Ex Libris 
 C. K. OGDEN
 
 I; 
 
 Mf^c^-u
 
 HEROES OF OLD BRITAIN
 
 UNIFORM WITH THIS BOOK 
 
 i. Old Celtic Tales 
 a. Northland Heroes 
 
 3. The Story of Siegfried 
 
 4. Tales from the Eddas 
 
 5. Tales from Chaucer 
 
 6. Tales of Early England 
 
 7. Fables and Nursery Tales 
 J . A Book of Nature Myths 
 
 o. The Wonderful Voyages of Gulliver 
 10. The Adventures of the Caliph 
 
 Haronn-al-Raschid 
 it. The Adventures of Deerslayer 
 iz. Gisli the Outlaw 
 
 13. Old Greek Folk Stories 
 
 14. The Voyage of the Argonauts 
 
 15. Tales from Shakespeare (Book One) 
 
 16. Tales from Shakespeare (Book Two) 
 
 17. Tales from Dickens 
 
 18. Tales from William Morris 
 
 19. Tales ot Wallace and Bruce 
 
 20. Tales Irom Malory 
 
 21. Northland Sagas 
 
 2z. Heroes of Old Britain 
 33. Tales from the Kalevala 
 
 24. Fairy Tales and Story Poems 
 
 25. The Last of the Mohicans
 
 'LOCRINK NO LONGER WISHED TO EXAMINE THE TREASURES" 
 
 Page 35
 
 Heroes of 
 Old Britain 
 
 Retold from 
 GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH 
 
 By 
 
 DAVID W. GATES 
 
 Illustrated by STEPHEN REID 
 
 LONDON: GEORGE G. 
 HARRAP & COMPANY 
 
 9 Portsmouth St. Kingsway WC
 
 THE RIVERSIDE PRB8E LIMITED, EDINBURGH
 
 Pref 
 
 ace 
 
 BOYS and girls of all nations delight to 
 read the beautiful and exciting stories 
 of the early dawn of history. The tales 
 of the heroes of Greece and Rome have long 
 been familiar to British children, but the early 
 heroes of their own race are only of late coming 
 into their own. Indeed, there is no such super- 
 abundance of hero-stories of the British race 
 that apology is needed for the appearance of 
 this small collection. 
 
 The history of the far-distant past is enveloped 
 in clouds of mystery, through which we can 
 penetrate only by means of the legends and 
 stories which have been handed down to us. 
 It may be objected that these are pure 
 romances and not true history ; but it is certain 
 that many of these legendary stories were 
 
 Vll 
 
 2000181
 
 viii Preface 
 
 inspired by events which actually occurred, and 
 therefore have a substratum of historic truth. 
 If they be considered worthless as historical 
 facts, they must not be passed over entirely, 
 for they have influenced the thoughts, and to 
 some extent the conduct, of succeeding ages ; 
 and for this reason alone, even if they had no 
 interest in themselves which is far from being 
 the case are worthy to be recalled and retold. 
 
 D. W. O.
 
 To the Reader 
 
 M3RE than eight hundred years ago 
 a little Welsh lad lived in a monastery 
 in Monmouthshire. While he was 
 quite a child he loved to listen to the stories 
 of the days when his ancestors were all- 
 powerful in the land. As he grew older he 
 collected all the old chronicles which were 
 written on rolls of parchment, and after dream- 
 ing about the old British heroes for many 
 years, he wrote the stories in a book which he 
 called The Histories of the Kings of Britain. 
 Geoffrey hated the Saxons as much as he loved 
 his own race, so we are not surprised to find 
 that he often speaks of the treachery of the 
 Saxons which alone was able to overcome the 
 Britons, whom he describes as being always 
 victorious, or defeated through no fault of their 
 
 ix
 
 x To the Reader 
 
 own. Shakespeare, Tennyson, and other great 
 writers have found many of their stories in 
 Geoffrey of Monmouth's History, from which 
 most of the chapters in this little book have 
 been rewritten.
 
 Contents 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. BRUTUS DISCOVERS THE SEA-GIRT ISLE . 13 
 
 II. THE LAST OP THE GIANTS ... 26 
 
 III. THE OVERTHROW OF KING HUMBER . . 31 
 
 IV. THE FATE OF ESTRILDIS AND SABRINA . 41 
 
 V. KING LUD DELIVERS BRITAIN FROM THE 
 
 PLAGUES . . . . . 52 
 
 VI. CARACTACUS, PRINCE OF GWENT . . 62 
 
 VII. VORTIGERN AND THE SAXONS. . . 74 
 
 VIII. MERLIN AND THE DRAGONS ... 86 
 
 IX. THE DANCE OF GIANTS . . 96 
 
 X. ARTHUR, THE BRITISH HERO KING . . 102 
 
 XL THE CORONATION OF KING ARTHUR . . 113 
 
 THE PASSING OF ARTHUR 122 
 
 XI
 
 " Love thou thy land with love far-brought 
 From out the storied Past, and used 
 Within the Present, but transfused 
 Through future time by power of thought." 
 
 TENNYSON.
 
 E&OES 
 
 OF OLD 
 RITAIN 
 
 L Brutus discovers the Sea-girt Isle 
 
 niG, long ago a child was born in Italy 
 of whom the wise men of that land 
 prophesied many things. They declared 
 that Brutus, for that was the name he bore, 
 was born to great sorrow, but that, after many 
 adventures in strange lands, he would win his 
 way to great honour. Brutus was a descendant 
 of JEneas, the hero who fought so valiantly in 
 the Trojan war, and while he was quite a young 
 child many stories were related to him about 
 the noble ^neas and the other heroes of his 
 race. How he loved to listen to these stories ! 
 They filled his heart with pride, and made him 
 long for the day when he would be a man, so 
 13
 
 14 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 that he might fight bravely, and perform noble 
 acts as they had done. 
 
 One day Brutus accompanied his father on 
 a hunting expedition, and when the deer were 
 driven in front of them he chose his strongest 
 and truest arrow, and, drawing his bow to the 
 full, he prepared to take aim. Unfortunately, 
 in his excitement lest the deer should escape, 
 the lad shot hurriedly, and the arrow passed 
 through his father's heart. When the people 
 heard what had befallen their king they were 
 exceedingly angry, and raised loud cries against 
 the lad's carelessness. Some even accused him 
 of slaying his father intentionally in order that 
 he might be raised to the throne. 
 
 The poor lad was so terrified by the threaten- 
 ing manner of his kinsmen that he fled as an 
 exile to Greece, where he joined the descendants 
 of King Priam of Troy, who at that time were 
 held in bondage by Pandrasus, the king. The 
 Trojans, learning that he also was descended 
 from those who had escaped from Troy, received 
 him gladly. 
 
 As Brutus grew he became so renowned for 
 his courage and prowess in battle, and his kind- 
 ness to all men, that he was beloved by kings
 
 Brutus discovers the Sea-girt Isle 15 
 
 and dukes above all the youths of the country. 
 His wisdom among the wise was as remarkable 
 as his valour among warriors, and all the riches 
 and trophies won by him he distributed to his 
 comrades. His fame was spread abroad among 
 the nations so that the Trojans flocked to him 
 from all parts, beseeching him that he would 
 be their duke, and deliver them from bondage 
 to the Greeks. This, they declared, might 
 easily be accomplished, seeing that they now 
 numbered 7000 fighting men, and, moreover, 
 they had the assistance of Assaracus, a youth 
 of high nobility in Greece, who was born of 
 a Trojan mother, and desired that they might 
 be able to cast off the yoke which the persecu- 
 tion of the Greeks placed upon them. 
 
 Brutus, when he saw the number of the 
 Trojan fighting men, and the strength of the 
 castles which Assaracus offered him, granted 
 their request, and was chosen their duke. 
 Then, calling together the Trojans, he placed 
 fighting men in the castles, and commanded 
 Assaracus to retire to the forests with the 
 remnant of the Trojans. When this had been 
 accomplished Brutus sent a letter to King 
 Pandrasus containing these words :
 
 16 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 "A nation descended from the illustrious 
 race of Troy deigns not to be treated in thy 
 kingdom otherwise than as the nobility of their 
 birth demands. They have therefore retired 
 into the depths of the forest, choosing rather 
 to live in the manner of wild beasts, upon flesh 
 and herbs, than to satisfy themselves with 
 dainties and luxuries, and remain any longer 
 under the yoke of bondage. Blame them not 
 for their desire to recover their former dignity, 
 but be moved to mercy, and restore to them 
 their lost liberty, allowing them to inhabit the 
 forest glades that they might thus be placed 
 beyond the reach of slavery. If thou wilt not 
 grant this, permit them at least that they may 
 depart into other nations of the world with thy 
 good will." 
 
 Pandrasus was exceedingly annoyed that 
 those he held in bondage had dared to address 
 such a demand to him. He therefore summoned 
 a council of his nobles, and gave orders that the 
 army should be brought together to hunt them 
 down. The warriors were soon prepared, and 
 the army marched forth to search the forests in 
 which Pandrasus supposed the Trojans to be. 
 
 Hearing of the advance of the army, Brutus
 
 Brutus discovers the Sea-girt Isle 17 
 
 collected his fighting men in one of the castles 
 that he might attack Pandrasus when he least 
 expected it. As the army passed near the 
 castle he perceived that they were unprepared 
 for attack, many of them being without arms, 
 and the whole body marching in disorder. He 
 therefore charged down upon them, the Trojans 
 striving with great courage to overwhelm them 
 before they could recover. The Greeks, on 
 account of their unpreparedness, were quite 
 unable to resist this unexpected attack, and 
 were soon scattered in all directions. 
 
 As the shattered army fled with their king at 
 their head they reached the banks of a river that 
 flowed near the scene of their overthrow. Many 
 warriors were carried away by the rush of the 
 stream, and while they struggled to gain the 
 opposite bank, Brutus and his elated followers 
 overtook them, and slew all whom they could 
 reach ; nor did they cease to harry them until 
 they had slaughtered nearly the whole of them, 
 and had taken Pandrasus captive. 
 
 Brutus was careful to bind the king, and 
 keep him safe from the anger of his infuriated 
 warriors, for he knew that he could obtain the 
 object he desired more readily while the king
 
 18 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 lived than by his death. When the light of 
 dawn revealed the terrible slaughter that had 
 been inflicted upon the enemy, he commanded 
 that the dead should be buried, allowing his 
 comrades to do as they pleased with the spoils 
 of the slain. 
 
 He then collected his troops, and marched to 
 the forest. His people rejoiced greatly when 
 they received tidings of his great victory, and 
 when he had gathered together the chief of the 
 people he inquired of them what they should 
 demand of Pandrasus now that he was in their 
 power. Some proposed one thing, and some 
 another. While they still talked and hesitated, 
 one of the chiefs arose and, calling for silence, he 
 began to speak. 
 
