Le Morte d'Arthur BOOK XXI CHAPTER III

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 CHAPTER III
 
 How after, Sir Gawaine's ghost appeared to King Arthur,
 and warned him that he should not fight that day
 
 
 AND then the king let search all the towns for his knights
 that were slain, and interred them; and salved them with
 soft salves that so sore were wounded.  Then much people
 drew unto King Arthur.  And then they said that Sir
 Mordred warred upon King Arthur with wrong.  And
 then King Arthur drew him with his host down by the
 seaside, westward toward Salisbury; and there was a day
 assigned betwixt King Arthur and Sir Mordred, that they
 should meet upon a down beside Salisbury, and not far
 from the seaside; and this day was assigned on a Monday
 after Trinity Sunday, whereof King Arthur was passing
 glad, that he might be avenged upon Sir Mordred.  Then
 Sir Mordred araised much people about London, for they
 of Kent, Southsex, and Surrey, Estsex, and of Southfolk,
 and of Northfolk, held the most part with Sir Mordred;
 and many a full noble knight drew unto Sir Mordred and
 to the king: but they that loved Sir Launcelot drew unto
 Sir Mordred.
 
 So upon Trinity Sunday at night, King Arthur dreamed
 a wonderful dream, and that was this: that him seemed
 he sat upon a chaflet in a chair, and the chair was fast to
 a wheel, and thereupon sat King Arthur in the richest
 cloth of gold that might be made; and the king thought
 there was under him, far from him, an hideous deep black
 water, and therein were all manner of serpents, and worms,
 and wild beasts, foul and horrible; and suddenly the king
 thought the wheel turned up-so-down, and he fell among
 the serpents, and every beast took him by a limb; and
 then the king cried as he lay in his bed and slept:  Help.
 And then knights, squires, and yeomen, awaked the king;
 and then he was so amazed that he wist not where he was;
 and then he fell a-slumbering again, not sleeping nor
 thoroughly waking.  So the king seemed verily that there
 came Sir Gawaine unto him with a number of fair ladies
 with him.  And when King Arthur saw him, then he
 said:  Welcome, my sister's son; I weened thou hadst
 been dead, and now I see thee alive, much am I beholding
 unto Almighty Jesu.  O fair nephew and my sister's son,
 what be these ladies that hither be come with you?  Sir,
 said Sir Gawaine, all these be ladies for whom I have
 foughten when I was man living, and all these are those
 that I did battle for in righteous quarrel; and God hath
 given them that grace at their great prayer, because I did
 battle for them, that they should bring me hither unto
 you: thus much hath God given me leave, for to warn
 you of your death; for an ye fight as to-morn with Sir
 Mordred, as ye both have assigned, doubt ye not ye must
 be slain, and the most part of your people on both parties.
 And for the great grace and goodness that almighty Jesu
 hath unto you, and for pity of you, and many more other
 good men there shall be slain, God hath sent me to you of
 his special grace, to give you warning that in no wise ye
 do battle as to-morn, but that ye take a treaty for a month
 day; and proffer you largely, so as to-morn to be put in
 a delay.  For within a month shall come Sir Launcelot
 with all his noble knights, and rescue you worshipfully,
 and slay Sir Mordred, and all that ever will hold with
 him.  Then Sir Gawaine and all the ladies vanished.
 
 And anon the king called upon his knights, squires,
 and yeomen, and charged them wightly to fetch his noble
 lords and wise bishops unto him.  And when they were
 come, the king told them his avision, what Sir Gawaine had
 told him, and warned him that if he fought on the morn
 he should be slain.  Then the king commanded Sir Lucan
 the Butler, and his brother Sir Bedivere, with two bishops
 with them, and charged them in any wise, an they might,
 Take a treaty for a month day with Sir Mordred, and spare
 not, proffer him lands and goods as much as ye think
 best.  So then they departed, and came to Sir Mordred,
 where he had a grim host of an hundred thousand men.
 And there they entreated Sir Mordred long time; and at
 the last Sir Mordred was agreed for to have Cornwall and
 Kent, by Arthur's days: after, all England, after the days
 of King Arthur.