HE following is the narrative given in the "Morte d'Arthur" of the events which followed the wound of the king in the battle of Camlan:

"Therfore sayd Arthur vnto syr Bedwere, take thou Excalybur my good swerde and goo with it to yonder water syde, and whan thou comest there I charge the throwe my swerde in that water & come ageyn and telle me what thou there seest. My lord said Bedwere your commaundement shal be doon & lyghtly brynge you worde ageyn. So syr Bedwere departed, & by the waye he behelde that noble swerde that the pomel & the hafte was al of precyous stones, & thenne he sayd to hym self yf I throwe this ryche swerde in the water therof shal neuer come good but harme & losse. And thenne syr bedwere hydde

excalybur vnder a tree: And so as sone as he myght he came ageyn vnto the kyng and sayd he had ben at the water and had throwen the swerde in to the water. What sawe thou there sayd the kyng, syr he sayd I sawe no thynge but wawes and wyndes. That is vntrewly sayd of the sayd the kynge. Therefore goo thou lyghtelye ageyn and do my commaundemente as thou arte to me lefe & dere spare not but throwe it in. Than syr bed were retorned ageyn & took the swerde in hys hande, and than hym thought synne and shame to throwe awaye that nobyl swerde, and so efte he hydde the swerde and retorned ageyn and tolde to the kyng that he had ben at the water and done his commaundemente. What sawe thou there sayd the kyng. Syr he sayd I sawe no thynge but the waters wappe and wawes wanne. A traytour vntrewe sayd kyng Arthur now hast thou betrayed me twyse. Who wold haue wente that thou that hast been to me so leef and dere and thou arte named a noble knyghte and wold betraye me for the richesse of the swerde. But now goo ageyn lyghtly for thy longe taryeng putteth me in grete jeopardye of my lyf. For I haue taken colde, and but yf thou do now as I byd the, yf euer I may see the I shal slee the (wyth) myn owne handes, for thou woldest for my ryche swerde see me dede. Thenne Syr Bedwere departed and wente to the swerde and lyghtly

took hit up, and wente to the water syde and there he bounde the gyrdyl aboute the byltes, and thenne he threwe the swerde as farre in to the water as he myght, & there cam an arme and an hande aboue the water and mette it, & caught it and so shoke it thryse and braundysshed, and than vanysshed awaye the hande wyth the swerde in the water. So syr Bedwere came ageyn to the kyng and tolde bym what he sawe. Alas sayd the kyng helpe me hens for I drede me I haue taryed ouer longe. Than syr Bedwere toke the kyng vpon his backe and so wente wyth hym to that water syde, & whan they were at the water syde, euyn fast by the banke houed a lytyl barge wyth many fayr ladyes in hit, & emonge hem al was a quene, and al they had blacke hoodes, and al they wepte and shryked whan they sawe Kyng Arthur.

Now put me in to the barge, sayd the kyng and so he dyd softelye. And there receyued bym thre quenes wyth grete mornyng and soo they sette hem doun, and in one of their lappes kyng Arthur layed hys heed, and than that quene sayd, a dere broder why haue ye taryed so longe from me. Alas this wounde on your heed hath caught ouermoche colde. And soo than they rowed from the londe, and syr bedwere behelde all the ladyes goo from hym. Than syr bedwere cryed a my lord Arthur what shal become of me now ye goo from me. And leue

me here allone emonge myn enemyes. Comfort thy self sayd the kyng and doo as wel as thou mayst, for in me is no truste for to truste in. For I wyl in to the vale of avylion to hele me of my greuous wounde. And yf thou here neuer more of me praye for my soule; but euer the quenes and ladyes wepte and shryched that hit was pyte to here. And assone as syr Bedwere had loste the syght of the barge he wepte and waylled and so took the foreste, and so he wente al that nyght, and in the mornyng he was ware betwixte two holtes hore of a chapel and an ermytage."

Camlan, the scene of the last battle of King Arthur, is most probably Camelford, in Cornwall, about five miles from Tintagel. Traditions of a fierce engagement are still preserved in this district; a ford across the Camel is known as "the Bloody Bridge," and about one hundred yards farther up, on the bank of the stream, is a fallen maën, of the later British æra, having the name of Arthur inscribed on its lower side; it was standing in Polwhele's time; tumuli are frequent on the surrounding moors.

32340A

KING ARTHUR'S DEATH.

N Trinitye Mondaye in the morne,
This tyre battayle was doom'd to bee;

Where manye a knighte cry'd Well-awaye!
Alacke, it was the more pittiè.

Ere the first crowinge of the cocke,
When as the kinge in his bed laye,
He thoughte sir Gawaine to him came,
And there to him these wordes did saye.

Nowe, as you are mine unkle deare,
And as you prize your life, this daye
O meéte not with your foe in fighte;
Putt off the battayle, if yee maye.

For sir Launcelot is nowe in Fraunce,
And with him many an hardye knighte:
Who will within this moneth be backe,
And will assiste yee in the fighte.

The kinge then call'd his nobles all,
Before the breakinge of the daye;
And tolde them howe sir Gawaine came,

And there to him these wordes did saye.