 " It is my opinion that we should demand of 
 Pandrasus his eldest daughter as a wife for our 
 duke, together with her possessions of gold and 
 silver. That he should provide us with ships 
 and provisions in order that we may go our way 
 to seek out other lands. If we desire that we 
 and our children might have lasting peace, we 
 must depart from this land, for so long as they 
 remember the slaying of their kinsfolk they will 
 hold us always in eternal hatred, and, taking
 
 Brutus discovers the Sea-girt Isle 19 
 
 offence at the merest trifles, will do their best to 
 wreak vengeance upon us." 
 
 When he had finished speaking the whole of 
 the assembly signified their assent with shouts 
 of approval, demanding that Pandrasus should 
 be straightway brought before them that they 
 might hear what reply he would make to their 
 petition. Brutus therefore delayed not to bring 
 their captive forth. When he was set before 
 them their demands were made known to him, 
 and, fearing that a cruel death would befall him 
 if he refused their petition, he readily promised 
 to fulfil their desires, offering himself as a hostage 
 until he had accomplished all the things he had 
 pledged himself to do. 
 
 Over three hundred ships were gathered from 
 all the shores of Greece, and when they were 
 loaded with provisions of all sorts, Pandrasus 
 brought forth his daughter Ignoge to be wedded 
 to the Trojan duke. Valuable presents of gold 
 and silver were given to the victors, and the 
 captive king, having fulfilled all his promises, 
 was set free, and the Trojans departed to their 
 ships. Ignoge shed bitter tears that she was 
 forced to forsake her kinsfolk and her country, 
 and could not withdraw her eyes from the shore
 
 20 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 as long as it remained in sight. Brutus sought 
 to soothe her sorrow with gentle words, and, 
 folding her in a tender embrace, he did not 
 cease to comfort her until, weary with weeping, 
 she fell asleep. 
 
 They sailed the seas for two days, and on the 
 second day the wind bore them to the shores of 
 a certain island which had been uninhabited 
 since it was laid waste by the pirates. They 
 wandered over the island until at length they 
 discovered the ruins of a city. Here there was 
 an ancient temple containing an image of the 
 goddess Diana which possessed power to answer 
 the questions of those who sought its aid with 
 proper forms and ceremonies. When they had 
 adorned their brows with garlands they set up 
 three altars, as was their custom, and offered 
 their sacrifices before the temple. Brutus him- 
 self, holding in his right hand a vessel of 
 sacrificial wine, raised his face toward the 
 image, and called aloud : 
 
 " Goddess of shades, and huntress, who at will 
 
 Walk'st on the rolling sphere, and through the deep, 
 On thy third reign, the earth, now look and tell 
 What land, what sea of rest thou bidd'st me seek."
 
 : THEIR DEMANDS WERE MADE KNOWN TO HIM
 
 Brutus discovers the Sea-girt Isle 23 
 
 After he had repeated this nine times he 
 poured forth the wine upon the altar, and, 
 vowing that he would erect temples to the 
 goddess Diana in this new home if answer were 
 given him, he cast himself down before the altar 
 and fell into a deep and sweet sleep. As he 
 slept he beheld the vision of a goddess who 
 drew near to him, and said : 
 
 " Far to the "West, in the ocean wide, 
 Beyond the realm of Gaul a land there lies 
 Sea-girt it lies where giants dwelt of old. 
 Now void, it fits thy people ; thither bend 
 Thy course ; there shalt thou find a lasting home." 
 
 When he awoke he doubted whether it had 
 been a dream, or whether it were the goddess 
 herself who had thus foretold the land to which 
 they should go. At last he called his companions, 
 and told them all that had befallen him in his 
 sleep. 
 
 They were filled with great joy, and desired 
 that they should return to their ships as quickly 
 as possible, and set full sail for the West in 
 search of that land which the goddess had 
 promised. They proceeded westward through 
 the Mediterranean Sea before a favourable wind 
 until they reached the Pillars of Hercules. This
 
 24 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 was the name by which Gibraltar and the rock 
 on the opposite shore were known in those days, 
 because the ancients believed that Hercules had 
 set them there as a monument to mark the 
 extreme limits of his western wanderings. 
 
 The fleet passed through the strait, and was 
 then driven before the current northward along 
 the shores of the country we now call Spain. 
 At length, after enduring much suffering, and 
 encountering great dangers from the perpetual 
 surges of the Atlantic on account of the frailty 
 of their vessels, they were cast upon the shores 
 of a strange land. 
 
 The Trojans were exceedingly glad to escape 
 from the discomforts of the voyage, and set out 
 with joyful hearts to explore the land. They 
 were all filled with delight at the rich drapery 
 of fruitfulness and verdure which clothed the 
 land. There were broad undulating plains, 
 green mountains, and romantic glens, and all 
 was so fertile and beautiful that Brutus and 
 his comrades desired that they should dwell in 
 the land. They knew that this was the island 
 which it had been prophesied should be theirs, 
 and they therefore gave it the name of their 
 duke. It had before borne the name of
 
 Brutus discovers the Sea-girt Isle 25 
 
 Albion, but from that day it was known as the 
 land of Brutus. The name has been changed 
 a little during the hundreds of years that have 
 passed, but even to-day the name Britain recalls 
 Brutus the brave duke of the Trojans.
 
 IL The Last of the Giants 
 
 WHEN the Trojans had all landed from 
 their ships, Brutus called them to- 
 gether upon the seashore, and 
 offered a thanksgiving to the gods for having 
 brought them safely through all the dangers of 
 the sea voyage. Then, raising their hands to 
 the sky, they called for a blessing upon their 
 new home, that they might become a nation 
 as great and noble as the ancient race of 
 Troy. 
 
 They then set out to explore the island. 
 They pressed onward over the grassy plains for 
 many days, and it seemed to them that the land 
 was uninhabited, for they had seen no man since 
 they had landed. The farther they went into 
 the heart of the country the more delighted 
 were they with all they beheld. The rich 
 verdure of the land, the choice fruits and flowers 
 that grew in the fertile soil of the plains, the 
 abundance of fish in the rivers, and the deer 
 
 26
 
 The Last of the Giants 27 
 
 and many other kinds of animals that roamed in 
 the forests filled Brutus and his companions with 
 a great desire to remain there. 
 
 One day, as they were exploring the island, 
 they drew nearer the mountainous districts, and 
 in the depth of a vast forest they discovered 
 some strange-looking monsters. They looked 
 like huge men, but their bodies were covered 
 with long hair, and they wore no clothing. When 
 the giants saw the Trojans advancing toward 
 them they stood gazing upon them, and Brutus 
 ordered his men to take their bows and shoot 
 their arrows into the air. The strange creatures 
 had never seen men armed with bows and 
 arrows, and the sound of the flight of arrows 
 whistling through the air over their heads so 
 terrified them that they fled to the mountains 
 uttering savage cries of rage. 
 
 When Brutus had driven the giants to take 
 refuge in the caves of the mountains he divided 
 the country among his companions by lot. 
 Then they began to till the ground, and to build 
 houses, so that in a short time the country began 
 to look as though men had dwelt there a long 
 time. At last Brutus called the island Britain, 
 and his companions Britons, after his own
 
 28 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 name, for he was anxious that his name should 
 be kept in memory. 
 
 All the Trojans had some portion of land. 
 Corineus, the bravest warrior of the whole 
 company, had the largest portion, and when the 
 choice was offered him he asked that he might 
 have the wild, rugged portion of the island that 
 jutted out into the sea. He chose this rocky 
 portion rather than the fertile plains, because 
 there was a greater number of giants there than 
 in any of the provinces that had been shared 
 amongst his comrades, and nothing pleased him 
 more than to do battle against the giants. He 
 gave his land the name of "Cornu" because, he 
 said, it was the " horn " of Britain ; but, as the 
 years went by, this name was changed to Corn- 
 wall. 
 
 One day when the Trojans were assembled 
 together on the seashore, where they had first 
 landed, to hold a high festival to the gods, the 
 giants led by their chief fell upon them. They 
 had seen no trace of the giants for many weeks, 
 and had therefore concluded that they would 
 remain in the mountain caves. Now they were 
 unarmed, and quite unprepared for an attack, 
 and the giants slew many of their number in
 
 The Last of the Giants 29 
 
 the first onslaught. Brutus and Corineus en- 
 couraged the panic-stricken Britons who fled 
 hither and thither to seek shelter from the cruel 
 blows which the giants rained upon them. At 
 last, collecting together from all quarters, and 
 seizing such weapons as lay around them, the 
 Britons prevailed against the giants, and slew 
 them all save Goemagot only. 
 
 Goemagot was the most hateful of them all ; 
 he stood twelve cubits in height, and possessed 
 such great strength that, when he had uprooted 
 it, he would wield an oak-tree as lightly as though 
 it were a wand of hazel. Brutus commanded 
 that Goemagot should be kept alive, for he was 
 anxious to see a wrestling match between him 
 and Corineus, who was desirous above everything 
 else of matching himself against such a monster. 
 
 It was arranged that the contest should take 
 place without delay, and everything was made 
 ready for the encounter. Corineus was ex- 
 ceedingly joyful at the thought of the combat, 
 for he knew no fear. Then, girding himself 
 for the struggle, he flung away his arms, and 
 challenged the giant to wrestle with him. For 
 some time they stood face to face, hugging each 
 other with all the strength of their mighty arms,
 
 30 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 both making the place resound with their breath- 
 less panting. It was not long before Goemagot, 
 rushing suddenly upon Corineus, seized him 
 with all his force, and broke three of his ribs. 
 
 All the onlookers were silent, for they thought 
 it was impossible that Corineus could recover 
 from this serious injury. Then Corineus, realizing 
 that he would be for ever disgraced if he allowed 
 the giant to triumph over him, was filled 
 with fury, and, putting forth all his strength 
 for a last great effort, he cast himself upon the 
 hairy monster. For a moment the giant stumbled 
 under the force of the mighty onslaught, and 
 Corineus, perceiving his opportunity, seized the 
 monster in his terrible grip, and bearing him 
 upon his shoulders, ran as fast as he could 
 under the great weight to the seashore. 
 Mounting to the top of a high cliff near at hand, 
 and disengaging himself from the grip of his 
 opponent, he hurled the deadly monster into 
 the sea, where, falling upon the sharp rocks, his 
 flesh was mangled, and his blood dyed the 
 waters of the sea. 
 
 After that time, in memory of the great triumph 
 of Corineus, the place was called Lamgoemagot, 
 which means " The leap of Goemagot."
 
