Complete Works of Howard Pyle

by Howard Pyle

  Of the meeting of King Arthur and Sir Mordred.

  And in the centre of that valley there was a great pavilion of particolored silk erected for the accommodation of the King and of Sir Mordred. And a great banner emblazoned with the arms of the King and another emblazoned with the arms of Sir Mordred flew from the peak of the pavilion. And King Arthur came with six knights, and Sir Mordred came with six knights, and these twelve knights — six upon either side — stood some short distance away separate from one another, and King Arthur and Sir Mordred entered the pavilion.

  There upon the table lay the treaty to be signed, and those two drew near to the table to sign it.

  Now it was understood that none of those twelve knights who had come with King Arthur and Sir Mordred should draw a weapon of any sort, but that all should remain with sword in scabbard. For King Arthur did not trust Sir Mordred, and Sir Mordred did not trust King Arthur. For King Arthur said, “This man is altogether unnatural. His soul is black and he is full of treason and guile. Wherefore, if you see any of his knights draw a sword, then do you draw your swords and fall upon them and upon Sir Mordred.” And Sir Mordred said, “I trust not this King in any way. For he giveth too readily of that which he cannot spare. Wherefore, be you ready, and if you behold any of his six knights draw a sword, draw your swords and fall on, and, if possible, see to it that you slay King Arthur himself.”

  A knight slayeth an adder.

  Now whilst those two parties of six knights each stood talking to one another, it chanced that an adder that lay hidden in a furze bush came forth from its hiding. And one of the knights of Sir Mordred’s party stepped back from his place and trod upon the adder, and the adder stung the knight in the heel. Then the knight looked down to see what it was that stung him, and he beheld the adder beneath his heel. So without thinking of those commands that had been laid upon him, he drew his sword to slay that adder.

  This the knights of King Arthur’s party beheld, and they beheld the knight draw his sword, and they beheld the bright and trenchant blade gleam in the sunlight as the knight swung his sword to slay the adder.

  Then the knights of King Arthur’s party immediately drew their swords and they shouted aloud, crying, “Treason! treason! A rescue! A rescue!” And the knights of Sir Mordred’s party, upon their part also drew their swords and ran so to the defence of Sir Mordred.

  But King Arthur heard the outcry of those knights, and upon that outcry he thought that Sir Mordred had betrayed him, wherefore he cried out in a terrible voice, “Hah! Wouldst thou betray me?” And with that he catched Sir Mordred by the throat and as he catched him thus he drew his misericordia to slay him. But Sir Mordred tore himself loose from King Arthur, and he rushed out from the tent, crying aloud, “I come! I come!”

  The armies rush to battle.

  Then King Arthur also rushed out from the tent and he beheld his six knights at battle with the six knights of Sir Mordred, and he beheld his army and Sir Mordred’s army rushing toward them. And the beat of the hoofs of those approaching armies was like to the sound of distant thunder ever coming nearer and nearer and louder and louder. And the cloud of dust behind those armies was like the smoke of a great conflagration rising up into the sky. And in the midst of those clouds he could see the flashing and blazing of polished armor catching the sunlight and flinging it off again as those armies rode rapidly down the slopes and toward them.

  Thus those armies came together with great uproar and thunder and a flashing like to flaming lightning in the midst of a storm. And King Arthur ran to his horse and mounted nimbly thereon, and he spurred back to meet his army, and an esquire who rode with that army gave to him a good stout spear of ashwood.

  So those two armies met with a shock that might have been heard a league. In that shock of meeting one recoiled from the other by the force of the assault it had itself delivered. And many knights fell in that first assault, and most of those that fell died as they fell. For the horses pressed upon them with their hoofs and many died beneath that pressure. And after the horsemen came the yeomen afoot, and these ran hither and thither and slew many who yet lived.

  Then those knights who were still a-horseback cast aside their spears, for they could not longer use their spears in that narrow pass, wherefore they cast them away and drew their swords. And with their swords they hewed about them from right to left, and from left to right. And so, in a while, the ground was littered with cantles of armor and with men lying dead or dying beneath the hoofs of the horses.

