noble man of Britanny, and said these words before the fierce king:
"Lord king, hearken to me, as I ere did to thee. Thou hast said sooth
words—may fortune be given to thee!--For it was of old said, what we
now shall learn, in the years before what is now here found. Sibeli it
said; her words were sooth, and set it in book, for example to folk,
that three kings should go out of Britain, who should conquer Rome,
and all the realm, and all the lands that thereto lie. The first was
Belin, who was a British king; the other was Constantine, who was king
in Britain; thou shalt be the third, that Rome shalt have. And if thou
wilt it begin, thou shalt it win, and I will thereto help, with great
strength, I will send over sea, to my good thanes, to my bold
Britons—-the better we shall proceed,--I will command all, the nobles
of Britain, by their limbs and by their lives, over all my lands, that
they be ready soon with thee to march to Rome. My land I will set in
pledge for silver, and all the possessions of my land for silver and
for gold, and so we shall proceed to Rome, and slay Luces the emperor,
and for to win thy rights, I will lead to thee ten thousand knights."
Thus spake Howel, noblest of Britanny.
When that Howel had said what seemed good to him, then spake Angel the
king, Scotland's darling, and stood upon a bench, and both his
brothers, that was, Loth and Urien, two most noble men. Thus said
Angel the king to Arthur the keen: "Lord Arthur, I say to thee through
my sooth words, the same that Howel hath spoken, no man shall it
avoid, but we shall perform it by our quick lives! And, lord Arthur
the noble, listen to me a while, call to thee to counsel thy earls
rich, and all the highest that are in thy folk, and bid them say to
thee with their sooth words, in what they will help thee thy foes to
destroy. I will lead to thee knights of my land, three thousand
champions brave, all chosen, ten thousand men on foot, to fight most
good, and go we to Rome, and conquer the realm. Full greatly it may
shame us, and full greatly it may us anger, that they should send
messengers after tribute to our land. But so help us the Lord that
formed the daylight, they shall pay for it with their bare life! For
when we have Rome, and all the realm, we shall seize the lands that
thereto he, Poille (Apuha?) and Alemaine, Lumbardy and Britanny,
France and Normandy--then it hight Neustrie--and so we shall tame
their immoderate mood (pride)." When the king had said then answered
all. "Disgraced be that man that will not help thereto, with goods and
with weapons, and with all his might!"
Then was Arthur's folk sternly incensed, knights were so enraged, that
all they gan to be agitated. When Arthur had heard the clamour of his
folk, then gan he call--the king was angry--"Sit ye down still,
knights in hall, and I will you tell what I will do. My writs I will
make, that shall be well indited, and send to the emperor minds sorrow
and mickle care, and I will full soon fare into Rome. I will not
thither any tribute bring, but the emperor I will bind, and afterwards
I will him hang; and all the land I will destroy, and all the knights
put to death, that stand against me in fight!"
Arthur took his writ in hand, with hostile words, and delivered it to
the men, that had brought the errand, and afterwards he caused them to
be clothed with each pomp, with the noblest garments that he had in
bower, and bade them fare soon to Luces of Rome, and he would come
after them as quickly as he might.
These twelve went their way toward their land; were in no land knights
so bedecked with silver and with gold, nor through all things so well
arrayed as these were by Arthur the king. Thus Arthur them treated,
all for their words! These twelve knights proceeded until they came to
Rome; they greeted their emperor, their sovereign: "Hail be thou,
Luces, thou art highest over us! We were with the fierce man, with
Arthur the king, we have brought thee writs, words exceeding great
Arthur is the keenest man that we ever looked on, and he is wondrous
powerful, and his thanes are bold, there is every knave as if he were
knight, there is every swain as if he were rich thane, there are the
knights as if it were kings, meat there is most abundant, and men most
bold, and the fairest women that dwell alive; and Arthur the bold
himself fairest over all! By us he sendeth word to thee, that he will
come to this land, no tribute he will bring, but thyself he will bind,
and afterwards he will thee hang, and this land all destroy, and take
Alemaine and Lumbardy, Burgundy, France, and Normandy. And Frolle he
slew, his foe, so he will to us all do, and possess himself alone the
land that we own all clean, hereto he will lead kings, earls, and
chieftains. And here we have in hand the writs that he thee sendeth
that telleth thee what he will do, when he cometh in hither."
