The Death of King Arthur (40 page)

For three weeks Gawain lay low in his tent, where he was slowly restored to health by all manner of medicines and herbal remedies. But as soon as he felt able to fight once more, he armed himself as before and rode out on his charger. He stopped before the main gate of the castle and called out, ‘Where are you, Lancelot? Come out and face me, you false and cowardly knight. Gawain is here, ready to prove that you are a traitor!'

Lancelot heard him clearly enough, and replied from the battlements, ‘Gawain, it grieves me that you use such foul, insulting language. Why boast about your prowess? I know the limits of your strength, and I know that you cannot greatly hurt me.'

‘Come out then, and prove it. I have come this day to make amends for my misadventure at your hands. I will lay you as low as you laid me.'

‘Jesus defend me from that fate. If you were able to match me, then I would indeed be at the door of death. But that will not happen. Yes. I will come out from the gate. You have accused me of treason once more, and I will answer with my lance.'

The armies of both knights were assembled to watch the contest. Lancelot and Gawain were prepared for the battle, their lances at the ready; they rode towards each other, their horses galloping furiously, and such was the shock of the encounter that Gawain's horse reared in fright. He was thrown sideways, and scrambled to unseat himself; he dismounted and quickly raised his shield in defence. ‘Alight, traitor knight,' he said, threatening Lancelot with his sword, ‘and meet me in combat. My horse has failed me. But I am of royal blood. I will not rest until I kill you.'

Lancelot dismounted and, with sword in hand, fell upon his enemy. They fought hard and bloodily. But of course Lancelot now knew Gawain's secret. While the strength of his opponent increased he held himself back for those three hours, covering his body with his shield and trading stroke for stroke. He dodged and dived, diverting Gawain wherever he could; he preserved his strength for all that time and, when at last the might of Gawain began to fade, he called out to him. ‘You have proved twice,' he said, ‘that you are a valiant and resourceful warrior. You have shown yourself to be strong, deceiving other knights with your boldness. But those deeds are done. I will now show you my power.'

Lancelot attacked Gawain with redoubled strokes of his sword, until one blow caught Gawain's helmet at that point where the first wound had been inflicted. With a groan Gawain fell to the earth, and for a moment lost consciousness. When he revived, he waved his sword and tried to lift himself from the ground. ‘Traitor knight,' he said. ‘You see that I am not dead. Come close to me now and fight to the finish.'

‘I will do no more than I have already done. I will do battle with you when you can stand on your feet. Not before. God defend me from the shame of smiting a wounded man.'

He turned away, and went back into the castle. Gawain called after him, ‘Traitor knight! Traitor knight!' But Lancelot did not pause. ‘I will return!' Gawain shouted. ‘I will return and kill you. I shall never leave you until I see you lying at my feet!'

So the siege went on. Gawain lay wounded for a month but, when he recovered from his injuries, he was ready once more to challenge Lancelot. Before that battle could take place, however, King Arthur received news from England that sent him and his army home.

The Day of Destiny

While Sir Mordred ruled all England at the behest of his father, King Arthur, he forged letters to the effect that the king had been killed in battle with Lancelot. He summoned a parliament and persuaded the lords and prelates to crown him as the new king. There was a coronation ceremony at Canterbury, and the feasting lasted for fifteen days.

He then rode in state to Winchester, where he informed Queen Guinevere that he intended to marry her, despite the fact that she was already his stepmother. He named a day for the wedding, and made preparations for the celebration that would follow. Guinevere herself lamented her fate in secret, but did not reveal her sorrow to the world. Instead she spoke fair words, and seemed to accept Mordred's wish.

But then, one morning, she appeared before him and requested leave to travel to London; there, she said, she might buy a bridal gown and train. Trusting her, he granted her request. As soon as she arrived in the city, however, she went to the Tower of London and turned it into her fortress. She provided it with men and arms and all manner of supplies.