  So that fierce battle began a little before the prick of noon, and it continued for all that afternoon, and it continued through the twilight of the evening and until the falling of the night.

  Sir Mordred is defeated.

  For that was the last and the greatest battle that King Arthur ever fought, and in it were slain twelve thousand knights and gentlemen and yeomen. But as night descended the army of Sir Mordred broke and fled from the field, and King Arthur was left the victor of that battle.

  But when King Arthur sat his horse in the midst of the battle-field, he wept so that the tears ran in streams down his face. Yea, he tasted those tears in his mouth and they were salt to his taste.

  For of all those knights who had once surrounded the Court of King Arthur and had made it so glorious, there were hardly any left. And of all those Knights of the Round Table who had once been his crowning honor, there were not twelve who were yet alive. All others had perished, and the ground was sown thick with them as the sea-shore is sown thick with the cobbles that lie upon it.

  Wherefore, when King Arthur beheld all this ruin of his life, and when he heard the doleful groans of those who were wounded, and when he beheld those who were dead lying still in death and gazing with sightless eyes up into the sky, the tears ran from his eyes in great streams and traced down his face and into his beard, so that he tasted the salt of those tears.

  For now indeed the glory of his reign was past, and nothing remained for him but an empty kingdom devoid of all honor and all that was of worth. “Alas, and woe is me!” cried he, “for my fate hath now overtaken me and my day is done.”

  Chapter Ninth

  How King Arthur slew Sir Mordred, and how he himself was wounded so that he was upon the edge of death. How his sword Excalibur was cast away, and how three queens came from Avalon and took him away with them.

  THE KING RIDETH upon the battle-field.

  SO that night, after the battle afore told of, the moon arose very full and round, and very clearly shining. What time King Arthur rode across the field of battle, with intent to discover what friends and what foes had been slain. And the King discovered many knights lying there who were friends and many other knights who were foes.

  For at that time the sky was without any cloud at all upon it; and the light of the moon was as clear and bright as though it were daylight, wherefore one could see all things upon the earth and to a great distance away upon all sides of the earth.

  And with King Arthur there rode Sir Bedivere and Sir Lucian the Bottelier, who was brother to Sir Bedivere. And Sir Lucian was very sore wounded, even to the death; but of this he made no mention nor any complaint whatsoever, but ever he rode with King Arthur and his brother, and neither of those two wist that he had any wound whatsoever.

  He perceiveth Sir Mador de la Porte dead.

  And amongst many other knights that lay there dead upon the field of battle, they discovered Sir Mador de la Porte lying dead. Then King Arthur pointed his finger at the body of Sir Mador and he said, “See you that man, Messires? That was once a good, strong and very valiant knight. One time he was my friend, but then he accused the Queen of treason, and so I exiled him from me and from my court. So he took arms against me and now he lieth dead here as you perceive. Ah me! That he should have brought that false accusation, for it was the beginning of the end that hath been my undoing, and woe for him, for he was a good strong knight, and a Knight of the Round Table. And one while he was very dear to me.”
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  So said King Arthur and they listened to his words.

  Now as they progressed still farther upon the field of battle, they were, by and by, aware of a knight who stood alone beside a bramble bush. And the knight stood very silent and still, like to a statue of iron. And the light of the moon shone down upon him and glistened upon his armor. And at certain places that armor was stained with red, for he had been wounded in several places.

  He findeth Sir Mordred standing alone.

  So they came nearer to that knight, and in a little while they knew him, and they knew that it was Sir Mordred who stood there alone. And all about Sir Mordred there lay several dead knights; for here Sir Mordred had made his last stand with several of his knights. And these were of the dead knights that lay around him, and others of those dead knights were the knights of King Arthur.

  But the horse of Sir Mordred had been slain and Sir Mordred himself had been wounded in the thighs so that he could not escape with those of his army who fled away from that field of battle.

  Then King Arthur said to Sir Bedivere and Sir Lucian, “Look you! Yonder is Mordred himself. He is the destroyer of all my court of knighthood and of all my joy of life. For through him hath come all this later evil upon me, wherefore he is meet for death at my hands.” And the King said to Sir Bedivere, “Lend me thy spear and I will go and slay him.”

