{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/mart/mart492.htm","path":"neu/mart/mart492.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/mart492.htm","text":"CHAPTER III\nHow after, Sir Gawaine's ghost appeared to King Arthur,\nand warned him that he should not fight that day\nAND then the king let search all the towns for his knights\nthat were slain, and interred them; and salved them with\nsoft salves that so sore were wounded. Then much people\ndrew unto King Arthur. And then they said that Sir\nMordred warred upon King Arthur with wrong. And\nthen King Arthur drew him with his host down by the\nseaside, westward toward Salisbury; and there was a day\nassigned betwixt King Arthur and Sir Mordred, that they\nshould meet upon a down beside Salisbury, and not far\nfrom the seaside; and this day was assigned on a Monday\nafter Trinity Sunday, whereof King Arthur was passing\nglad, that he might be avenged upon Sir Mordred. Then\nSir Mordred araised much people about London, for they\nof Kent, Southsex, and Surrey, Estsex, and of Southfolk,\nand of Northfolk, held the most part with Sir Mordred;\nand many a full noble knight drew unto Sir Mordred and\nto the king: but they that loved Sir Launcelot drew unto\nSir Mordred.\nSo upon Trinity Sunday at night, King Arthur dreamed\na wonderful dream, and that was this: that him seemed\nhe sat upon a chaflet in a chair, and the chair was fast to\na wheel, and thereupon sat King Arthur in the richest\ncloth of gold that might be made; and the king thought\nthere was under him, far from him, an hideous deep black\nwater, and therein were all manner of serpents, and worms,\nand wild beasts, foul and horrible; and suddenly the king\nthought the wheel turned up-so-down, and he fell among\nthe serpents, and every beast took him by a limb; and\nthen the king cried as he lay in his bed and slept: Help.\nAnd then knights, squires, and yeomen, awaked the king;\nand then he was so amazed that he wist not where he was;\nand then he fell a-slumbering again, not sleeping nor\nthoroughly waking. So the king seemed verily that there\ncame Sir Gawaine unto him with a number of fair ladies\nwith him. And when King Arthur saw him, then he\nsaid: Welcome, my sister's son; I weened thou hadst\nbeen dead, and now I see thee alive, much am I beholding\nunto Almighty Jesu. O fair nephew and my sister's son,\nwhat be these ladies that hither be come with you? Sir,\nsaid Sir Gawaine, all these be ladies for whom I have\nfoughten when I was man living, and all these are those\nthat I did battle for in righteous quarrel; and God hath\ngiven them that grace at their great prayer, because I did\nbattle for them, that they should bring me hither unto\nyou: thus much hath God given me leave, for to warn\nyou of your death; for an ye fight as to-morn with Sir\nMordred, as ye both have assigned, doubt ye not ye must\nbe slain, and the most part of your people on both parties.\nAnd for the great grace and goodness that almighty Jesu\nhath unto you, and for pity of you, and many more other\ngood men there shall be slain, God hath sent me to you of\nhis special grace, to give you warning that in no wise ye\ndo battle as to-morn, but that ye take a treaty for a month\nday; and proffer you largely, so as to-morn to be put in\na delay. For within a month shall come Sir Launcelot\nwith all his noble knights, and rescue you worshipfully,\nand slay Sir Mordred, and all that ever will hold with\nhim. Then Sir Gawaine and all the ladies vanished.\nAnd anon the king called upon his knights, squires,\nand yeomen, and charged them wightly to fetch his noble\nlords and wise bishops unto him. And when they were\ncome, the king told them his avision, what Sir Gawaine had\ntold him, and warned him that if he fought on the morn\nhe should be slain. Then the king commanded Sir Lucan\nthe Butler, and his brother Sir Bedivere, with two bishops\nwith them, and charged them in any wise, an they might,\nTake a treaty for a month day with Sir Mordred, and spare\nnot, proffer him lands and goods as much as ye think\nbest. So then they departed, and came to Sir Mordred,\nwhere he had a grim host of an hundred thousand men.\nAnd there they entreated Sir Mordred long time; and at\nthe last Sir Mordred was agreed for to have Cornwall and\nKent, by Arthur's days: after, all England, after the days\nof King Arthur.","title":"Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XXI CHAPTER III","type":"page"}