 HI*- -The Overthrow of 
 King Humber 
 
 WHEN King Brutus died he was buried 
 within the city he had built, and 
 the land of Britain was divided 
 between his three sons. Locrine, the eldest son, 
 had the middle part of the island, which was 
 called Loegria after his name ; Camber had that 
 part which is now called Wales but which was 
 then called Cambria ; Albanact, the youngest 
 son, had the northern portion of the island, 
 giving it the name of Albany after himself. 
 
 The three brothers ruled the land in peace 
 for many years, and the country was more 
 prosperous than it had been even in the days 
 of their famous father. Their prosperity con- 
 tinued without anything to disturb their happi- 
 ness until Humber, King of the Huns, a pirate 
 chief who sailed the mighty seas in search of 
 adventure and plunder, heard of the beautiful 
 kingdoms over which these three brothers ruled 
 so happily. The wonderful accounts of the 
 31
 
 32 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 wealth and prosperity of Britain filled his heart 
 with covetous desire, and made him eager to 
 raid its fruitful shores. He speedily collected 
 his band of fierce followers, and landing in the 
 rocky creeks with which the seashore of Albania 
 abounded, he overthrew Albanact and compelled 
 the country folk to flee in terror to Locrine. 
 
 Now that the land was in his possession 
 Humber took up his residence in King 
 Albanact's palace, where he and his followers 
 devoted their days to sport, and their nights 
 to feasting and revelry in the hall. So happy 
 were they in their new life that none of them 
 desired to return to their vessels, but all were 
 content to dwell in the homesteads which had 
 been deserted by the terrified country folk. 
 
 Locrine, when he heard the sad end that had 
 befallen Albanact, besought his brother Camber 
 to accompany him, and calling out all the 
 fighting men of the country, he went forth 
 to meet the King of the Huns. Slowly the 
 great army marched forward toward the place 
 where Humber and his rough followers were 
 living a life of pleasure and plenty. Humber, 
 hearing that a mighty army was advancing 
 against him, became exceedingly angry, and his
 
 The Overthrow of King Humber 33 
 
 followers fearing to face a mighty force sworn 
 to avenge the death of the king they had slain, 
 begged that they might return to their ships 
 with the booty they had taken, and put to sea 
 before Locrine could overtake them. Humber, 
 made reckless by the bountiful good fortune 
 which had attended his landing, would not hear 
 of the possibility of defeat, but maddened with 
 rage he swore with a terrible oath that he would 
 do to these two kings who marched against him 
 what he had so easily done to poor King 
 Albanact. Then, he declared, he would rule 
 the whole of this beautiful island, and end his 
 days here in peaceful happiness. He therefore 
 banded his warriors together, with promises 
 of a still happier day than they had yet known, 
 when the whole of the island should be theirs. 
 Headed by the sea-robber king, this curious 
 army set out southward to meet the British 
 forces. At last they reached the banks of a 
 great river, and on the other bank discovered 
 the army they had set out to seek unable to 
 cross until rafts were constructed. Humber 
 had commanded his men to bring their boats 
 down the sea-coast to give assistance to the 
 army if it were necessary. And now, filled with
 
 34 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 a great hope by the advantage over the enemy 
 which the possession of boats gave him, he 
 immediately sent for them, thinking to carry his 
 army across the river and take the enemy by 
 surprise. 
 
 With as little delay as possible his army 
 crossed the river and bore down upon the 
 British while they were engaged in constructing 
 their rafts. All hope of success against them 
 soon vanished from his heart, however, when he 
 found how fearlessly the British warriors could 
 fight when their hearts were filled with a desire 
 to avenge the cruel slaughter that had been 
 dealt out to their kinsmen. 
 
 Slowly but surely Humber's army was driven 
 back toward the river, and the pirate king, per- 
 ceiving the hopelessness of his cause, endeavoured 
 to reach one of the boats and thus make his 
 escape. Rushing into the water he was rapidly 
 borne away by the current and disappeared in 
 the depths of the river before the British 
 warriors who were pursuing could overtake him. 
 The river has borne his name to our own day in 
 token of his defeat and death. 
 
 When the Huns saw that their leader was 
 slain, all courage forsook them, and they cast
 
 The Overthrow of King Humber 35 
 
 themselves down before the victorious Britons, 
 pleading that they might be allowed to bring 
 forth all the plunder which they had in their 
 ships and then return to the mighty sea once 
 more. 
 
 Locrine commanded that all the treasures 
 should be brought forth from the ships of the 
 sea-robbers. The British host shouted for joy 
 when they beheld the immense wealth of gold 
 and silver, precious stones, wondrously wrought 
 armour, costly garments, and war trappings 
 which the sea-robbers had seized during their 
 many raids. Locrine and Camber went forth to 
 the vessel in order that they might see more 
 clearly the extent of the treasure. As the royal 
 victors advanced they beheld three young 
 maidens confined in an apartment in the vessel. 
 One was so fair that scarce any might be found 
 to compare with her for beauty, for no polished 
 ivory, nor newly fallen snow, nor fairest of lilies 
 could surpass the whiteness of her flesh. 
 
 Locrine no longer wished to examine the 
 treasures, and he earnestly besought Camber 
 that he would take all the treasures only that he 
 might have this fair maiden for his wife. Ad- 
 vancing toward the maiden, whom he now
 
 86 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 desired above all else in the world, he stood 
 unable to utter a word to her as she rested upon 
 the support of her two guards with her face cast 
 down to the ground in fear and shame. At last 
 he struggled to speak, and, in a voice that 
 trembled with emotion, he bade her have no 
 fear, and sought that she would tell him who 
 she was and how she came to be placed with the 
 guard. 
 
 As the kind tones of his voice reached her 
 ears she ventured to raise her beautiful face to 
 meet his gaze, and then, hearing that Humber 
 was slain, she cast herself down before Locrine, 
 declaring herself his slave and glad to be set free 
 from Humber whom she dreaded. With hands 
 that touched her as tenderly as the gentle 
 breezes caress the flowers, he raised her from the 
 ground and stood gazing upon her fair form, 
 entranced by her marvellous beauty. 
 
 He then induced her by means of kind and 
 gentle words to tell him her story. 
 
 "In my homeland far across the sea," she 
 began nervously, " men called me Estrildis the 
 fair, and there I lived a happy life in the palace 
 of my father the king, until the terrible Humber 
 came with his fierce host and slew my father
 
 The Overthrow of King Humber 87 
 
 and destroyed his palace. I was little more than 
 a child, and he carried me away captive. How 
 earnestly I have longed that death might take 
 me from this unhappy place. Now my heart is 
 filled with joy that thou hast slain the cruel 
 Humber, and I am happy to be thy slave, for I 
 know that thou art a good and gentle king." 
 
 Locrine comforted her with tender words, for 
 his manly heart was filled with pity and love. 
 
 " Have no fear, fair maiden," he said ; " while 
 I live no harm shall befall you." 
 
 The king commanded his warriors to take 
 Estrildis to the palace and there attend her with 
 all the honour due to one of her rank. He 
 then sought his brother and pleaded with him 
 that he would take the ships, the plunder, and 
 all else, so that he might have Estrildis for his* 
 wife. 
 
 King Camber laughed heartily at the passion- 
 ate words of his brother, reminding him that it 
 would be madness to set aside Gwendolen, the 
 daughter of the powerful Corineus who had slain 
 the terrible giants against whom their father 
 waged such fierce war. 
 
 These words made Locrine sad at heart. He 
 was betrothed to Gwendolen it was true, but
 
 88 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 not because he loved her. Corineus, who ruled 
 over the kingdom of Cornwall, had no son, and 
 Locrine was to marry Gwendolen so that 
 Cornwall might be added to Loegria when 
 Corineus died. Now he could think of nothing 
 but the beautiful Estrildis. He walked forth 
 from his brother to ponder over these new feel- 
 ings which had come into his heart. The value 
 of the kingdom of Cornwall, and the friendship 
 and good wishes of Corineus seemed as nothing 
 beside his love for Estrildis. His mind was 
 filled with new and noble thoughts, and his 
 heart swelled with a new pity and love which 
 had made him happier than he had ever deemed 
 possible. Surely the gift of a pure and perfect 
 love was far greater than all the kingdoms of 
 the earth. He resolved to take the only course 
 which would bring him happiness, and returned 
 to his brother determined to do as he had sworn. 
 Estrildis should be his bride. 
 
 Preparations were therefore set on foot for 
 the celebration of the bridal. News soon 
 reached Corineus of what Locrine was minded 
 to do, and he was angry beyond measure. He 
 brandished his mighty battle-axe and swore an 
 awful oath to be revenged for this insult. His
 
 The Overthrow of King Humber 39 
 
 companions trembled with fear when they saw 
 his terrible anger, and sought to appease him 
 with their loud protestations of disgust, promis- 
 ing to march forth against Locrine, and forth- 
 with compel him to cast this mad design from 
 his mind. 
 
 The fighting men of Cornwall were soon made 
 ready, and they set out to seek the offending 
 king. When they reached Locrine's palace, 
 Corineus stepped toward the king, brandishing 
 his battle-axe threateningly in his right hand, 
 and shouting in tones of great anger : 
 
 "Are these the wages, Locrine, that you 
 would pay me for all the wounds I have received 
 in your father's service when he was warring 
 against the giants that you disdain my daughter, 
 and stoop to wed a barbarian stranger ? If this 
 indeed be so, you do it at the peril of my venge- 
 ance so long as any strength is left in this right 
 hand which has robbed of life so many giants." 
 
 Shouting this threat again, he brandished his 
 battle-axe as if about to strike Locrine. So 
 threatening did he appear in his anger, that the 
 men who stood around threw themselves before 
 him and prevented the blow. 
 
 Locrine's heart was filled with darkest gloom,
 
 40 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 for he saw that he must either submit or suffer 
 death. His nobles and chief men urged him to 
 set aside his plans and take Gwendolen as his 
 wife, for their warriors feared to take up arms 
 against the mighty Cornish host. With a heavy 
 heart Locrine agreed to carry out their demand, 
 and, having somewhat appeased the anger of 
 Corineus, they compelled their king to marry 
 Gwendolen as he had pledged himself to do.
 
 IV. The Fate of Estrildis and 
 Sabrina 
 
 NO man in Loegria was as unhappy 
 as the king. His great grief because 
 he was forced away from the fair 
 Estrildis was pitiful to behold. Nothing his 
 nobles and friends could do or say was able to 
 bring the smallest trace of joy into his life. 
 The queen was hard and cruel like her father, 
 and all the time he thought of the gentleness 
 and beauty of Estrildis. 
 
 Gwendolen was not fair of form, and her face 
 had none of the remarkable beauty and delicate 
 refinement that had made Estrildis so dear to 
 him. The whole time he lived in the palace his 
 heart was with the maiden he loved, away in 
 her lonely banishment. 
 