When the errand was said, the emperor was a full sorrowful man, and
all the Rome-folk were stirred with strong wrath. Oft they went to
counsel, oft they went to communing, ere to them might be determined
what they would do. Nevertheless at the end a counsel they found, that
was through the senator, who held the senate, the emperor they
counselled that he should write letters, and send his messengers over
many kingdoms, and bid them all come soon to Rome, from every land,
who loved them aught, and all that willeth with fight obtain land or
goods. Folk there came soon to the burgh of Rome, so mickle as there
never ere any man assembled! They said that they would march over
Muntgiu, and fight with Arthur, wheresoever they him found, and Arthur
slay or hang, and his host all destroy, and possess for the emperor
Arthur's realm.
The first king that there came, he was a man exceeding keen, Epistrod,
king of Greece; Ethion, Duke of Boeotia, came with a great force;
Irtac, King of Turkey; Pandras, King of Egypt; of Crete the King
Ypolite; of Syria the King Evander; of Phrygia the Duke Teucer; of
Babylon, Maptisas; of Spain the Caiser Meodras; of Media the King
Boccus; of Libia the King Sextorius; of Bitunia, Pollidices; of Ituria
the King Xerxes; Ofustesar, King of Africa; was there no king his
like; with him came many an African; of Ethiopia he brought the
black-men. The Rome-people themselves marched them together, that were
at nearest, of Rome the noblest; Marcus, Lucas, and Catel, Cocta,
Gaiut, and Metel; these were the six, who the Senate all ruled.
When this folk was assembled, from lands of many kind, then caused the
emperor all the host to be numbered. Then were there told right, to
fight most bold, four hundred thousand knights in the heap
(assemblage), with weapons and with horses, as behoveth to knights.
Never was he born, in every any burgh, that might tell the folk, that
there went on foot! Before harvest-day forth they gan to march, ever
right the way that toward Muntgiu lay.
Let us now leave this host a while, and speak we of Arthur, noblest of
kings, when that he had besought his good thanes, and each had gone
home where he had land. And soon again came the knights in assemblage,
with weapons well provided, through all their might, of Scotland, of
Ireland, of Gutland, of Iceland, of Norway, of Denmark, of Orkney, of
Man; of these same lands are a hundred thousand brave thanes, all well
weaponed in their country's wise. They were not all knights, nor in
this wise arrayed, but they were the keenest men that any man knew,
with great battle-axes, and with long saexes. Of Normandy, of Anjou,
of Britain, of Poitou, of Flanders, of Boulogne, of Lorraine, of
Lovaine, came a hundred thousand to the king's host, knights with the
best, completely provided with weapons. There came the twelve
companions that France should obey; twelve thousand knights they
brought forthright; and of this land Arthur took in hand fifty
thousand knights, keen and brave men in battle. Howel of Brittany led
ten thousand of his land-folk, knights with the best. Of footmen; when
they forth marched, through no kind of speech could any man them
number!
Arthur then ordered, noblest of kings, the folk to be assembled at a
set time, by their bare life, at Barbefleote; and there he would
gather his good people. This land he delivered to a famous knight; he
was Walwain's brother, there was no other; he was named Modred,
wickedest of men; truth he had none to ever any man; he was Arthur's
relation, of his noble race; but knight he was wondrous good, and he
had very much pride; he was Arthur's sister's son; to the queen was
his resort--that was evilly done—-to his uncle he did treachery. But
it was all secret, in host and in hall, for no man it weened, that it
should be, but men in sooth weened him, because Walwain was his
brother, the truest man of all that came to the folk; through Walwain
was Modred by men the more beloved, and Arthur the keen full well was
pleased with him. He took all his kingdom, and set it to Modred in
hand, and Wenhaver, his queen, worthiest of women, that then in this
nation dwelt in land. Arthur gave to them all that he possessed, to
Modred and the queen--that to them was pleasing. That was evilly done,
that they were (should have been) born; this land they destroyed with
numerous sorrows; and themselves at the end the Worse gan disgrace (or
destroy), so that they there lost their lives and their souls, and
ever afterwards became odious in every land, so that never any man
would offer a good prayer for their souls, on account of the treachery
that he did to Arthur, his uncle. All that Arthur possessed he gave to
Modred, his land and his people, and his dear queen; and afterwards he
took his army of folk most fair, and marched full soon toward
Southampton.
