CHAPTER V
 
 How King Arthur commanded to cast his sword Excalibur
 into the water, and how he was delivered to ladies in
 a barge
 
 
 BUT I may not stand, mine head works so.  Ah Sir
 Launcelot, said King Arthur, this day have I sore missed
 thee: alas, that ever I was against thee, for now have I
 my death, whereof Sir Gawaine me warned in my dream.
 Then Sir Lucan took up the king the one part, and Sir
 Bedivere the other part, and in the lifting the king
 swooned; and Sir Lucan fell in a swoon with the lift,
 that the part of his guts fell out of his body, and
 therewith the noble knight's heart brast.  And when the king
 awoke, he beheld Sir Lucan, how he lay foaming at the
 mouth, and part of his guts lay at his feet.  Alas, said
 the king, this is to me a full heavy sight, to see this noble
 duke so die for my sake, for he would have holpen me,
 that had more need of help than I.  Alas, he would not
 complain him, his heart was so set to help me: now Jesu
 have mercy upon his soul!  Then Sir Bedivere wept for
 the death of his brother.  Leave this mourning and weeping,
 said the king, for all this will not avail me, for wit
 thou well an I might live myself, the death of Sir Lucan
 would grieve me evermore; but my time hieth fast, said
 the king.  Therefore, said Arthur unto Sir Bedivere, take
 thou Excalibur, my good sword, and go with it to yonder
 water side, and when thou comest there I charge thee
 throw my sword in that water, and come again and tell
 me what thou there seest.  My lord, said Bedivere, your
 commandment shall be done, and lightly bring you word
 again.
 
 So Sir Bedivere departed, and by the way he beheld
 that noble sword, that the pommel and the haft was all of
 precious stones; and then he said to himself:  If I throw
 this rich sword in the water, thereof shall never come
 good, but harm and loss.  And then Sir Bedivere hid
 Excalibur under a tree.  And so, as soon as he might, he
 came again unto the king, and said he had been at the
 water, and had thrown the sword in the water.  What
 saw thou there? said the king.  Sir, he said, I saw nothing
 but waves and winds.  That is untruly said of thee, said
 the king, therefore go thou lightly again, and do my
 commandment; as thou art to me lief and dear, spare not,
 but throw it in.  Then Sir Bedivere returned again, and
 took the sword in his hand; and then him thought sin
 and shame to throw away that noble sword, and so eft he
 hid the sword, and returned again, and told to the king
 that he had been at the water, and done his commandment.
 What saw thou there? said the king.  Sir, he said, I saw
 nothing but the waters wap and waves wan.  Ah, traitor
 untrue, said King Arthur, now hast thou betrayed me
 twice.  Who would have weened that, thou that hast been
 to me so lief and dear? and thou art named a noble
 knight, and would betray me for the richness of the sword.
 But now go again lightly, for thy long tarrying putteth
 me in great jeopardy of my life, for I have taken cold.
 And but if thou do now as I bid thee, if ever I may see
 thee, I shall slay thee with mine own hands; for thou
 wouldst for my rich sword see me dead.
 
 Then Sir Bedivere departed, and went to the sword,
 and lightly took it up, and went to the water side; and
 there he bound the girdle about the hilts, and then he
 threw the sword as far into the water as he might; and
 there came an arm and an hand above the water and met
 it, and caught it, and so shook it thrice and brandished,
 and then vanished away the hand with the sword in the
 water.  So Sir Bedivere came again to the king, and told
 him what he saw.  Alas, said the king, help me hence, for
 I dread me I have tarried over long.  Then Sir Bedivere
 took the king upon his back, and so went with him to
 that water side.  And when they were at the water side,
 even fast by the bank hoved a little barge with many fair
 ladies in it, and among them all was a queen, and all they
 had black hoods, and all they wept and shrieked when
 they saw King Arthur.  Now put me into the barge, said
 the king.  And so he did softly; and there received him
 three queens with great mourning; and so they set them
 down, and in one of their laps King Arthur laid his head.
 And then that queen said:  Ah, dear brother, why have
 ye tarried so long from me? alas, this wound on your head
 hath caught over-much cold.  And so then they rowed
 from the land, and Sir Bedivere beheld all those ladies go
 from him.  Then Sir Bedivere cried:  Ah my lord Arthur,
 what shall become of me, now ye go from me and leave
 me here alone among mine enemies?  Comfort thyself,
 said the king, and do as well as thou mayst, for in me is
 no trust for to trust in; for I will into the vale of Avilion
 to heal me of my grievous wound: and if thou hear never
 more of me, pray for my soul.  But ever the queens and
 ladies wept and shrieked, that it was pity to hear.  And
 as soon as Sir Bedivere had lost the sight of the barge, he
 wept and wailed, and so took the forest; and so he went
 all that night, and in the morning he was ware betwixt two
 holts hoar, of a chapel and an hermitage.