 When he had been forced to wed Gwendo- 
 len, he devised a plan whereby he might keep 
 Estrildis in safety from the jealous devices of 
 Gwendolen, and at the same time find occasional 
 hours of happiness in stealing away to linger a 
 41
 
 42 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 while in her presence. He sent Estrildis away 
 secretly into the depths of the forest, where she 
 was entrusted to the care of a faithful old 
 shepherd, and then caused it to be announced 
 that she was dead. The people mourned for 
 her, and Locrine wore the garments of mourn- 
 ing, and was as full of sorrow as one who has 
 lost a dearly loved friend. 
 
 Locrine was fearful lest Gwendolen should 
 discover his secret and bring harm upon 
 Estrildis. He therefore planned a secret under- 
 ground dwelling in the woods, and unfolded his 
 purpose to a few of his faithful friends to whom 
 he could entrust his precious secret. The under- 
 ground dwelling was accordingly constructed, 
 and Estrildis was removed from the shepherd's 
 hut under cover of the darkness of night. He 
 next sought an excuse which would enable him 
 to visit her without betraying his secret to the 
 queen. In a short time he began to take a 
 great interest in religion, and begged that he 
 might be alone to ponder over its mysteries. 
 He would wander in the fields and woods 
 for hours together, uttering the while various 
 religious incantations. The people who beheld 
 him were filled with pity, declaring to one
 
 The Fate of Estrildis and Sabrina 43 
 
 another that the loss of Estrildis had preyed 
 upon his mind, causing him to wander abroad 
 and behave in this unusual way. Everyone soon 
 grew accustomed to his peculiar habits, and he 
 was allowed to wander to the woods without 
 arousing the slightest suspicion. 
 
 He was happy once more, now that he could 
 be in the presence of the maiden he loved. In 
 secret he married her and made her his queen, 
 determining to place her on the throne as soon 
 as the death of Corineus would enable him to 
 cast forth Gwendolen from his palace. 
 
 His misery would vanish when he wandered 
 through the woods to Estrildis. For seven long 
 years she dwelt in this strange underground 
 chamber, and all this time Locrine dared not 
 declare her his wife, because of his dread of 
 Corineus. During these weary years a daughter 
 was given them to bring more joy into their sad 
 hearts. The little Sabrina, for that was the 
 name they had given her, was even fairer to look 
 upon than her beautiful mother, and Locrine 
 loved her with as great a love as he did his wife. 
 Whenever Locrine stole away from the palace, 
 Estrildis forgot the sorrow that weighed upon 
 her so heavily because she was forced to keep
 
 44 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 so fair a child in such a dark and miserable 
 dwelling. And as the unhappy king held his 
 noble wife and their beautiful child in his arms, 
 their faces beamed with a radiant happiness, 
 and their hearts were filled with a great joy. 
 
 At length news was brought to Loegria that 
 Corineus had been seized with a fatal sickness, 
 and the kingdom of Cornwall had passed into 
 the hands of Locrine. When the king received 
 the news, his whole being seemed suddenly 
 changed. His people rejoiced to see him happy 
 once more, as he had been in the days before he 
 was compelled to wed Gwendolen. He then 
 unfolded his secret to them, and made known to 
 all his subjects that Estrildis was not dead, as 
 they believed, but that she was his queen whom 
 he would immediately place upon the throne. 
 
 The people received the news with every 
 indication of joy, for they had felt exceedingly 
 sorry for their unhappy king as soon as they 
 had been able to forget the terrible wrath of 
 Corineus. Indeed, all rejoiced at the return 
 of Estrildis except the proud and haughty 
 Gwendolen, who did not conceal her jealous 
 hatred of Estrildis and the little Sabrina. She 
 had been a hard and cruel woman while she sat
 
 The Fate of Estrildis and Sabrina 45 
 
 upon the throne, but now she became even 
 more fierce, ready to use any device in order 
 to get those she hated into her power. Every- 
 thing else was set aside to further her one evil 
 desire to be revenged upon the queen who had 
 usurped her throne. The beauty and lovable- 
 ness of Estrildis and Sabrina only gave ad- 
 ditional force to her fierce purpose. 
 
 Locrine and Estrildis passed their days in 
 such perfect happiness that the seven long 
 years of her banishment were quite forgotten, 
 and they lived only for each other and their 
 perfect love. The beautiful Sabrina grew more 
 beautiful each day, and all men spoke of her as 
 the fair princess. Stories of her great beauty 
 spread even to Cornwall, whither Gwendolen 
 had returned. 
 
 The Cornish warriors were too much con- 
 cerned over the selection of a ruler to succeed 
 Corineus to pay much attention to the lament 
 of Gwendolen. But she could not endure delay 
 in seeking revenge. Maddened by the same 
 revengeful fury as her father had felt, she called 
 the men of Cornwall together and implored 
 them by the love they bore her brave father 
 to aid her to overthrow King Locrine who had
 
 46 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 driven her from the throne. The Cornish army 
 set forth with Gwendolen at its head, and began 
 to harass King Locrine by sending bands of 
 raiders into his land. 
 
 This brought the heavy gloom over Locrine's 
 heart once more, and fearing to leave Estrildis 
 and their child in the palace while he went 
 forth to do battle against Gwendolen, he took 
 them with him, and brought his army out 
 toward the south. 
 
 The two armies met near the banks of a river, 
 and early in the encounter Locrine was struck 
 down by an arrow, and gave up his life. It 
 was a woeful day for the men of Loegria, and 
 as the day wore on the repeated attacks of the 
 fierce Cornish warriors, urged on by the cries 
 of their infuriated leader, began to tell upon the 
 tottering ranks of the army of the fallen king. 
 Now that they had no leader to hold them 
 together, all resistance seemed vain, and while 
 the sun was still high in the heavens their 
 overthrow was complete. 
 
 Gwendolen commanded that Estrildis and 
 her child should be brought before her, and 
 rejoiced exceedingly at the thought that they 
 were now in her power. When they were
 
 The Fate of Estrildis and Sabrina 47 
 
 brought forth, no feeling of pity for their heavy 
 sorrow moved her ; instead she hurled bitter 
 taunts and cruel gibes at the helpless couple. 
 Little Sabrina sobbed aloud in her terror, but 
 even this could not touch the stony-hearted 
 Gwendolen, and she continued to pour out the 
 wrath of her dreadful vengeance upon the de- 
 fenceless captive queen and her innocent child. 
 
 Estrildis stood immovable, holding her child 
 to her. She heeded not the words that were 
 shouted at her ; her thoughts were with the 
 king lying dead upon the field of battle, and 
 she longed only for death as an end of her 
 sorrow. Calmly she awaited the doom that was 
 to be passed upon them. Not a muscle of her 
 beautiful face showed any trace of fear as the 
 cruel words reached her. 
 
 "Take them away, and hurl them into the 
 bosom of the noble stream that flows yonder, 
 and from this day it shall take the name of that 
 unfortunate child as a token to all men of the 
 infamy of her father." 
 
 A number of the rough warriors rushed 
 forward to seize the unhappy pair. Estrildis 
 drew herself up bravely, and raised her voice 
 in tones of appeal :
 
 48 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 " Oh ! terrible queen, in whose power we are, 
 I pray thee let not these cruel hands be laid 
 upon this innocent child. Death has no terrors 
 for us, we will walk gladly whithersoever it 
 pleases you to command." 
 
 At last some feeling of pity was stirred in the 
 cruel heart of Gwendolen, and waving aside the 
 warriors she commanded Estrildis and the little 
 princess to advance to the river's edge, and cast 
 themselves into its waters. 
 
 Still holding the hand of her beautiful child, 
 Estrildis strode slowly down the grassy mead, 
 and with tender words of love she dried the 
 tears from the beautiful young eyes. The calm 
 dignity of the brave queen and the rare beauty 
 of the child touched the hearts of the rough 
 Cornish warriors, who stood silent as they 
 passed among them. 
 
 For a moment they stood at the water's 
 edge, gazing upon the rushing, swirling eddies 
 of the stream. Neither spoke a word as they 
 sank upon their knees and lifted their sad, 
 beautiful faces toward the ruddy glow of the 
 setting sun. Slowly the captive queen raised 
 her child, and they stood for a moment in one 
 last fond embrace. Then, turning their faces
 
 "ESTRILDIS STOOD IMMOVABLE"
 
 The Fate of Estrildis and Sabrina 51 
 
 toward the stream, hand in hand they stepped 
 fearlessly into its waters. The sad sight brought 
 tears to the eyes of many of the hardened old 
 warriors who stood around. Some of them 
 longed to rush forward and save them from 
 their doom, only they feared the terrible anger 
 of Gwendolen. The next moment nothing could 
 be seen but the widening circle upon the surface 
 of the waters, and the warriors returned sad and 
 silent to their tents. Gwendolen alone stood 
 there, gazing silently upon the waters. She had 
 satisfied her revengeful desire, but yet she could 
 not rejoice. Her heart was still full of bitter- 
 ness, and she could not attain even a portion 
 of the happiness she sought. 
 
 All the people of Loegria mourned that 
 sad day, and as the years passed they would 
 gaze upon the waters which had swallowed 
 their beloved princess, believing that though 
 she had perished her spirit still dwelt there. 
 And men have called the river Sabren or Severn 
 after her name even to this day.
 
 V* King Lud delivers Britain 
 from the Plagues 
 
 WHEN King Brutus had divided the 
 country among his people he wished 
 to build a chief city where he might 
 dwell. He searched throughout the land for a 
 place where he could build his city. At last he 
 came to the river Thames, and walking along its 
 banks he discovered a spot well suited to his 
 purpose. He therefore built his city here, and 
 called it New Troy. 
 
 After many years King Lud came to the 
 throne, and he rebuilt the walls of New Troy, 
 and erected many towers to guard the walls. 
 Then he commanded the citizens to build such 
 houses within the city that none in the king- 
 dom should equal them for magnificence. Though 
 he had many castles and cities, King Lud loved 
 this one more than any other, and he dwelt 
 here during the greater part of the year. 
 The people therefore began to call it Lud's 
 
 52
 
 King Lud delivers Britain from Plagues 58 
 
 town in place of New Troy, and it became 
 known throughout the land as Ludston. We 
 still call it London from the king who loved to 
 dwell there. Before he died King Lud com- 
 manded that his body should be buried near 
 one of the gates of the city, which was after- 
 wards known as Lud's Gate, and gave the name 
 Ludgate to a district in modern London. 
 
