Chronicles 1 (of 6): The Historie of England 5 (of 8): The Fift Booke of the Historie of England.Holinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles 1 (of 6): The Historie of England 5 (of 8): The Fift Booke of the Historie of England.
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066
_Arthur is resisted by Mordred the usurper from arriuing in his owne
land, they ioine battell, Gawaine is slaine and his death lamented
by Arthur, Mordred taketh flight, he in slaine, and Arthur mortallie
wounded, his death, the place of his buriall, his bodie digged vp, his
bignesse coniecturable by his bones, a crosse found in his toome with
an inscription therevpon, his wife Guenhera buried with him, a rare
report of hir haire, Iohn Lelands epitaph in memorie of prince
Arthur._
THE XIIJ. CHAPTER.
King Arthur at his returne into Britaine, found that Mordred had
[Sidenote: Rather Cerdicke as _Leland_ thinketh.]
caused himselfe to be made king, & hauing alied himselfe with
Cheldrike a Saxon (not him whome Galfride, as ye haue heard, supposeth
to haue béene wounded & slaine before) was readie to resist his
landing, so that before he could come on land, he lost manie of his
men: but yet at length he repelled the enimies, and so tooke land at
Sandwich, where he first arriued, and ioining in battell with his
enimies, he discomfited them, but not without great losse of his
people: speciallie he sore lamented the death of Gawaine the brother
of Mordred, which like a faithfull gentleman, regarding more his
honour and loiall truth than néerenesse of bloud and coosenage, chose
rather to fight in the quarrell of his liege king and louing maister,
than to take part with his naturall brother in an vniust cause, and so
there in the battell was slaine, togither also with Angusseli, to whom
Arthur afore time had committed the gouernment of Scotland. Mordred
fled from this battell, and getting ships sailed westward, and
[Sidenote: Gawaine buried at Douer.]
finallie landed in Cornwall. King Arthur caused the corps of Gawaine
to be buried at Douer (as some hold opinion:) but William Malmesburie
supposeth, he was buried in Wales, as after shall be shewed. The dead
bodie of Angussell was conueied into Scotland, and was there buried.
When that Arthur had put his enimies to flight, and had knowledge into
what parts Mordred was withdrawne, with all spéed he reinforced his
armie with new supplies of souldiers called out of diuerse parties,
and with his whole puissance hasted forward, not resting till he came
néere to the place where Mordred was incamped, with such an armie
as he could assemble togither out of all parties where he had anie
friends. ¶ Héere (as it appéereth by Iohn Leland, in his booke
intituled, "The assertion of Arthur") it may be douted in what place
Mordred was incamped: but Geffrey of Monmouth sheweth, that after
Arthur had discomfited Mordred in Kent at the first landing, it
chanced so that Mordred escaped and fled to Winchester, whither Arthur
followed him, and there giuing him battell the second time, did also
put him to flight. And following him from thence, fought eftsoones
with him at a place called Camblane, or Kemelene in Cornwall, or (as
some authors haue) néere vnto Glastenburie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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