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mass. And he that sang the mass was the hermit with whom Sir Bedivere had taken up his abode; and Sir Bedivere knew Sir Launcelot, and they spake together after mass. But when Sir Bedivere had told his tale, Sir Launcelot's heart almost burst for sorrow. Then he kneeled down, and prayed the hermit to shrive him, and besought that he might be his brother. the hermit said, "I will gladly ;" and then he put a habit upon Sir Launcelot, and there he served God day and night, with prayers and fastings.

And the great host abode at Dover till the end of the fifteen days set by Sir Launcelot, and then Sir Bohort made them to go home again to their own country; and Sir Bohort, Sir Hector de Marys, Sir Blamor, and many others, took on them to ride through all England to seek Sir Launcelot. So Sir Bohort by fortune rode until he came to the same chapel where Sir Launcelot was; and when he saw Sir Launcelot in that manner of clothing, he prayed the hermit that he might be in that same. And so there was an habit put upon him, and there he lived in prayers and fasting. And within half a year came others of the knights, their fellows, and took such a habit as Sir Launcelot and Sir Bohort had. Thus they endured in great penance six

years.

And upon a night there came a vision to Sir Launcelot, and charged him to haste him toward Almesbury, and “by the time thou come there, thou shalt find Queen Guinevere dead." Then Sir Launcelot rose up early, and told the hermit thereof. Then said the hermit, "It were well that ye disobey not this vision." And Sir Launcelot took his seven companions with him, and on foot they went from Glastonbury to Almesbury, which is more than thirty miles. And when they were come to Almesbury, they found that Queen Guinevere died but half an hour before. Then Sir Launcelot saw her visage, but he wept not greatly, but sighed. And so he did all the observance of the service himself, both the "dirige" at night, and at morn he sang mass. And there was prepared an horse-bier, and Sir Launcelot and his fellows followed the bier on foot from Almesbury until they came to Glastonbury; and she was wrapped in cered clothes, and laid in a coffin of marble. And when she was put in the earth, Sir Launcelot swooned, and lay long as one dead.

And Sir Launcelot never after ate but little meat, nor drank; but continually mourned.

Laun'ce-lot's Death.

And within six weeks Sir Launcelot fell sick; and he sent for the hermit and all his true fellows, and said, "Sir hermit, I pray you give me all my rights that a Christian man ought to have." "It shall not need," said the hermit and all his fellows; "it is but heaviness of your blood, and to-morrow morn you shall be well." "My fair lords," said Sir Launcelot, "my careful body will into the earth; I have warning more than now I will say; therefore give me my rights.” So when he was houseled and aneled, and had all that a Christian man ought to have, he prayed the hermit that his fellows might bear his body to Joyous Garde. "It repenteth me sore," said Sir Launcelot, "but I made a vow aforetime that in Joyous Garde I would be buried." Then there was weeping and wringing of hands among his fellows. And that night Sir Launcelot died; and when Sir Bohort and his fellows came to his bedside the next morning, they found him stark dead; and he lay as if he had smiled, and the sweetest savor all about him that ever they knew.

And they put Sir Launcelot into the same horse-bier that Queen Guinevere was laid in, and the hermit and they all together went with the body till they came to Joyous Garde. And there they laid his corpse in the body of the quire, and sang and read many psalms and prayers over him. And ever his visage was laid open and naked, that all folks might behold him. And right thus, as they were at their service, there came Sir Hector de Maris, that had seven years sought Sir Launcelot his brother, through all England, Scotland, and Wales. And when Sir Hector heard such sounds in the chapel of Joyous Garde, he alighted and came into the quire. And all they knew Sir Hector. Then went Sir Bohort, and told him how there lay Sir Launcelot his brother dead. Then Sir Hector threw his shield, his sword, and helm from him. And when he beheld Sir Launcelot's visage, it were hard for any tongue to tell the doleful complaints he made for his brother. "Ah, Sir Launcelot !" he said, "there thou liest. And now I dare to say thou wert never matched of none earthly

knight's hand. And thou wert the courteousest knight that ever bare shield; and thou wert the truest friend to thy lover that ever bestrode horse; and thou wert the truest lover, of a sinful man, that ever loved woman; and thou wert the kindest man that ever struck with sword. And thou wert the goodliest person that ever came among press of knights. And thou wert the meekest man, and the gentlest, that ever ate in hall among ladies. And thou wert the sternest knight to thy mortal foe that ever put spear in the rest." Then there was weeping and dolor out of measure. Thus they kept Sir Launcelot's corpse fifteen days, and then they buried it with great devotion.