 While King Lud ruled the land three plagues 
 fell upon the Island of Britain, such as none 
 had ever known before. The first was the 
 coming of a certain race called the Coranians, 
 whose knowledge was so great that nothing 
 could be said, however softly it might be spoken, 
 without their hearing it. Their coin was fairy 
 money which, when received, appeared to be 
 good coin, but afterwards turned into pieces of 
 fungus. Yet they could not be injured, because 
 they heard even the softest whisper of any plot 
 against them. The second plague was a shriek 
 which came on every May-eve, over every hearth 
 in the Island of Britain. This went through 
 the people's hearts, and so scared them that 
 they were paralysed with fear, and many lost 
 their senses. The third plague was, that how- 
 ever much food might be prepared in the King's
 
 54 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 palace, none of that which was unconsumed 
 remained after the first night. 
 
 King Lud felt great sorrow and care, because 
 he knew not how he might free the land from 
 these plagues. And he called to him all the 
 nobles of his kingdom, and asked them what he 
 should do against these afflictions. By common 
 consent the nobles advised that he should seek 
 the counsel of his brother Llevelys, King of 
 France, a man of great wisdom. 
 
 They prepared a fleet, and when all was ready 
 Lud and those whom he chose to go with him 
 went into their ships and sailed for France. 
 Tidings of the approach of the ships having 
 been brought to Llevelys, he came forth to meet 
 his brother, and when they were come together 
 each put his arms about the other's neck, and 
 they welcomed each other with brotherly love. 
 
 After Lud had told his brother the cause of 
 his errand, Llevelys said that he already knew 
 the cause that brought him to France. They 
 talked earnestly together of the plagues which 
 had caused King Lud such sorrow, and Llevelys 
 told his brother that he would give him some 
 insects, some of which he should keep to breed 
 lest by chance the affliction might come a second
 
 King Lud delivers Britain from Plagues 55 
 
 time. And the remainder of these insects he 
 should take and bruise in water. Then, when 
 he came home to his kingdom, he should call 
 together all the people, both of his own race and 
 of the race of the Coranians, for a conference, 
 as though with the intent of making peace 
 between them ; and that, when they were all 
 together, he should take this charmed water 
 and cast it over all alike. And he assured him 
 that it would poison the race of the Coranians, 
 but that it would not slay or harm those of his 
 own race. 
 
 "And the second plague," said he, "that is 
 in your kingdom, behold it is a dragon. An- 
 other dragon of a foreign race is fighting with 
 it, and striving to overcome it, and therefore 
 does your dragon make a fearful outcry. When 
 you return home, cause the island to be 
 measured, and in the exact central point dig 
 a pit, and in it place a cauldron full of the best 
 mead that can be made, covering it with a sheet 
 of satin. Then remain there watching, and you 
 will see the dragons fighting in the form of 
 terrific animals. And at length they will take 
 the form of dragons in the air, and, after weary- 
 ing themselves with fierce and furious fighting
 
 56 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 they will fall in the form of two pigs upon the 
 covering of satin, and they will draw it down 
 to the very bottom of the cauldron. They will 
 drink the whole of the mead, and after that 
 they will sleep. Then immediately fold the 
 covering around them, and bury them in the 
 earth in the strongest place you have in your 
 dominions. As long as they remain buried 
 there, no plague will come upon the Island of 
 Britain from elsewhere. 
 
 "The cause of the third plague," said he, "is 
 a mighty man of magic, who, through illusions 
 and charms, causes everyone to sleep, and then 
 takes your meat, your drink, and your store. 
 You must yourself watch the food and pro- 
 visions. And, lest he should overcome you with 
 sleep, have a cauldron of cold water by your 
 side, and when you are oppressed with sleep 
 plunge into the cauldron." 
 
 Then King Lud returned to his land. And 
 immediately he summoned to him the whole of 
 his race and of the Coranians. And as Llevelys 
 had taught him, he bruised the insects in water, 
 and cast it over them all, and it destroyed the 
 whole tribe of the Coranians, without causing 
 harm to any of the Britons.
 
 King Lud delivers Britain from Plagues 57 
 
 Some time after this Lud caused the island 
 to be measured, and, finding the central point 
 near Oxford, he caused a pit to be dug there 
 into which he lowered a cauldron of the best 
 mead that could be made, with a covering of 
 satin over it. He himself watched that night, 
 and while he was there, he beheld the dragons 
 fighting. And when they were weary they fell, 
 and came down upon the top of the satin, and 
 drew it with them to the bottom of the cauldron. 
 And when they had drunk the mead they slept, 
 and in their sleep Lud folded the covering 
 around them, and buried them in the securest 
 place he had in the mountains of Eryri. And 
 thus the fierce outcry ceased in his kingdom. 
 
 King Lud next caused a great banquet to be 
 prepared, and when it was ready, he placed a 
 vessel of cold water by his side, and he himself 
 watched over the provisions. He remained 
 thus fully armed, and lo ! in the middle of the 
 night he heard sweet sounds of music and 
 various songs, and drowsiness urged him to 
 sleep. Upon this, lest he should be hindered 
 from his purpose and be overcome by sleep, he 
 went often into the water. And at last, behold, 
 a man of vast size, clad in strong, heavy armour,
 
 58 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 came in, bearing a hamper. And, as was his 
 custom, he put all the food and provisions of 
 meat and drink into the hamper, and proceeded 
 to go forth with it. King Lud was exceedingly 
 amazed that the hamper should hold so much. 
 
 As he was marching out of the banquet hall 
 the king hastened after him, crying aloud : 
 
 " Stop, stop ; though you have caused us many 
 insults, and seized much spoil in the past, you 
 shall not do so any more, unless your skill in 
 arms and your prowess be greater than mine." 
 
 Then the man instantly put down the hamper 
 on the floor and awaited the king. The encounter 
 was so fierce that sparks of fire flew out from 
 their swords. At last King Lud grappled with 
 him, and fate bestowed the victory on the king. 
 And after he had overcome him by strength and 
 might, the strange man besought his mercy. 
 
 " How can I grant you mercy," said the king, 
 "after all the many injuries and wrongs that 
 you have done me ? " 
 
 " All the losses that I have ever caused you," 
 said he, " I will make repayment for, equal to 
 what I have taken. And I will never again do 
 what I have done, but your faithful vassal will 
 I be."
 
 "THE KING HASTENED AFTLR HIM, CRYING ALOUD"
 
 King Lud delivers Britain from Plagues 61 
 
 The king accepted this promise from him, and 
 he became one of the king's vassals. 
 
 Thus did King Lud free the Island of Britain 
 from the Three Plagues. And to the end of his 
 life he ruled the Island of Britain in prosperous 
 peace.
 
 Caractacus, Prince of Gwent 
 
 IN the year A.D. 43 the tribes of the Cymry were 
 filled with terror when they heard that the 
 Roman hosts were advancing against them. 
 They realized that they must at once proceed to 
 elect a war-king to lead their forces against the 
 invaders. The choice of the Britons was a wise 
 one, for who could lead their army with greater 
 hope of success than the brave Caradog ? This 
 dauntless leader, whose name the Romans after- 
 wards changed to Caractacus, son of an old 
 chieftain well known in battle, was Prince of 
 the Silures and ruled his people wisely from his 
 court at Caerleon. 
 
 The heroic Caractacus was held in such high 
 esteem by his countrymen that the men of 
 Britain, from the prince to the slave, became his 
 followers in their country's need against the 
 progress of the foe, and wheresoever he went in 
 war, all men of the island went in his train, and 
 none desired to remain at home. 
 
 62
 
 Caractacus Prince of Gwent 63 
 
 The army which he collected, though not as 
 well drilled as the Roman army, possessed such 
 valour that their approach often made the 
 Romans tremble. "Their war chariots were 
 cleverly made ; each carried a charioteer for 
 driving, and one or two warriors for fighting. 
 The horses attached to them were perfectly 
 trained, and so well in hand that they could be 
 driven at full speed over the roughest country 
 and through thick woods." The dread of these 
 spirited little horses often brought discomfiture 
 upon the Roman warriors, and the sharp scythes 
 that stood out from the chariot wheels broke 
 their ranks. Then the sturdy British warriors 
 leaped from their chariots and fought on foot. 
 "In this manner," writes Julius Caesar, the 
 Roman, in his " Commentaries," " they perform 
 the part of cavalry and infantry, and by constant 
 use they have arrived at such expertness that 
 they can stop their horses when going at full 
 speed in the most steep and difficult places, and 
 turn them which way they please." 
 
 For nine long years this brave leader and his 
 gallant followers struggled heroically against 
 the enemy, now with success, now with defeat, 
 rising from each severe conflict to fight for
 
 64 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 freedom with renewed vigour. Throughout the 
 struggle their courage never wavered, and they 
 were equally unmoved by the tempting promises 
 or the terrible threats of the enemy. 
 
 At length Plautius, the Roman general, was 
 recalled to Home, and Ostorius Scapula was 
 sent to carry on the warfare with strengthened 
 forces. Under the new general the Romans 
 pushed their way through the land of the Silures, 
 and Caractacus, as he retreated toward North 
 Wales, saw that the enemy intended to vanquish 
 them. Refusing all offers of peace which the 
 Romans made, declaring that it meant slavery, 
 Caractacus determined to decide the fate of his 
 beloved Siluria by a final battle. 
 
 The line of his retreat may still be traced 
 through Hereford, Brecknock, and Radnor. 
 Cradoc station, three miles from Brecon, is 
 named after him ; and Battle Church, on a neigh- 
 bouring hill, marks the scene of one of his 
 fiercest battles. 
 
 In order to obtain a strong position for the 
 great and eventful battle, Caractacus marched to 
 the rugged hills of Shropshire, and there pitched 
 his camp for the final stand. The Roman his- 
 torian, who gives ungrudging praise to the
 
 Caractacus Prince of Gwent 65 
 
 warrior-prince of Gwent, has written a descrip- 
 tion of the site chosen by him : " He posted 
 himself on a spot to which the approaches were 
 as advantageous to his own troops as they were 
 perplexing to us. He then threw up, on the 
 more accessible parts of the highest hills, a ram- 
 part of stones, below and in front of which was 
 a river difficult to ford. Picked men showed 
 themselves before the ramparts." 
 
 While preparations for the great battle were 
 proceeding, the gallant warrior-prince walked 
 among the ranks of his courageous companions, 
 encouraging them with kind words, and inspiring 
 them with renewed courage for the fierce conflict 
 which was to decide whether slavery or freedom 
 was to be their fate. At length the preparations 
 were completed, and the Roman army drew 
 nearer to their stronghold. 
 
 On the eve of battle Caractacus gathered his 
 men together, and, with all the eloquence which 
 his noble language gave him, he appealed to his 
 brave-hearted warriors in words whose fierce 
 fervour stirred their natural heroism to the 
 depths. He spoke to them of the disgrace, 
 humiliation, and dishonour of defeat, and the 
 slavery, tyranny, and oppression which it would
 
 66 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 bring upon them, beside which the rapture of 
 victory, and the joys of continued freedom ap- 
 peared all the greater. He then reminded them 
 that the great and powerful Romans were not 
 unconquerable, recalling how the brave and 
 mighty Csesar had been repelled by the valour 
 of the British warriors, which, could it be 
 rekindled, would sweep the Romans into the sea 
 and leave the peace-loving Britons in joyful 
 possession of their beloved sea - girt island 
 home. 
 