There came numerous ships soon sailing over the wide sea, to the
king's folk; the king distributed the folk over the long ships; by
thousands and by thousands to the ships they thronged; the father wept
on the son, sister on the brother; mother on the daughter, when the
host departed. The weather stood at will, the wind waxed in hand;
anchors they up drew, joy was among the folk. The thanes wondrous
blithe wound their way into the wide sea, the ships thereforth
pressed, the glee-men there sung; sails there they hoist, ropes there
they right; weather they had softest of all, and the sea slept. For
the softness (calm) Arthur gan to sleep; as the king slept a dream he
dreamt; marvellous was the dream, the king it alarmed!
When the king him awoke, greatly he was frightened, and began to groan
with loud voice. Was there none so bold knight under Christ, who durst
ask the king of his welfare, ere the king himself spake, and
discoursed with his barons there, and thus Arthur him said, when he
awoke from his sleep: "Lord governor Christ, ruler of dooms, protector
of middle-earth, comforter of men through thy merciful will, ruler of
angels; let thou my dream turn to good!" Then spake Angel the king,
Scotland's darling: "Lord, say us thy dream, for prosperity is given
to us" "Blithely," quoth the king, "to bliss may it turn! Where I lay
in slumber, and I gan for to sleep, methought that in the welkin came
a marvellous beast, eastward in the sky, and loathsome to the sight;
with lightning and with storm sternly he advanced; there is in no land
any bear so loathly. Then came there westward, winding with the
clouds, a burning dragon; burghs he swallowed, with his fire he
lighted all this land's realm; methought in my sight that the sea gan
to burn of light and of fire, that the dragon carried. This dragon and
the bear, both together, quickly soon together they came; they smote
them together with fierce assaults, flames flew from their eyes as
firebrands! Oft was the dragon above, and eftsoons beneath;
nevertheless at the end high he gan rise, and he flew down right with
fierce assault, and the bear he smote, so that he fell to the earth;
and he there the bear slew, and limbmeal him tore. When the fight was
done, the dragon back went. This dream I dreamt, where I lay and
slept."
The bishops heard this, and book-learned men; this heard earls, this
heard barons; each by his wit said wisdom, and this dream they
interpreted, as to them best seemed. There durst no knight to evil
expound no whit, lest he should lose his limbs that were dear to him.
Forth they gan to voyage exceeding quickly; the wind stood to them at
will, weather best of all; they had all that to them was need; to land
they came at Barbefleot. To Barbefleot, at Constantin, therein came a
mickle multitude, from all the lands that Arthur had in hand. So soon
as they might, out of ship they moved, the king ordered his folk to
seek lodging, and the king would rest, until his folk came. He was not
there but one night, that a fair knight came to him; he told tiding to
Arthur the king, he said that there was arrived a monster, westward
from Spain; a fiend well loathsome; and in Britanny was busy to harm.
By the seaside the land he wasted wide--now it hight Mount Saint
Michel--the land he possesseth every part.--"Lord king," quoth the
knight, "in sooth I make known to thee right here, he hath taken away
thy relative, with great strength, a nobly born woman, Howel's
daughter choice, who was named Helen, noblest of maidens. To the mount
he carried her, noblest of maidens; now full a fortnight the fiend
hath holden her there right; we know not in life whether he have her
not to wife. All the men that he seizeth, he maketh to him for meat,
cattle, horses, and the sheep, goats, and the swine eke; all this land
he will destroy, unless thou allay our care, the land and this people;
in thee is our need." Yet said the knight to the monarch: "Seest thou,
lord, the mount, and the great wood, wherein the fiend dwelleth that
destroyeth this people? We have fought with him well many times; by
sea and by land this folk he destroyed; our ships he sank, the folk he
all drowned, those that fought on the land, those he down laid. We
have driven (suffered) that so long, that we let him alone, to act how
so he will, after his will, the knights of this land dare not with him
any more fight."
Arthur heard this, noblest of all kings; he called to him the Earl
Kay, who was his steward and his relative; Beduer eke to him he
called, he who was the king's cup-bearer. He bade them forth-right be
all ready at midnight, with all their weapons, to go with the king, so
that no man under Christ should know of their journey, except Arthur
the king, and the two knights with him, and their six swains, brave
men and active; and the knight that counselled it to the king should
lead them. At the midnight, when men were asleep, Arthur forth him
went, noblest of all kings. Before rode their guide, until it was
daylight; they alighted from their steeds, and righted their weeds.