  Quoth Sir Bedivere, “Let him be, Lord, for anon will come those who know him and will slay him even here where he standeth.”

  King Arthur said, “I will not entrust his death to any other hands but mine own. For as he hath brought all this misfortune upon me, so will I slay him with mine own hands. Wherefore, Sir, give me your sword that I may slay him.”

  Then Sir Bedivere said to the King, “Look you, Sir, how he stands looking at us in the moonlight, like a wounded hawk looking upon those who have wounded him. Beware, Sir, and remember the dream that you had last night when Sir Gawaine appeared to you in that dream. So far have you escaped all harm, but should you assail this desperate man, who knoweth but that you may yet meet your death at this time and at his hands?”

  But King Arthur said, “What is my life to me now, and what have I to lose in losing my life? Have I not lost my Queen, who was the lover of my youth? Have I not lost all these knights, who were the chiefest glory and pride of my reign? What, then, have I to live for, saving it be an empty throne of royalty? Tide me life, tide me death, I will slay this man, so give me your spear, Messire.”

  Then Sir Bedivere gave his spear to King Arthur and King Arthur took it into his hands. And he set that spear in rest against Sir Mordred.

  Now all this Sir Mordred beheld, and he believed that the King was now threatening his life. And he heard all that the King said to those knights who were with him, and he wist that now his life was forfeit to him.

  King Arthur pierces Sir Mordred through with his spear.

  So Sir Mordred drew his sword and it flashed like white light in the moonlight. And he came forward to meet King Arthur and his death, and as he came he whirled his sword on high. And King Arthur drave his spurs into his horse and charged against Sir Mordred. And King Arthur directed the point of his spear against the body of Sir Mordred beneath where the shield sheltered his bosom, and the point of the spear penetrated the body of Sir Mordred and it pierced the body and stood an ell out behind the back of Sir Mordred’s body.

  Sir Mordred smiteth the King with his sword.

  Then Sir Mordred felt that he had received his wound of death, wherefore he bethought him only of revenge against King Arthur. So he pressed up against the spear with all of his might. And he thrust himself up the length of the spear until he had reached the burr thereof. And when his body was against the burr of the spear, he took his sword in both his hands and he swung the sword above his head, and he smote King Arthur with the edge of the sword upon the helmet.

  In that blow was all the last desperation of Sir Mordred’s life, and so strong was the blow that it sheared through the helmet of King Arthur, and through the coif beneath the helmet, and it sheared through the brain-pan of the King and deep into the brain itself.

  Then King Arthur reeled upon his saddle and his body swayed this way and that, and from side to side. And he would have fallen from his saddle only that Sir Bedivere catched him and held him up upon his saddle.

  And Sir Mordred wist that he had given King Arthur his death wound, wherefore he fell down upon the ground and he laughed and he said, “So I die, but ere I die I have finished my work, for the King also shall die.” Therewith he breathed very deep, and it was his last breath, for with it his spirit left his body.

  Sir Bedivere said to King Arthur, “Lord, are you hurt?” And King Arthur, breathing very heavily, said, “Sir, this wound is the wound of my death as that knight declared. For the wound, I believe, hath pierced into my brain and I cannot live. Messires, take me hence to a shelter.” And King Arthur said, “What building is that yonder?”

  Sir Bedivere said, “Lord, it is a chapel upon the field of battle.” King Arthur said, “Take me thither and let me be at peace, for I cannot live but a little while.”

  Sir Bedivere and Sir Lucian bring the King, wounded, to the chapel.

  So Sir Bedivere dismounted from his horse and he took the horse of King Arthur by the bridle and he led the horse toward the chapel. And Sir Lucian held King Arthur up upon the saddle, and King Arthur swayed from this side to that side, and he would have fallen only that Sir Lucian held him up in his place.

  So they two brought King Arthur to the chapel in safety, and they bore him into the chapel and laid him upon a bench that was there. And in thus lifting King Arthur the wounds of Sir Lucian burst out bleeding afresh. And with that Sir Lucian, after King Arthur had been laid upon the bench, sank down upon the ground and lay there frothing at the mouth, and the froth was red.