 When the last echoes of his burning words 
 died away into the peaceful silence, which fore- 
 told the coming storm of battle, a great cry rent 
 the air, as from the hearts of all the British 
 warriors poured forth the grand and solemn 
 promise " never to yield to weapons or to 
 wounds." 
 
 The whole scene was bathed in the golden 
 rays of a glorious sunrise as the well-trained 
 Roman legions began their attack upon the 
 British stronghold. The Roman leaders stood 
 disheartened before the formidable barriers, 
 and for the first time in their warfare in these 
 islands needed the encouragement of the fight- 
 ing men in the ranks to urge them on to the
 
 Caractacus Prince of Gwent 67 
 
 attack. The Roman warriors hurled themselves 
 against the ramparts of the British stronghold, 
 only to be swept back like the waves of the 
 storm-tossed sea that, in their fury, beat upon 
 the rocks in vain, and, breaking, fall again into 
 the calmer waters below. 
 
 " So all day long the noise of battle rolled," 
 and all the while the British hero moved along 
 the ranks, crying : 
 
 " The era of liberty or eternal bondage begins 
 this hour ! Remember your brave ancestors who 
 drove the great Csesar himself from these shores, 
 and preserved their freedom and their property, 
 and kept their wives and children from slavery 
 and dishonour." 
 
 For a while fortune favoured the gallant hosts 
 of Caractacus, who time after time repulsed the 
 Roman legions with terrible slaughter. But as 
 the fiery disk of the setting sun sank beyond the 
 western hills, hope faded from the hearts of the 
 brave warriors, and they began to taste the 
 bitterness of defeat. As the darkness gathered 
 the British hosts, courageous still, began to 
 waver, and the silver moon arose upon a scene 
 of direst desolation. The Romans were in 
 possession of the British camp, and held the
 
 68 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 wife and family and all the relations of the 
 defeated chief as prisoners of war. 
 
 Caractacus effected his escape, and fled to 
 seek the assistance of his stepmother Cartis- 
 mandua, queen of a neighbouring tribe, still 
 hopeful of driving back the hateful invaders. 
 She received her kinsman with kindness, but 
 before many days had passed she began to con- 
 sider how she might betray him to the enemy in 
 the hope of gaining more generous treatment 
 from them. Thus Gwent's heroic chieftain and 
 resolute warrior was treacherously given into 
 the hands of the Roman conquerors, who loaded 
 him with chains, and made hasty preparations 
 for taking him to Rome, together with his wife 
 and family, to appear as captives before the 
 emperor. 
 
 The news of the capture of their most obstin- 
 ate enemy filled the Romans with joy, and the 
 day of his coming to Rome in the chains of a 
 captive was declared a general holiday for rich 
 and poor alike. The streets of the Roman 
 capital were thronged with people eager to see 
 the stubborn enemy who had resolutely defied 
 the Roman arms for nine years. As the princely 
 captive was led in triumph before the emperor,
 
 Caractacus Prince of Gwent 69 
 
 in spite of his fettered hands and broken battle- 
 axe, he seemed more heroic than ever. Of all 
 the captives brought before Claudius, Caractacus 
 alone showed no fear. His face bore no signs 
 of sorrow, though his brave heart must have 
 been filled with grief at the thought of his 
 beloved homeland ; there he stood erect amongst 
 the slaves who cast themselves prostrate before 
 the imperial throne, fearless and calm, dignified 
 even in defeat. Marching boldly before Claudius 
 seated on his throne, he claimed the liberty to 
 speak, and, moved by his manly bearing, the 
 emperor, with uplifted hand, called for silence 
 that he might be heard. A deep stillness fell 
 upon the assembled crowd as, with fearless 
 glance upon all around, the gallant Briton began 
 to speak. 
 
 "Think not, mighty Claudius, lord of Rome, 
 and ruler of the world, that I would address 
 thee as a slave ; I speak as the bold should 
 greet the brave. If to the nobility of my birth 
 and the splendour of exalted station I had 
 united the spirit which would deign to hold 
 a vassal's throne, Rome had beheld me not 
 in captivity, but a royal visitor and friend. I 
 might have ridden through Rome's crowded
 
 70 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 streets to-day not borne down with the base 
 fetters of a captive, but as an honoured vassal 
 of the mighty throne. Worthless to Rome, 
 with all her palaces and wealth, must be the 
 homely huts and woodland bowers of the sea- 
 girt isle, but they were dear to us, for they 
 were free. I had arms, and men, and horses ; 
 can you wonder that I was unwilling to lose 
 them ? I was born free, with a heart and soul 
 unfettered and unquelled ; do you marvel that 
 I scorned to hold the throne by your consent ? 
 I am now in your power; if you are bent on 
 vengeance, fulfil your purpose ; it matters not 
 to me since I can no longer hold the free throne 
 of Britain ; the bloody scene will soon be over 
 and I shall be forgotten. But on my fate 
 depends your glory, or your shame. Preserve 
 my life and I shall be to the end of time a 
 monument of Roman clemency." 
 
 When he ceased, a murmur of applause arose 
 from the astonished and admiring Romans. 
 The Empress Agrippina was so moved by the 
 dignified courage and manly bearing of the 
 British captive that she urged the emperor 
 to spare his life. Her request was granted, and 
 he was allowed to wander through the streets of
 
 I AM NOW IN YOUR POWER'
 
 Caractacus Prince of Gwent 73 
 
 Eome, but was always chained by the arm 
 to a soldier of the Imperial Guard. 
 
 St Paul was a prisoner in Rome at this time, 
 and listened with great interest to the stories 
 of the Druids related by the British captive 
 prince. After many fruitless efforts Caractacus 
 induced the Roman authorities to accept host- 
 ages for his promise not to join the British 
 army if given his freedom, and he was allowed 
 to return to his beloved Siluria. Finally, on 
 the death of the Emperor Nero, all the British 
 captives were allowed to return to their native 
 land, where the remainder of their lives was 
 spent in peace.
 
 VIL Vortigern and the Saxons 
 
 WHILE King Constans ruled the 
 Britons Vortigern conspired against 
 him, and by means of treachery 
 brought about his death. Then, when he saw 
 that there was no one amongst the Britons 
 strong enough to oppose him, he seized the 
 crown. Yet, although he was King of the 
 Britons, he was exceedingly unhappy. The 
 Picts were constantly attacking him, and two 
 of the princes who had fled from the country 
 in fear of him were building a great fleet in 
 order to return and take the kingdom which 
 was theirs by right. While he was devising 
 a means of withstanding these attacks, his 
 messengers hastened to him with the news that 
 several boats had landed in Kent, full of armed 
 warriors big of stature. He commanded that 
 the strangers should be treated with courtesy, 
 and brought before him without delay. 
 
 In a short time they appeared before him, 
 
 74
 
 Vortigern and the Saxons 75 
 
 and he began to examine them closely, de- 
 manding whence they came, and the reason 
 why they had thus come into his kingdom. 
 Then Hengist, their leader, standing boldly 
 forth, made answer : 
 
 "Most noble of all the kings, the Saxon land 
 is our birthplace. We have come to these 
 shores to offer you our services, for we have 
 been banished from our country. Therefore, 
 in accordance with the custom of our land, we 
 put to sea, and, Mercury directing our course, 
 we have reached thy kingdom." 
 
 The king started at the name of Mercury, 
 demanding angrily what gods they worshipped. 
 
 " We worship the gods of our fathers," replied 
 Hengist. "First of all our gods is Mercury, 
 whom in our tongue we call Woden. To him 
 have our forefathers given the fourth day of 
 the week. After him we worship Frea, the 
 goddess that is most powerful above all other 
 goddesses." 
 
 " Your faith in heathen gods grieves me very 
 much," exclaimed the king. "Nevertheless, I 
 rejoice at your coming, for God must have 
 guided you hither to help me in my hour of 
 need. My enemies oppress me on every side,
 
 76 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 and if you will share with me the toil of battle, 
 I will reward you with great riches." 
 
 The Saxons agreed to these terms at once, 
 and were therefore received gladly into the 
 king's court. 
 
 The Picts at length marched down upon the 
 kingdom with a large force, and Vortigern, 
 calling his men together, advanced across the 
 Humber to meet them. The conflict was a 
 fierce one, but so gallantly did the barbarian 
 Saxon forces fight that the Picts were soon 
 put to flight. 
 
 Vortigern, pleased that he had won so great 
 a victory by their help, increased his bounty the 
 Saxons toward them, and gave Hengist, their 
 leader, the Isle of Thanet as a reward for their 
 services. Then the crafty Hengist, finding that 
 the king held him in such friendship, begged 
 that he might send for more warriors from his 
 Saxon home in order to make the country more 
 secure against the attacks of the enemies who 
 threatened it on all sides. Vortigern, thinking 
 that kindness alone prompted such a thought, 
 accepted the offer gladly, and promised to give 
 Hengist whatsoever he would ask in return. 
 
 When the vessels laden with chosen warriors
 
 Vortigern and the Saxons 77 
 
 arrived, Hengist invited the king to the palace 
 he had built for himself to dwell in, that he 
 might see the new warriors. After the king 
 had partaken of the banquet which had been 
 prepared, a fair maiden, bearing a golden cup 
 filled with wine, advanced before him, and, 
 bowing low, she said : 
 
 " Laverd King, wacht heil ! " 
 
 The king, amazed at her beauty, heeded not 
 the words until his interpreter said to him : 
 "She hath called thee Lord King, and hath 
 greeted thee by wishing thee health." Then 
 Vortigern remembering the Saxon custom, re- 
 plied, " Drinc heil ! " and bade the maiden drink. 
 He then received the cup from the maiden's 
 hands, and, kissing her, drank of its contents. 
 
 The king's heart was filled with such delight 
 at the fairness of the maiden that he desired 
 to take her for his wife. He therefore demanded 
 her name, and asked that her father might be 
 brought before him. At these words Hengist 
 stepped before the king, and informed him that 
 the maiden was his daughter Rowena. Then 
 the crafty Hengist, knowing the king's desire, 
 took counsel with Horsa and the chief of the 
 Saxons as to the payment he should demand for
 
 78 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 Rowena. They were all of one mind, that the 
 maiden should be given to the king, and that 
 they should ask of him the province of Kent 
 in return for her. That same night, therefore, 
 Rowena became the king's wife, and the province 
 of Kent was given to Hengist. 
 
