Now turn we to the eleven kings that returned unto a city that hight
Sorhaute, the which city was within King Uriens’, and there they
refreshed them as well as they might, and made leeches search their
wounds, and sorrowed greatly for the death of their people. With that
there came a messenger and told how there was come into their lands
people that were lawless as well as Saracens, a forty thousand, and
have burnt and slain all the people that they may come by, without
mercy, and have laid siege on the castle of Wandesborow. Alas, said the
eleven kings, here is sorrow upon sorrow, and if we had not warred
against Arthur as we have done, he would soon revenge us. As for King
Leodegrance, he loveth Arthur better than us, and as for King Rience,
he hath enough to do with Leodegrance, for he hath laid siege unto him.
So they consented together to keep all the marches of Cornwall, of
Wales, and of the North. So first, they put King Idres in the City of
Nauntes in Britain, with four thousand men of arms, to watch both the
water and the land. Also they put in the city of Windesan, King Nentres
of Garlot, with four thousand knights to watch both on water and on
land. Also they had of other men of war more than eight thousand, for
to fortify all the fortresses in the marches of Cornwall. Also they put
more knights in all the marches of Wales and Scotland, with many good
men of arms, and so they kept them together the space of three year,
and ever allied them with mighty kings and dukes and lords. And to them
fell King Rience of North Wales, the which and Nero that was a mighty
man of men. And all this while they furnished them and garnished them
of good men of arms, and victual, and of all manner of habiliment that
pretendeth to the war, to avenge them for the battle of Bedegraine, as
it telleth in the book of adventures following.
CHAPTER XIX. How King Arthur rode to Carlion, and of his dream, and how
he saw the questing beast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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