Then saw they not far a great fire smoke, upon a hill, surrounded by
the sea-flood; and another hill there was most high; the sea by it
flowed full nigh, thereupon they saw a fire that was mickle and most
strong. The knights then doubted, to whether of the two they might go,
that the giant were not aware of the king's movement. Then Arthur the
bold took him to counsel, that they should go together near the one
fire; and if they there him found, kill him to death. Forth went the
king, so that he came near; nought he there found but a mickle fire
there burning. Arthur went about, and his knights by his side; nought
they found alive upon earth but the great fire, and bones innumerable;
by estimation it seemed to them thirty fother. Arthur then knew not
any good counsel, and began him to speak to Beduer, his earl:--
"Beduer, go quickly down from this hill, and pass thee over the deep
water, with all thy weeds; and with wisdom advance to the fire; and go
thou aside, and behold diligently, if thou mayest find ought of the
fiend. And if thou mayest him perceive, in wise of any kind, go down
still, until thou come to the water, and say me there soon what thou
hast seen. And if it so befalleth, that thou come to the fire, and the
fiend thee perceive, and proceed toward thee, have my good horn, that
all with gold is adorned, and blow it with strength, as man shall for
need. And advance thee to the fiend, and begin to fight, and we shall
come to thee, as most quickly we may do it. And if thou findest him
near the fire and thou all unperceived back mayest go; then forbid I
thee, by thy bare life, that thou ever with the monster begin fight."
Beduer heard what his lord said to him; his weapons he put him on, and
forth he went, and ascended up the mount that was immense. He bare in
his hand a spear exceeding strong; a shield on his back, ornamented
all with gold; a helm on his head, high, of steel; his body was
covered with a fair burny; he had by his side a brand all of steel;
and forth he gan step, the powerfully strong earl, until he arrived
near the fire; and he under a tree gan him tarry. Then heard he one
weep, wondrously much, weep and whine with piteous cries. Then the
knight weened that it were the giant, and he became incensed as if it
were a wild boar, and soon forgot what his lord said to him. His
shield he drew on his breast, his spear he grasped fast, and near gan
wend toward the fire; he thought to find the stern fiend, that he
might fight, and prove himself. Then found he there a woman shaking
with her head, a hoary-locked wife, who wept for her wretchedness; she
cursed her lot that she was alive; that sate by the fire, with piteous
cries, and sat and ever she beheld a grave, and said her words with
plaintive voice: "Alas! Helen; alas! dear maid; alas! that I thee fed,
that I thee fostered; alas! that the monster hath thee here thus
destroyed; alas! that I was born; my limbs he hath broken in pieces!"
Then looked the woman about, where the giant should arrive; and looked
on the Earl Beduer, who was come there. Then said the woman hoar,
where she sate by the fire: "What are thou, fair wight? art thou
angel, art thou knight? are thy wings hung with gold? If thou art from
heaven, thou mayest in safety go hence, and if thou art earthly
knight, harm thou wilt have forth-right. For now anon cometh the
monster that all thy limbs will draw in pieces; though thou wert all
steel, he would thee destroy, every bit. He went to Britanny, to the
best of all mansions, to Howel's castle, noble man in Britanny; the
gates he all brake in pieces, and within he gan wend. He took the hall
wall, and pulled it to ground; the chamber's door he cast down, so
that it burst in five; he found in the chamber the fairest of all
maids; Helen she was named, of noble race; Howel's daughter, noble man
of Britanny, Arthur's relative of most noble lineage. I was her
foster-mother, and fair her fostered. There the giant took us forth
with himself, fifteen miles, into this wild wood, hither to this same
place; thus he us treated to-day a sen'night. So soon as he hither
came, so he took the maid; he would have carnal intercourse with the
maiden. Age had she no more but fifteen years; the maiden might not
endure his force; anon so he lay with her, her life she lost soon! And
here he her buried, fairest of all maids, Helen, mine own foster,
Howel's daughter! When he had this done, so myself he took; on the
ground he me laid, and lay with myself. Now hath he all my bones
loathsomely broken; my limbs all dismembered; my life to me is odious!
Now I have thee told, how we are led here. Flee now quickly, least he
thee find; for if he cometh enraged, with his direful onsets, was he
never born that may stand thee before!"
Even with these words that the woman said, Beduer gan to comfort her
with fair words: "Dear mother, I am a man, and knight am brave; and I
will say thee through my sooth words, that no champion was born of
ever any lady, that man may not with strength stoop him to ground; and
serve thee an old woman--very little are thy powers. But have now very
goodday, and I will go my way."