 "Now that I am thy father," said Hengist 
 to the king a short time afterward, " it is fitting 
 that I be thy counsellor. Hearken therefore to 
 my counsel, and let us, I pray thee, send for 
 more of my kinsmen, and thus shalt thou subdue 
 all thine enemies." 
 
 The king consented, and allowed him to send 
 for whatever help he could obtain. Thus more 
 and more Saxons were invited to the shores, 
 until the Britons, fearing the treachery of the 
 barbarians, besought the king that he would 
 drive them from his realm. It was not right, 
 they said, that these heathen people should be 
 allowed to settle among them : already such 
 numbers had arrived that they were a terror to 
 the country folk, for they had so thrust them- 
 selves into their midst that no one could tell 
 with certainty which were heathens and which 
 Christians, and many were even married to 
 Christian women.
 
 "THAT SAME NIGHT ROWENA BECAME THE KING'S WIFE
 
 Vortigern and the Saxons 81 
 
 Vortigern was very displeased at their words, 
 for he loved the Saxons above all other nations 
 because of Rowena his wife. When the Britons 
 saw that he would not heed their counsel, but 
 continued to deal bountifully toward the Saxons, 
 they rose against him and, driving him from 
 the throne, chose Vortimer, his son, to be their 
 king. 
 
 Vortimer shared their fear of the barbarian 
 Saxons, and, acting upon the advice of his 
 people, he commenced to drive them out of the 
 kingdom. He overthrew them in four pitched 
 battles, and when they could no longer with- 
 stand the attack of the Britons, they sent 
 Vortigern, who had been with them in all their 
 battles, to petition Vortimer for leave to depart 
 in their ships. Without waiting for a reply 
 to their request, however, they embarked in 
 their ships, and returned to their native land. 
 
 Vortimer at once restored the possessions 
 which the Saxons had seized to their rightful 
 owners, and repaired the churches which had 
 been neglected by Vortigern. The Britons held 
 their king in great esteem, for he treated them 
 with affection and courtesy, and they were 
 happier than they had been since the Saxons
 
 82 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 first came amongst them. Their joy, however, 
 was short-lived, for the treacherous E-owena 
 plotted against the king's life. By means of 
 many bribes she had brought one of the king's 
 attendants into her power, and giving him a 
 poisonous draught, she bade him place it in the 
 king's wine-cup. 
 
 No sooner had the noble king swallowed the 
 contents of his cup than violent pains seized 
 him, and he knew that his life drew near to 
 its end. Calling his faithful warriors around 
 him he spoke words of farewell, and distributed 
 amongst them all his treasures of gold and 
 silver. Then, exhorting them to fight for their 
 country, to defend it against all enemies, he 
 passed from life mourned by all the Britons. 
 
 Now that their beloved king was dead the 
 people thought once more of Vortigern, and they 
 restored him to the throne, believing that he 
 would rule the land more wisely now that the 
 Saxons had departed. Rowena then entreated 
 Vortigern earnestly that Hengist might be called 
 back to Britain. Vortigern feared that the 
 Britons would be enraged if all the Saxons they 
 had driven from the country sought to return ; 
 he therefore sent his messengers secretly to
 
 Vortigern and the Saxons 83 
 
 Hengist, bidding him return with a few men 
 only. 
 
 Hengist had already been informed of the 
 death of Vortimer, and fitting out a fleet he 
 sailed for Britain with an army of Saxon 
 warriors. When news of the arrival of such 
 a mighty host was brought to Vortigern and 
 his princes, they at once resolved to carry arms 
 against them, and drive them from their coasts. 
 Hengist was informed of their resolve by means 
 of a messenger from Rowena, and he immedi- 
 ately thought out a plan which would enable 
 him to overthrow the British army by treachery. 
 
 He accordingly sent messengers to the king, 
 declaring that he had returned accompanied 
 by a band of warriors neither with any intention 
 of remaining in the country nor with the desire 
 to do violence to any that dwelt in the island. 
 He had brought an army, he declared, because 
 he believed that Vortimer was still alive, and 
 in case Vortimer had resisted his coming, he 
 came prepared to withstand him. Now that 
 he had no longer any doubt that Vortimer was 
 indeed dead, he committed himself and his 
 people unto Vortigern to dispose of as he should 
 think best.
 
 84 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 Vortigern was pleased with these messages, 
 as he did not desire that Hengist should again 
 depart from Britain. He therefore arranged 
 that the Britons and the Saxons should meet 
 to discuss the matter, so that there and then 
 it might be solemnly settled. 
 
 Hengist, for the fulfilment of his treacherous 
 design, arranged that every Saxon should 
 conceal a long knife in his clothing, and when 
 the unsuspecting Britons were discussing the 
 questions of the proposed peace, he himself 
 would give the signal, upon which each of them 
 should cast himself upon the Briton standing 
 next to him, and, drawing his knife, slay him 
 as swiftly as possible. 
 
 On the day appointed for the conference the 
 two peoples were met together to discuss the 
 terms of the peace. When the discussion was 
 at its height, Hengist perceived that the oppor- 
 tunity for his treacherous act had arrived, and 
 laying hands upon Vortigern and holding him 
 fast, he shouted : 
 
 " Nimath eowre Seaxas " (seize your long 
 knives). 
 
 At these words the Saxons drew forth their 
 long knives, and fell upon the defenceless
 
 Vortigern and the Saxons 85 
 
 Britons, slaying over four hundred of their 
 chief nobles. They spared Vortigern's life, de- 
 manding his cities and his wealth as a ransom. 
 The sorrowful king readily consented, and he 
 was then set free from his fetters.
 
 VHL Merlin and the Dragons 
 
 AFTER the treachery of the Battle of the 
 Long Knives, King Vortigern called to- 
 gether those of his wise men who had 
 escaped from the slaughter, and bade them tell 
 him what he should do. 
 
 They said to him : "Retire to a remote corner 
 of your kingdom, and there build a strong tower 
 to defend yourself, for the Saxon people you 
 have received are treacherous, and will again 
 seek to subdue you by guile." 
 
 The king, pleased with this advice, sought in 
 all manner of places to find a spot suitable for 
 such a purpose. They travelled throughout the 
 kingdom, and came at length to a province 
 called Gwynedd, where they discovered a spot 
 on one of the mountains of Eryri suitable for 
 the erection of the citadel. Then said the 
 wise men : " Build the tower here, for in this 
 place it will be secure against the Saxon 
 barbarians." 
 
 86
 
 Merlin and the Dragons 87 
 
 Then the king commanded the stone masons 
 and carpenters to collect all the necessary 
 materials for the building. When all the 
 materials were collected from all parts in readi- 
 ness for the building, they disappeared mysteri- 
 ously in the night, so that in the morning 
 nothing remained of all that had been provided. 
 Materials were provided a second time, but by 
 morning no trace of them remained. Every- 
 thing was brought together for building a 
 third time, but they vanished as mysteriously 
 and completely as on the two previous occa- 
 sions. 
 
 Vortigern was very disturbed in his mind by 
 this mystery, and called together his wise men 
 that they might tell him the cause of this strange 
 thing. 
 
 "You must first find a lad born without a 
 father," they said; "and when he is found, slay 
 him, and sprinkle his blood upon the ground on 
 which the tower is to stand : by this means 
 alone will you accomplish your purpose." 
 
 This advice, which seems so strangely cruel 
 to us, did not cause the king any surprise, for 
 there had been a custom in olden times of 
 slaying a person in order that his blood might
 
 88 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 be used as cement for the building. The 
 ancients believed that this sacrifice would make 
 the foundations of the building sure, and give 
 strength to the building. The king therefore 
 thought the advice which his wise men had 
 given him was good, and immediately sent 
 messengers into all the provinces of Britain to 
 search for a child born without a father. 
 
 When they had searched everywhere in vain, 
 they came to Bassalleg, and being weary with 
 their travelling they sat down at the gate of a 
 field in which some lads were playing at ball. 
 While they sat watching the game, two of the 
 lads began to quarrel, and one of them said to 
 the other : " What a fool thou must be to think 
 thou art a match for me. Keep thy distance,' 
 O boy without a father, no good will ever 
 happen to thee." 
 
 At these words the messengers lifted up their 
 faces, and gazing at the lad to whom these 
 words had been spoken, inquired of the by- 
 standers who the lad might be. They told them 
 his name was Merlin, no one knew his father, 
 but his mother was of noble blood, and lived 
 with the nuns in the city. The messengers 
 concluded that this must be the lad for whom
 
 Merlin and the Dragons 89 
 
 they were searching, and led him away to the 
 king. 
 
 The king rejoiced that his messengers had 
 succeeded in their search, and having examined 
 the lad and his mother by means of many 
 questions, the following day he gathered 
 together his counsellors, his warriors, and his 
 workmen to witness the ceremony which the 
 wise men had ordained. 
 
 When the lad was brought before the king he 
 asked : " Why have your messengers brought me 
 hither ? " 
 
 "My wise men," answered the king, "have 
 advised me that you must be put to death, and 
 that the ground on which my tower is to be 
 built must be sprinkled with your blood. 
 Unless I do this I shall be unable to build 
 it." 
 
 " Command the wise men here," replied the 
 lad, " and I will prove that they have devised a 
 lie to you." 
 
 The king, amazed at the boy's words, com- 
 manded the wise men to stand forth. When 
 they appeared before him, Merlin began to 
 question them. 
 
 " How was it made known to you that my
 
 90 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 blood must be sprinkled upon the ground before 
 the citadel can be built? Speak, and tell 
 us straightforwardly who discovered me to 
 you?" 
 
 The wise men made no answer to his 
 questions, and then turning to the king he 
 said: "I will shortly explain everything to 
 you, but first I wish to question your wise 
 men." 
 
 Then turning again to the wise men he con- 
 tinued, "Know ye not what it is that hinders 
 the foundation of the tower being laid ? You 
 have given counsel that the mortar thereof 
 should be moistened with my blood, so that the 
 tower should stand firm. Now tell us what is 
 it that lies hidden beneath the foundation, for 
 there is something that will not allow it to be 
 built?" 
 
 But the wise men were filled with fear and 
 held their peace in acknowledgment of their 
 ignorance. Thereupon the lad continued : 
 
 " My lord the king, call thy workmen and bid 
 them -dig the soil, and you will find a pool 
 beneath it that prevents the building of the 
 tower." 
 
 And when this had been done, a pool was
 
 1 SPEAK, AND TELL US STRAIGHTFORWARDLY WHO DISCOVERED 
 ME TO YOU ' "
 
 Merlin and the Dragons 93 
 
 found under the earth, even as the lad had 
 said. 
 
 " Now," he continued, turning to the wise men 
 again, "tell us what is underneath the pool." 
 But they were dumb and held down their heads 
 in shame. 
 