And

Then they went back with the hermit to his hermitage. Sir Bedivere was there ever still hermit to his life's end. And Sir Bohort, Sir Hector, Sir Blamor, and Sir Bleoberis went into the Holy Land. And these four knights did many battles upon the miscreants, the Turks; and there they died upon a Good Friday, as it pleased God.'

"Sir Launcelot, as became a noble knight,
Was gracious to all ladies, and the same
In open battle or the tilting-field,
Forbore his own advantage, and the king,

In open battle or the tilting-field,

Forbore his own advantage, and these two
Were the most nobly-mannered men of all.
For manners are not idle, but the fruit

Of loyal nature and of noble mind."-GUINEvere.

Thus endeth this noble and joyous book, entitled La Morte d'Arthur; notwithstanding it treateth of the birth, life, and acts of the said King Arthur, and of his noble Knights of the Round Table, their marvellous enquests and adventures, the achieving of the Sangreal, and, in the end, le Morte d'Arthur, with the dolorous death and departing out of this world of them all. Which book was reduced into English by Sir Thomas Mallory, Knight, and divided into twenty-one books, chaptered and imprinted and finished in the Abbey Westmestre, the last day of July, the year of our Lord MCCCCLXXXV.

1 This was centuries before the Turks had occupied Palestine, an inaccuracy quite pardonable in traditional history.

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St. George and the Dragon-The Lia Fail-Robin Hood-Stone'henge-The Fortunate Isles.

St. George and the Dragon.

THERE are two St. Georges who figure in British annals, one of whom was a veritable person who suffered martyrdom in Nicomedia in the fourth century. The other St. George is a mythical hero, and is represented as having slain the dragon which a magician had sent to the Princess Alexandria. The dragon is frequently referred to in Scripture, and is supposed by some to have been the crocodile or a giant serpent. In mythology he is always pictured as of immense size, with wings, crest, and a snaky tail. The one slain by St. George is thus represented in a poem of great antiquity:

"His scales was bryghter than the glas
And harder were they than any bras;
Betwene his shulder and his tayle

Was forty fote withoute fayle."-PERCY'S RELIQUES.

The monster had a voice like that of thunder. St. George smote him with his spear, which was broken into a thousand pieces. A stroke, in return, from the monster's tail threw rider and horse to the earth and broke two of the saint's ribs. The battle would have gone hard with St. George had he not fortunately

"Hitt him under the wynge

As he was in his flyenge."-PERCY'S RELIQUES.
( 199 )

The story appears under various forms. One represents the dragon as a plague infesting the city.

"A dreadful dragon fierce and fell,

Who by his poisonous breath each day

Did many of the city slay."-PERCY'S RELIQUES.

Daily he came to the city, and claimed as his victim some beautiful maiden.

"Thus did the dragon ev'ry day
Untimely crop some virgin flower,
Till all the maids were worn away,
And none were left him to devour."

-PERCY'S RELIQUES.

The

At last the people went to the king, and urged that his daughter must be given as a sacrifice to the monster. queen protested, and offered herself in the princess's stead.

"Like mad men all the people cried,

Thy death to us can do no good;

Our safety only doth abide

In making her the dragon's food.''

made for her death.

-PERCY'S RELIQUES.

The young woman finally yielded, and said to her father that she was ready to offer herself as a sacrifice. Great preparations were She was tied to the stake, and awaited the dragon's coming. The king and queen departed, and left their daughter to her fate. By accident St. George came riding by, and asked what caitiff thus abused the maiden. Just then the dragon issued from the wood. But her deliverer was at hand; the monster had at last met the bravest knight in all the world.

"St. George, then looking round about,

The fiery dragon soon espeyed,

And, like a knight of courage stout,

Against him did most fiercely ride.

And with such blows he did him greet,

He fell beneath the horse's feet.

And thus within the lady's view,
The mighty dragon straight he slew."

-PERCY'S RELIQUES.

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