The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-11-08

wounds. But Sir Lucan was SO Daoly
wounded that he fell down dead: even
with exertion Of carrying the KING ~
he chapel. Then said Arthur to Sir
Pediyere: my time hieth fast Take
thou my sword, Excalfbur, and go Win
it to wonder waterside and throw II
in. Then come and tell me what thou
hast seen"
Sir Bedivere took Excalibur and
went out to the beach where Ihe
moonlight shOne upon the sea 6ut
when he saw the glitter OF the noDle
sword, where the pummel n nait
were all Of precious stones, he SAID 10
himself: eff I throw this rich SWORD
into the water therefore shall come no
good, but harm and loss. So he ma
to the king, who said, VIVA dldst
thou see?" Il saw nothing but the
water bestirred by the winds,
replied Sir Bevidere. THAT is
untrly said" retorted the king. "Go
thou again and throw h sword out
did Sir Bedivere seek the beach and a
second time did his heart fail him, and
he returned to king, saying he had
seen only the moonlight shining on the
waves.
"Traitor untrue" exclaimed the
king, now hast thou BETRAYED me two
times. Who would a thought that
such a mob knisht would have be
trayed me for a rich sword!' e Sir
Pedivere ran swiftly to where he had
hidden Excalibur and, taking it in both
hands. threw it into the water as far
out as he could. And as the dazzling
sword touched the waves a hand
reached up out of the sea and grasp
ed the hilt, shook it three times and
brandished it and drew it down into
the depths.
Sir Redivere ran to where the royal
A vi ,,.. How, ~xI A~Il ILL., r. IaI
seen. "Alas, help me from hence. for
| dread | have tarried too long" Then
Sir Bediyere took the king upon his
back and carried him to the shore, and
as he did SO he saw coming a little
barge with many fair ladies in it and
among them three queens; and they
we're al in black hoods and wept AMI
shrieked when they saw the wounded
Arthur. SIR Bedivere placed the king
in the barge and in the lap Of one Of
the queens did Arthur lay his head.
FAREWELL" said Arthur to Sir Bed
we're. II Will go unto the island vale Of
Avalon to heal me Of my wounds. and
II you near no more of me pray for my
sour Ihen the barge went out across
the shining moonlit sea with the wall
ing women and the stricken king until
the mists hid it from the sight Of Bel
Vldere. The knight, weeping for his
vanished king, fled into a forest and
<~ourneyed until he came out of it TO a
chapel in which he saw a hermit
kneeling and weeping before a newly
made rave,
When the hermit saw Sir Bedivere
he at once addressed him by name.
tor that same hermit was he who had
before time been Archbishop Of Can
terbury. n night, the hermit told
MIN, there had come to the chapel a
great number Of lad es who bore a
corpse and prayed that it be buried,
ana q hundred tapers and a hundred
pieces Of gold had they left with the
hermit that mass might be said for
the repose Of the dead mans soul
Alas!' cried Sir Red.vere, that mar
was my lord, King Arthur. BY ray
W IL from hence will 7 never go all
the days Of my life. but be a hermit
with you to pray for the soul of my
lord, King Arthur. And there did
Pedivere abide with him who had
been Archbishop of Canterbury. put
ting on coarse clothes and serv ne
the hermit full lowly in fasting and
prayers. More of the death of King
Arthur IS not known of a certainty.
There are men in many parts Of Eng
land who say that Arthur is not dead
but gone into some place from whence
ne VIII come n to rule all Eng
land. But many men say there is
written upon his tomb this verse: "Hic
Jacet Arthurus, rex quOndan, rexque
futurus."
Now while all this was taking place
there mad come over to Dover, n re-
spouse to the letter of Sir Gawaine,
Iauncelot and many noble knights to
do service unto Arthur. When he
was told that the king and Modred
were both slain and an hundred thou
sand with them in that great battle
Of the west, Launcelot cried out that
he had come too late, and so, sum-
moning to HIM the leaders Of the
great host VIII oh he had brought with
nm, he told them that he would ride
forth to seek the queen. for he had
heard that she was in great distress
and if: !. fifteen days. they heard no
more OF him, they were to take their
sh ps and return again to France 81,
sorS dc can S demonstrated with
iaNnceiot, saving that to ride alone in
inns idnd Whefe he would find few