When Mordred was informed of this, he grew angry beyond measure. He summoned his army at once, marched upon London, and laid siege to the Tower. But Guinevere had done her work well. She was more than a match for his guns and his siege engines. She discounted his threats as well as his promises, knowing what would happen if she fell into his hands.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, a most holy man, eventually sought an audience with Mordred. ‘Sir,' he asked him, ‘what are you doing? Will you displease God? Will you bring shame upon yourself and the entire class of knights? Did not your father, Arthur, beget you on his half-sister in horrible incest? How can you now propose to marry your father's wife? Abandon this course, sire. Otherwise I will have no choice but to excommunicate you. By bell, book and candle you will be damned to eternal fire.'

‘Do your worst, bishop. I defy you.'

‘Think. Turn aside from the path of damnation. I tell you this. I will not hesitate to do my duty. And there is one other thing. I do not believe that Arthur is dead. You lied to the parliament and people.'

Mordred was roused to fierce anger. ‘Silence, false priest! One more word, and I will take off your head!'

So the archbishop departed and in due state pronounced the words of excommunication upon the false king. Mordred then sought him out, in all haste, but the holy man had fled from Canterbury and had taken refuge at Glastonbury. Here he found a hermit's cell, beside a chapel, where he lived in poverty and prayer. He prayed for the realm of England because he knew that danger was rushing upon it.

Mordred, meanwhile, sent many letters to Guinevere imploring her to leave the safety of the Tower and entrust herself to his care. She was not persuaded. She told him, shortly and decisively, that she would rather kill herself than marry him.

Then the news came that Arthur and his host had abandoned the siege of Lancelot, and were about to return home in order to wreak vengeance on Mordred. At once Mordred summoned all the magnates of the land. Many of them supported him, saying that Arthur had given them nothing but bloodshed and battle whereas Mordred promised peace and prosperity. So was Arthur slandered and his good deeds slighted. He had rewarded many lords with land and treasure, only to be betrayed by those whom he had benefited.

Do you not see, all you Englishmen, what evil had come among us? Here was the noblest king and worthiest knight in the world. Here was the sovereign who had most loved the fellowship of his warriors of the Round Table. Yet the lords of our country were disloyal to him and lacking in reverence. What was the reason? The English are forever unstable and untrue, seeking novelty in new guises. Nothing satisfies us for long.

And so it happened this time. The people were better pleased with the false Mordred than the noble Arthur; they saluted him, and promised their support. Mordred thereupon marched with his army to Dover, where Arthur was supposed to disembark, with the firm intention of depriving his own father of his lands. The fleet of Arthur approached, complete with galleys and carracks, while Mordred waited for him on shore. Those on land tried to thwart the arrival of those at sea, but they could not withstand their might. Many knights fought in hand-to-hand combat, and were laid low. King Arthur himself made his way on to the beach, and made short work of his assailants. His courage inspired his followers, and they poured on to the land. Mordred fled with the remains of his army.

After the battle was over Arthur ordered that the dead and the dying should be taken up and cared for. Sir Gawain was discovered, lying half-dead on the deck of a great ship. When Arthur was informed he hurried over to him, and took the knight in his arms. He cradled his injured companion, and cried out in sorrow. ‘Alas, good Gawain,' he said, ‘you are the son of my sister and the man I loved most in all the world. Now you lie dying. All my joy is gone. Let me tell you this. You and Lancelot were the two knights I revered and cherished. Now I have lost you both. What is left for me but woe?'

‘My dear uncle,' Gawain replied, ‘you and I know that the day of my death has come. My fate is entirely my own fault. I was injured today in the head, where Lancelot wounded me. I will be dead before noon. There is no escape. And I blame myself for all this warfare. My pride has been the cause of your shame and sorrow. If I had not quarrelled with Lancelot, this war would not have been fought. If Lancelot had been at your side, he would have kept all your enemies in fear and subjection. Now you will be deprived of his company for ever! My conceit has caused you nothing but grief. Please, uncle, bring me pen, paper and ink. I wish to write a letter to Lancelot before it is too late.'