  Sir Lucian dieth.

  Then Sir Bedivere cried out, “Ah, my brother! My brother! Art thou hurt?” And King Arthur said, “Search him and see if he be wounded.” So Sir Bedivere examined Sir Lucian and felt his face and his hands, and anon he said, “Lord, my brother is indeed dead. And I knew not even that he had been wounded; for all this while he hath borne his wounds in patience, speaking no words of it, or making no complaint of it. Ah, my brother! My brother! That thou shouldst be dead!”

  Then King Arthur groaned very deeply, and he said, “Alas and alas! So hath another of my noble Knights of the Round Table died and left me!” And then he said, “So would I weep for him, but I cannot weep; for also in a little while I shall be with him and with them who are gone.” And he said to Sir Bedivere, “Remove my helmet, and search my hurt.” So Sir Bedivere removed the helmet of King Arthur and he beheld the wound upon his head that it was very deep and bitter, so that the brains of his head were exposed in that wound. And Sir Bedivere wept when he beheld that wound; for he wist that of it King Arthur must die.

  But King Arthur said, “Weep not, Sir Bedivere, but do straightway as I tell thee.” And he said, “Beholdest thou Excalibur strapped about my loins?”

  And Sir Bedivere said, “Yea, Lord,” and ever Sir Bedivere wept.

  King Arthur said, “Take that sword and carry him to the water and cast him into the water: then return thou hither and tell me what thou seest.”

  Sir Bedivere taketh Excalibur.

  Then Sir Bedivere unbuckled the strap from about the loins of King Arthur, and he drew the strap from beneath him. Then he folded the strap around the blade of Excalibur and he took the sword with him and went away with it. But when Sir Bedivere had come out into the moonlight, the moonlight shone very brightly down upon the hilt of Excalibur, and Sir Bedivere beheld how that the hilt and the handle of the sword were studded all over with jewels, and the gold into which they were inset flamed and blazed in the moonlight as with a thousand colors.

  And Sir Bedivere said to himself, “Why should I cast this splendid sword into the sea? Behold how richly it is studded with jewels so that it flash
es and flames with pure light. Certes, the King raves when he telleth me to cast it into the sea! Rather will I keep this sword, to show to those generations who are yet to come how great and how splendid was the estate of King Arthur.”

  Sir Bedivere doth not cast the sword away.

  So Sir Bedivere looked about him and he beheld a dead and riven tree that stood there, all stark and leafless in the moonlight. So he took the sword Excalibur and he hid it beneath the roots of that tree. Anon he returned to King Arthur, and he said to the King, “Lord, your behest is done and I have cast that sword into the sea.”

  Quoth the King, “What sawest thou, Sir Bedivere?”

  Quoth Sir Bedivere, “What should I have beheld, Lord? I beheld nothing but the waves beating upon the shore. And the moon shone upon those waves, as it were a path of living and of glittering silver.”

  Then King Arthur said, “Ah, liar and caitiff knight! I am undone for trusting to thee. For thou hast deceived me, who trusted in thee. For thou hast coveted the jewels set upon the handle of the sword, and hast refrained from casting it into the water of the sea.” Then Sir Bedivere said, “Lord, I repent me of this.”

  But King Arthur said, “Go now, and do what I bid thee do, and see to it that this time thou failest not. For my time draweth near and I have now but a little while to live.”

  Sir Bedivere goeth forth again.

  He doth not cast away the sword.

  So Sir Bedivere went forth again and he went to that place where he had hidden the sword. And he took the sword from where it lay hidden and lifted it in his hands. And when he again beheld the light of the moon illuminating its handle of gold and flaming upon the jewels of the handle, his heart and his purpose weakened within him, and he said to himself, “Surely, it would be a sin to cast away this sword. For it is the most beautiful and noblest sword in all of the world. Wherefore then should I destroy this sword that belongeth not more to the King himself than to the world in which he lives? Certes, the King raved in this, wherefore for the sake of posterity and for the sake of those who are to come after, I will not cast this sword into the sea.”