{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart491.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart491.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart491.htm","text":"CHAPTER II\nHow after that King Arthur had tidings, he returned and\ncame to Dover, where Sir Mordred met him to let his\nlanding; and of the death of Sir Gawaine\nAND so as Sir Mordred was at Dover with his host, there\ncame King Arthur with a great navy of ships, and galleys,\nand carracks. And there was Sir Mordred ready awaiting\nupon his landing, to let his own father to land upon the\nland that he was king over. Then there was launching\nof great boats and small, and full of noble men of arms;\nand there was much slaughter of gentle knights, and\nmany a full bold baron was laid full low, on both parties.\nBut King Arthur was so courageous that there might no\nmanner of knights let him to land, and his knights fiercely\nfollowed him; and so they landed maugre Sir Mordred\nand all his power, and put Sir Mordred aback, that he\nfled and all his people.\nSo when this battle was done, King Arthur let bury\nhis people that were dead. And then was noble Sir\nGawaine found in a great boat, lying more than half dead\nWhen Sir Arthur wist that Sir Gawaine was laid so low;\nhe went unto him; and there the king made sorrow out\nof measure, and took Sir Gawaine in his arms, and thrice\nhe there swooned. And then when he awaked, he said:\nAlas, Sir Gawaine, my sister's son, here now thou liest;\nthe man in the world that I loved most; and now is my\njoy gone, for now, my nephew Sir Gawaine, I will discover\nme unto your person: in Sir Launcelot and you I most\nhad my joy, and mine affiance, and now have I lost my\njoy of you both; wherefore all mine earthly joy is gone\nfrom me. Mine uncle King Arthur, said Sir Gawaine,\nwit you well my death-day is come, and all is through\nmine own hastiness and wilfulness; for I am smitten upon\nthe old wound the which Sir Launcelot gave me, on the\nwhich I feel well I must die; and had Sir Launcelot been\nwith you as he was, this unhappy war had never begun;\nand of all this am I causer, for Sir Launcelot and his\nblood, through their prowess, held all your cankered\nenemies in subjection and daunger. And now, said Sir\nGawaine, ye shall miss Sir Launcelot. But alas, I would\nnot accord with him, and therefore, said Sir Gawaine, I\npray you, fair uncle, that I may have paper, pen, and ink,\nthat I may write to Sir Launcelot a cedle with mine own\nhands.\nAnd then when paper and ink was brought, then\nGawaine was set up weakly by King Arthur, for he was\nshriven a little to-fore; and then he wrote thus, as the\nFrench book maketh mention: Unto Sir Launcelot, flower\nof all noble knights that ever I heard of or saw by my\ndays, I, Sir Gawaine, King Lot's son of Orkney, sister's\nson unto the noble King Arthur, send thee greeting, and\nlet thee have knowledge that the tenth day of May I was\nsmitten upon the old wound that thou gavest me afore the\ncity of Benwick, and through the same wound that thou\ngavest me I am come to my death-day. And I will that\nall the world wit, that I, Sir Gawaine, knight of the Table\nRound, sought my death, and not through thy deserving,\nbut it was mine own seeking; wherefore I beseech thee,\nSir Launcelot, to return again unto this realm, and see\nmy tomb, and pray some prayer more or less for my soul.\nAnd this same day that I wrote this cedle, I was hurt to\nthe death in the same wound, the which I had of thy\nhand, Sir Launcelot; for of a more nobler man might\nI not be slain. Also Sir Launcelot, for all the love\nthat ever was betwixt us, make no tarrying, but come\nover the sea in all haste, that thou mayst with thy noble\nknights rescue that noble king that made thee knight, that\nis my lord Arthur; for he is full straitly bestead with a\nfalse traitor, that is my half-brother, Sir Mordred; and he\nhath let crown him king, and would have wedded my lady\nQueen Guenever, and so had he done had she not put\nherself in the Tower of London. And so the tenth day\nof May last past, my lord Arthur and we all landed upon\nthem at Dover; and there we put that false traitor, Sir\nMordred, to flight, and there it misfortuned me to be\nstricken upon thy stroke. And at the date of this letter\nwas written, but two hours and a half afore my death,\nwritten with mine own hand, and so subscribed with part\nof my heart's blood. And I require thee, most famous\nknight of the world, that thou wilt see my tomb. And\nthen Sir Gawaine wept, and King Arthur wept; and then\nthey swooned both. And when they awaked both, the\nking made Sir Gawaine to receive his Saviour. And then\nSir Gawaine prayed the king for to send for Sir Launcelot,\nand to cherish him above all other knights.\nAnd so at the hour of noon Sir Gawaine yielded up\nthe spirit; and then the king let inter him in a chapel\nwithin Dover Castle; and there yet all men may see the\nskull of him, and the same wound is seen that Sir Launcelot\ngave him in battle. Then was it told the king that\nSir Mordred had pight a new field upon Barham Down.\nAnd upon the morn the king rode thither to him, and\nthere was a great battle betwixt them, and much people\nwas slain on both parties; but at the last Sir Arthur's\nparty stood best, and Sir Mordred and his party fled unto\nCanterbury.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XXI CHAPTER II","type":"page"}