The materials were quickly brought to him and, after being confessed by a priest, Gawain took up his pen and began to write. ‘To you, Sir Lancelot, flower of all chivalry, I, Sir Gawain, send greetings. I wish to tell you that on this day, the tenth of May, I received a deep wound where you wounded me before. That wound will now be the cause of my death. Outside the walls of your castle you delivered a perilous stroke to me. But I tell the world that you are not responsible for my death. I caused it through arrogance and self-seeking. I have slain myself. Wherefore I beseech you, Lancelot, to return to this realm of England and come to my tomb; I beg you to pray there for the salvation of my soul. I will sign this letter now with my own blood, just two and a half hours before my death. I beseech you once more, Lancelot, to make your way to my tomb.'

He wept, with Arthur, and was so frail that he fainted away. When he recovered he was given the last rites and, at noon of that day, he died. The king buried him in the chapel of the castle at Dover. His skull, with the mark of the wound that Lancelot gave him, may still be seen there.

The civil war continued. Mordred had marched his army to Canterbury, and there offered battle. The king encountered him on the following morning and, after a long and bloody fight, claimed the victory. Other warriors now joined Arthur, volunteering for his cause as a just one. So he took his army west, to the neighbourhood of Wells, and a day was fixed for combat between the forces of Arthur and Mordred. It was to be held, in a field close to the coast, on the Monday after Trinity Sunday. Whereupon Mordred raised more troops in London and in the counties of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk; these were the shires that had always favoured the usurper. The army of Arthur came from other parts of the kingdom. The supporters of Lancelot, however, followed Mordred.

On the night of Trinity Sunday, Arthur dreamed a wonderful dream. In this dream he sat in cloth of gold upon his throne, raised high on a wooden platform; but the throne was fastened to a wheel. Beneath him he could see a deep pool of black water, horrible to behold, filled with serpents and snakes and other writhing things. Suddenly it seemed to him that the wheel turned and he was toppled from his throne, falling into the dark water where the fangs of the creatures fastened upon him. He cried aloud for help. His courtiers ran to his side and woke him, but he was so disturbed by the dream that at first he did not know where he was. He could not sleep, and lay awake until it was almost day. Just before dawn he fell into a light slumber that was neither sleep nor waking. In this state he saw, or seemed to see, Sir Gawain come towards him with a number of fair ladies. ‘Welcome, son of my sister,' the king said. ‘I thought you were dead. Now I see you in life. Jesus be praised! But tell me, fair nephew, who are these ladies walking by your side?'

‘Sir,' Gawain replied, ‘these are all ladies for whom I fought when I was among the living. I did battle for them in righteous quarrels, and God has granted their prayer that they should be allowed to bring me to you. God has also given me leave to foretell your death. If you fight with Mordred tomorrow, gracious king, you will fall. So will many of your bravest knights. Out of pity for you and your men, Almighty God has by His especial grace granted me this chance to give you warning. Do not engage in battle with Mordred tomorrow morning. Sign a treaty with him that will last a month. Lancelot will then come to these shores and assist you. He will slay Mordred and all his men.'

When he had finished speaking, Gawain, and the attendant ladies, melted into a mist. All at once Arthur awoke and called for his courtiers. He told them to summon the magnates and prelates of the realm. When they arrived the king informed them of his vision and of Gawain's warning to him. He instructed Sir Lucan and Sir Bedevere the Bold, together with two bishops, to visit the camp of Mordred and there arrange a treaty with him. ‘Spare nothing to persuade him,' he told them. ‘Give him lands and treasure.'

So they departed and rode to Sir Mordred, who was settled in the fields with one hundred thousand soldiers. They bargained with him for a long time, eventually promising him the territories of Kent and Cornwall. It was also agreed that, after Arthur's death, Mordred would rule over all England. The two men were to meet, before their armies, with fourteen of their noblest followers; they would there exchange the kiss of peace.

‘This is well done,' Arthur said on hearing of the treaty. But then he turned to his knights. ‘If you see any one of Mordred's men raise his sword from its scabbard, then fall upon Mordred himself. I do not trust him. He is wily. He is treacherous.'

In turn Mordred told his supporters that, if any one of Arthur's men should unleash his weapon, they were to massacre as many of the enemy as they could. ‘I do not trust this treaty,' he said. ‘I know well enough that my father wishes to be revenged on me.'