He was going to marry Guenever,as a first move;but she fled and shut herself up in the Tower of London.Mordred attacked;the Bishop of Canterbury dropped down on him with the Interdict.The king returned;Mordred fought him at Dover,at Canterbury,and again at Barham Down.Then there was talk of peace and a composition.Terms,Mordred to have Cornwall and Kent during Arthur's life,and the whole kingdom afterward.""Well,upon my word!My dream of a republic to BE a dream,and so remain.""Yes.The two armies lay near Salisbury.Gawaine --Gawaine's head is at Dover Castle,he fell in the fight there --Gawaine appeared to Arthur in a dream,at least his ghost did,and warned him to refrain from conflict for a month,let the delay cost what it might.But battle was precipitated by an accident.Arthur had given order that if a sword was raised during the consultation over the proposed treaty with Mordred,sound the trumpet and fall on!for he had no confidence in Mordred.Mordred had given a similar order to HIS people.Well,by and by an adder bit a knight's heel;the knight forgot all about the order,and made a slash at the adder with his sword.Inside of half a minute those two prodigious hosts came together with a crash!They butchered away all day.Then the king --however,we have started something fresh since you left --our paper has.""No?What is that?"
"War correspondence!"
"Why,that's good."
"Yes,the paper was booming right along,for the Interdict made no impression,got no grip,while the war lasted.I had war correspondents with both armies.
I will finish that battle by reading you what one of the boys says:
Then the king looked about him,and then was he ware of all his host and of all his good knights were left no more on live but two knights,that was Sir Lucan de Butlere,and his brother Sir Bedivere:and they were full sore wounded.Jesu mercy,said the king,where are all my noble knights becomen?Alas that ever I should see this doleful day.For now,said Arthur,I am come to mine end.But would to God that I wist where were that traitor Sir Mordred,that hath caused all this mischief.Then was King Arthur ware where Sir Mordred leaned upon his sword among a great heap of dead men.
Now give me my spear,said Arthur unto Sir Lucan,for yonder I have espied the traitor that all this woe hath wrought.Sir,let him be,said Sir Lucan,for he is unhappy;and if ye pass this unhappy day,ye shall be right well revenged upon him.Good lord,remember ye of your night's dream,and what the spirit of Sir Gawaine told you this night,yet God of his great goodness hath preserved you hitherto.Therefore,for God's sake,my lord,leave off by this.For blessed be God ye have won the field:for here we be three on live,and with Sir Mordred is none on live.And if ye leave off now,this wicked day of destiny is past.Tide me death,betide me life,saith the king,now I see him yonder alone,he shall never escape mine hands,for at a better avail shall I never have him.God speed you well,said Sir Bedivere.Then the king gat his spear in both his hands,and ran toward Sir Mordred crying,Traitor,now is thy death day come.And when Sir Mordred heard Sir Arthur,he ran until him with his sword drawn in his hand.And then King Arthur smote Sir Mordred under the shield,with a foin of his spear throughout the body more than a fathom.And when Sir Mordred felt that he had his death's wound,he thrust himself,with the might that he had,up to the butt of King Arthur's spear.And right so he smote his father Arthur with his sword holden in both his hands,on the side of the head,that the sword pierced the helmet and the brain-pan,and therewithal Sir Mordred fell stark dead to the earth.And the noble Arthur fell in a swoon to the earth,and there he swooned oft-times "That is a good piece of war correspondence,Clarence;you are a first-rate newspaper man.Well --is the king all right?"Did he get well?""Poor soul,no.He is dead."
I was utterly stunned;it had not seemed to me that any wound could be mortal to him.
"And the queen,Clarence?"
"She is a nun,in Almesbury."
"What changes!and in such a short while.It is inconceivable.What next,I wonder?""I can tell you what next."
"Well?"
"Stake our lives and stand by them!"
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Church is master now.The Interdict included you with Mordred;it is not to be removed while you remain alive.The clans are gathering.
The Church has gathered all the knights that are left alive,and as soon as you are discovered we shall have business on our hands.""Stuff!With our deadly scientific war-material;with our hosts of trained --""Save your breath --we haven't sixty faithful left!""What are you saying?Our schools,our colleges,our vast workshops,our --""When those knights come,those establishments will empty themselves and go over to the enemy.Did you think you had educated the superstition out of those people?""I certainly did think it."
"Well,then,you may unthink it.They stood every strain easily --until the Interdict.Since then,they merely put on a bold outside --at heart they are quaking.Make up your mind to it --when the armies come,the mask will fall.""It's hard news.We are lost.They will turn our own science against us.""No they won't."
"Why?"
"Because I and a handful of the faithful have blocked that game.I'll tell you what I've done,and what moved me to it.Smart as you are,the Church was smarter.It was the Church that sent you cruising --through her servants,the doctors.""Clarence!"
"It is the truth.I know it.Every officer of your ship was the Church's picked servant,and so was every man of the crew.""Oh,come!"
"It is just as I tell you.I did not find out these things at once,but I found them out finally.Did you send me verbal information,by the commander of the ship,to the effect that upon his return to you,with supplies,you were going to leave Cadiz --""Cadiz!I haven't been at Cadiz at all!"
