay, for within a
month shall come Sir Launcelot, with all his noble knights, and rescue
you honourably, and slay Sir Mordred and all that ever will hold with
him."
Then Sir Gawaine vanished, and anon the King commanded Sir Lucan and
his brother, Sir Bedivere, with two bishops with them, and charged them
to take a treaty for a month with Sir Mordred in any wise they might.
So then they departed, and came to Sir Mordred, where he had a grim
host of an hundred thousand men. There they entreated Sir Mordred long
time, and at the last he was agreed to have Cornwall and Kent by King
Arthur's days, and after the days of King Arthur all England.