There are Lancelot andBedivere, Gawaine and Dagonet, Modred and Gareth, and the rest. Many bookshave been written of their deeds; but a time came when almost all thoseknights were to fall, according to the legend, in one great battle.Modred, the king's nephew, had been left in charge of the kingdom duringArthur's absence, and had betrayed him and tried to dethrone him, meaningto crown himself king. Many people joined with him, saying that underArthur they had had only war and fighting, but under Modred they wouldhave peace and bliss. Yet nothing was farther from Modred's purpose thanbliss or peace, and it was agreed at last that a great battle should befought for the kingdom.On the night of Trinity Sunday, King Arthur had a dream. He thought hesat in a chair, upon a scaffold, and the chair was fastened to a wheel. Hewas dressed in the richest cloth of gold that could be made, but farbeneath him he saw a pit, full of black water, in which were all manner ofserpents and floating beasts. Then the wheel began to turn, and he wentdown, down among the floating things, and they wreathed themselves abouthim till he cried, "Help! help!"Then his knights and squires and yeomen aroused him, but he slumberedagain, not sleeping nor thoroughly waking. Then he thought he saw hisnephew, Sir Gawaine, with a number of fair ladies, and when King Arthursaw him, he said, "O fair nephew, what are these ladies who come withyou?" "Sir," said Sir Gawaine, "these are the ladies for whose protectionI fought while I was a living man, and God has given them grace that theyshould bring me thither to you, to warn you of your death.
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