CHAPTER I
 
 How Sir Mordred presumed and took on him to be King of
 England, and would have married the queen, his father's
 wife
 
 
 AS Sir Mordred was ruler of all England, he did do make
 letters as though that 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; and so was he crowned
 at Canterbury, and held a feast there fifteen days; and
 afterward he drew him unto Winchester, and there he
 took the Queen Guenever, and said plainly that he would
 wed her which was his uncle's wife and his father's wife.
 And so he made ready for the feast, and a day prefixed
 that they should be wedded; wherefore Queen Guenever
 was passing heavy.  But she durst not discover her heart,
 but spake fair, and agreed to Sir Mordred's will.  Then
 she desired of Sir Mordred 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.  And so 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, for Queen Guenever would never 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 sithen shame yourself, and all knighthood?  Is
 not King Arthur your uncle, no farther but your mother's
 brother, and on her himself King Arthur begat you upon his
 own sister, therefore how may you wed your father's wife?
 Sir, said the noble clerk, leave this opinion or 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 you well I shall not fear me to
 do that me ought to do.  Also where ye noise where my
 lord Arthur is slain, and that is not so, and therefore ye
 will make a foul work in this land.  Peace, thou false
 priest, said Sir Mordred, for an thou chafe me any more
 I shall make strike off thy head.  So the Bishop departed
 and did the cursing in the most orgulist wise that might
 be done.  And then Sir Mordred sought the Bishop of
 Canterbury, for to have slain him.  Then the Bishop fled,
 and took part of his goods with him, and went nigh unto
 Glastonbury; and there he was as priest hermit in a
 chapel, and lived in poverty and in holy prayers, for well
 he understood that mischievous war was at hand.
 
 Then Sir Mordred sought on Queen Guenever by
 letters and sonds, and by fair means and foul means, for
 to have her to come out of the Tower of London; but
 all this availed not, for she answered him shortly, openly
 and privily, that she had liefer slay herself than to be
 married with him.  Then came word to Sir Mordred that
 King Arthur had araised the siege for Sir Launcelot, and
 he 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
 nought, and given them lands, might not then say him a
 good word.  Lo ye all Englishmen, see ye not what a
 mischief here was! for he that 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 them content with him.
 Lo thus was the old custom and usage of this land; and
 also men say that we of this land have not yet lost nor
 forgotten that custom and usage.  Alas, this is a great
 default of us Englishmen, for there may no thing please
 us no term.  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.  And 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 father from his
 lands; and the most part of all England held with Sir
 Mordred, the people were so new-fangle.