Down went him Beduer to his sovereign, and told him how he had care,
and all how he had fared, and what the old woman told him of the
maiden, and how the giant each day by the old woman lay. There they
them between held their communing, how they might take on, so that the
fiend were destroyed.
The while arrived the giant, and proceeded to his fire; he bare upon
his back a great burthen, that was twelve swine, tied together, with
withies exceeding great wreathed altogether. Adown he threw the dead
swine, and himself sate thereby; his fire he gan mend, and great trees
laid thereon; the six swine he drew in pieces, and ever he to the
woman smiled, and soon by a while he lay by the woman. But he knew not
of the tiding that came to his lemman. He drew out his embers; his
flesh he gan to roast; and all the six swine he gan eat ere he arose
from his seat, all besmeared in the ashes—-evil were the viands; and
afterwards he gan to roar, and vociferated much, and down lay by the
fire, and stretched his limbs.
Let we now the giant be, and go to the king. Arthur at the water took
his weapons in hand, and the Earl Beduer, good knight, wise and wary;
and the third was Kay, the king's steward and his relative. Over the
water they came, weaponed with the best, and ascended up the hill with
all their strength, until they arrived near the fire, where the giant
lay and slept, and the woman sate and wept. Arthur drew him beside and
spake to his companions; forbade them by their limbs and by their bare
life, that none were so keen that they should come near, unless they
saw that it were need. Beduer tarried him there, and Kay, his
companion.
Arthur gan step forth, sturdy-mooded warrior, until he came to the
floor, where the fiend lay and slept. Ever was Arthur void of fear;
that was manifest therein, wondrous though it seem; for Arthur might
there have hewed the giant in pieces, slain the monster where he lay
and slept; then would not Arthur no whit touch him in his sleep, lest
he in future days should hear upbraiding. Then called Arthur anon,
noblest of kings: "Arise, fiend-monster, to thy destruction! Now we
shall avenge the death of my relative!"
Ere the king had this fully said, the giant up started, and grasped
his mickle club, and weened with the blow to dash Arthur all in
pieces; but Arthur drew his shield high above his helm; and the giant
smote thereon above, so that all it gan to shiver. And Arthur struck
at him in haste with his sword, and smote off him the chin, with all
the hair, and started him behind a tree, that there stood near; and
the giant smote after quickly, and hit him not, but he smote the tree,
so that his club brake all in pieces. And Arthur quickly ran round
about the tree; and so Arthur and the monster ran round it thrice
about. Then was the giant exceeding heavy, and Arthur was the swifter,
and overtook the giant, and up heaved his good brand, and smote from
him the thigh; and the giant down fell.
And Arthur stopt and beheld; then gan the fiend to speak: "Lord, lord,
give me peace; who is it that fighteth with me? I weened not that any
man in this world's realm might me thus lightly defeat in fight,
except it were Arthur, noblest of all kings; and nevertheless was I
never of Arthur sore afraid." Then said Arthur to him, noblest of
kings: "I am Arthur the king, Britain's darling. Tell me of thy race,
and where is their habitation; and who should be to thee father or
mother accounted on earth; and from what land thou art hither arrived;
and why thou hast destroyed with murder my relative?" Then answered
the fiend, where he lay and beheld: "All this I will do, and thy troth
receive, on condition that thou let me live, and heal my limbs."
Arthur him wrathed, wondrously much; and he called Beduer, his bold
champion: "Go near, Beduer, and take off from him here the head; and
carry it forth with thee, down from this mount." Beduer came near, and
deprived him of his head; and so they proceeded thence down to their
companions. Then sate the king down, and gan him rest; and said these
words Arthur the good: "Never fought I any such fight, upon this land,
but when I slew the King Riun, upon the mount of Ravin!"
Afterwards they forth went, and came to the host; when that they the
head saw, wondrous it seemed to them, wherever under heaven were such
head begotten! Howel of Britanny came to the king, and the king said
to him all of the maiden. Then was Howel sorry, and sorrowful
therefore in heart; and took all his companions, and fared to the
mount where the British maid lay buried in earth. He caused there to
be areared soon a church most fair, in Saint Mary's name, the Lord's
mother; and afterwards he gave a name to the hill, ere he thence
departed, and named it Helen's Tomb,--now it hight Mount Saint Michel.