 " I can explain it to you if your wise men 
 cannot," he said, addressing the king. " Com- 
 mand, O king, that the pool be drained, and 
 in the bottom of it you will find two stone 
 vessels, and in the vessels are two dragons 
 asleep." 
 
 The king, believing his words, commanded 
 that the pool should be drained. And when 
 they found the two stone vessels even as Merlin 
 had said, he marvelled greatly, and all those 
 who stood around were no less astonished that 
 such wisdom had been found in the lad. While 
 Vortigern, the king, remained seated upon the 
 bank of the pool, the two dragons came forth, 
 the one white and the other red. 
 
 " Watch carefully," cried the lad, " what the 
 dragons do." 
 
 When they had drawn near together they 
 began to struggle with each other in baleful 
 combat, and breathed forth fire as they panted.
 
 94 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 Presently the white dragon obtained the mastery 
 and drove the red dragon to the margin of the 
 pool. But he, refusing to be driven out by his 
 enemy, fell upon him fiercely, and forced him 
 to draw back into the pool. Three times this 
 was repeated, until at length the red dragon, 
 which was apparently the weaker of the 
 two, recovered his strength and, pursuing the 
 white dragon, drove him forth until he dis- 
 appeared. 
 
 Before the king and his people could recover 
 from their amazement, Merlin called for the 
 wise men, bidding them explain the meaning of 
 this omen. Once again they had to acknowledge 
 their ignorance, and the king looked to Merlin 
 that he might declare what this battle of the 
 dragons did portend. 
 
 "The meaning of this mystery is clear," began 
 the lad. "The pool is the emblem of this 
 country, and the two dragons are the two races 
 of people who contend for its possession. The 
 red dragon signifies the race of Britain, which 
 shall be oppressed for a long time by the white 
 dragon, which signifies the Saxons whom you 
 have invited hither, and who now occupy 
 several provinces and districts in Britain. In
 
 Merlin and the Dragons 95 
 
 the end, however, the Britons will arise and 
 drive forth the Saxon race beyond the sea, 
 whence they have come, even as the red dragon 
 drove forth the white from the pool."
 
 IX* The Dance of Giants 
 
 AURELIUS, the king, having triumphed 
 over Hengist and all his Saxon enemies, 
 called the earls and princes of the realm 
 together, and commanded them to restore the 
 churches which the Saxon people had destroyed. 
 He then rebuilt the cities that had been laid 
 waste, and set the government of the country 
 in order, renewing the laws, and restoring to 
 his people the possessions which their grandsires 
 had lost. At length he came to the monastery 
 of Kaercaradoc, that is now called Salisbury, 
 where the earls and princes whom Hengist had 
 betrayed in the Battle of the Long Knives lay 
 buried. When he gazed upon the spot where 
 his brave kinsmen lay, the tears began to roll 
 down his cheeks, and he considered how he 
 might erect a lasting monument here, for he 
 thought the green turf that covered so many 
 noble warriors who had died for their country 
 was worthy of mark. 
 
 96
 
 The Dance of Giants 97 
 
 He therefore called together the most skilful 
 craftsmen in stone and wood, and commanded 
 them to erect a building that should stand for 
 ever in memory of men so worthy. They all 
 declared that the task was beyond their power, 
 and the Archbishop of Caerleon, hearing their 
 speech, came to the king and said : 
 
 " If there is any man able to carry out this 
 difficult work, it is Merlin, Vortigern's prophet. 
 I know there is no abler man in the kingdom, 
 whether it be in foretelling the future, or in 
 devising wondrous things. Send and bring him 
 hither, and I'll warrant that he will be able to 
 build a memorial that will last." 
 
 When Aurelius had asked many questions 
 about him, he sent messengers to seek for him, 
 and having found him they brought him to ths 
 king. The king received him kindly, and being 
 anxious to hear marvellous things, he bade him 
 foretell the future. 
 
 "Such things I cannot speak except in case 
 of sore need," replied Merlin. "If I were to 
 reveal these mysteries for the sake of amuse- 
 ment, the spirit that informs me would be dumb, 
 and would forsake me in the hour of need." 
 
 The king said nothing more about the future,
 
 98 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 but explained to him the scheme which he had 
 in his mind, and the purpose for which Merlin 
 had been brought before him. 
 
 " If you are anxious to mark the burial-place 
 of these men with a work that will endure for 
 ever," began Merlin, "send for the Dance of 
 Giants that is in Killaraus, a mountain in 
 Ireland. This structure no one could remove, 
 for the stones are big, and if they be set up in a 
 circle around this spot, here shall they remain 
 for ever." 
 
 At these words the king burst out laughing. 
 " How may these mighty stones be brought from 
 a far country, and, besides, have we not stones in 
 Britain suitable for the work ? " 
 
 "Laugh not so lightly, O king," replied 
 Merlin, "for these mysterious stones possess a 
 healing power against many ailments. They 
 were carried from the farthest end of Africa, and 
 set up in Ireland by the giants of old, in order 
 that they might be cured of any malady." 
 
 When the Britons heard these things, they 
 began to think that it would be well to send for 
 the stones, and they chose Uther Pendragon, 
 the king's brother, to lead a band of soldiers 
 into Ireland to obtain the stones. They also
 
 The Dance of Giants 99 
 
 sent Merlin with him to act as his counsellor in 
 the difficult undertaking, and as soon as the 
 ships were ready, they set sail for Ireland. 
 
 At that time Gilloman, a youth of marvellous 
 prowess, was king in Ireland, and when he 
 heard that the Britons had landed in Ireland, 
 he collected his army and set out to meet them. 
 Having learned the reason of their coming, he 
 laughed heartily, and said to those who stood 
 near him : 
 
 " No wonder the Saxons were able to lay 
 waste the island of Britain, when the Britons 
 are such foolish people. Who has ever heard 
 of such folly? Are the stones of Ireland any 
 better than those of Britain that our kingdom 
 should thus be challenged to fight for them ? 
 Arm yourselves, men, and defend your coun- 
 try, for never while life is in me shall they 
 carry off from us the smallest stone of the 
 Dance." 
 
 Uther, seeing that the Irish were ready to 
 fight, attacked them immediately and, over- 
 coming them, compelled Gilloman to flee for his 
 life. They then pressed onward to Mount 
 Killaraus, and when they reached the structure 
 of stones they marvelled greatly at the scene
 
 100 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 before them. While they were all standing 
 around, Merlin came to them and said : 
 
 " Now, my men, see if you can bring down 
 these stones for me. Then we shall know 
 whether strength or skill will prevail." 
 
 The men set to work with all manner of 
 devices in order to bring down the stones of the 
 Dance. Some rigged up huge hawsers, some 
 worked with ropes, some with scaling ladders, 
 all were eager to accomplish the work, yet all 
 their efforts did not succeed in moving one of 
 the stones. 
 
 When they were all weary with their labour, 
 Merlin burst out laughing, and began to carry 
 out his own plan. At last, when everything 
 that he needed was set in its place, the stones 
 were removed so easily that the men could 
 hardly believe what they saw. When they had 
 laid down the stones they carried them to the 
 ships, and placing them securely on board, they 
 set sail, and returned to Britain. 
 
 After the stones had been carried to the 
 burial-place, Aurelius, the king, sent messengers 
 throughout Britain, summoning the clergy and 
 the people to witness, with rejoicing and honour, 
 the erection of the stones as a lasting monu-
 
 The Dance of Giants 101 
 
 ment over the burial-place of their brave 
 kinsmen. 
 
 In obedience to the king's command, repre- 
 sentatives of all his subjects met together on 
 the day appointed. And when all were met 
 together they celebrated the Whitsuntide festival 
 with great magnificence, giving up the three fol- 
 lowing days to holiday. And when everything 
 was in readiness, the king commanded Merlin 
 to set up the stones he had brought from 
 Ireland around the burial-place. Merlin there- 
 fore obeyed his command, and set up the stones 
 in a circle around the burial-ground just as 
 they had stood upon Mount Killaraus in 
 Ireland. Thus the mysterious stones of Stone- 
 henge proved yet once again how skill sur- 
 passes strength.
 
 X. Arthur, the British Hero King 
 
 THE Saxons, who had proved so treacher- 
 ous to Vortigern, continued to plunder 
 and devastate the country. They wanted 
 the whole island for themselves, and sent many 
 times to their native shores for more warriors. 
 The Britons were in a very troubled state, 
 because the Saxons continually harassed them. 
 " We know not which way to turn," they cried. 
 " The barbarians drive us to the sea, the sea 
 forces us back to the barbarians, between which 
 we have only the choice of two deaths either 
 to be swallowed up by the waves, or butchered 
 by the sword." 
 
 After the death of Uther, the king, the barons 
 of Britain came together and proposed to 
 Dubricius, Archbishop of the City of Legions, 
 that he should crown Arthur, Uther's son, as 
 king. For they were in sore need of a noble 
 leader, because the Saxons, hearing of Uther's 
 death, had invited more of their fellow-country - 
 
 102
 
 Arthur the British Hero King 103 
 
 men from Germany, and under Colgrin, their 
 leader, were bent upon exterminating the whole 
 British race. Dubricius therefore, sorrowing 
 over the calamities of the country, called the 
 bishops together, and crowned Arthur king of 
 the Britons at Caerleon upon Usk about the 
 year 500. 
 
 It is very difficult to separate the Arthur of 
 history from the legends and wonderful stories 
 that have grown up around his name. So great 
 is the amount of romance with which the story 
 of his struggle against the Saxons has been 
 overlaid that an air of fable has been cast over 
 his actual exploits, making it almost impos- 
 sible to discern the historical truth. Some people 
 have even doubted whether "any such person 
 reigned in Britain," but all sons of Britain 
 are satisfied that, besides that which is fabu- 
 lous, there is truth enough to entitle him to 
 fame. 
 
 Arthur was a youth of fifteen years when the 
 crown was placed upon his head. His courage 
 and generosity were beyond compare, and such 
 was his inborn goodness and grace that all men 
 loved him. So great a multitude of knights 
 flocked to his service that he found it difficult
 
 104 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 to obtain sufficient wealth to make fitting 
 presents to them. 
 
 His first duty was to advance against the 
 Saxons. Therefore, calling upon Maelgwyn, 
 king of North Wales, and Meiric, king of 
 South Wales, to help him, he assembled the 
 warriors under his command and marched 
 toward York. When Colgrin heard of this, 
 he got together the Saxons, Scots, and Picts, 
 and came with a mighty army to meet him. So 
 fierce was the onslaught that the greater part 
 of both armies perished in the battle ; neverthe- 
 less, Arthur won the day, and pursuing Colgrin 
 to York, besieged him within that city. Baldulf, 
 Colgrin's brother, hearing of the overthrow of 
 the Saxons, marched with 6000 men toward 
 the besieged city ; but Arthur, choosing a posi- 
 tion on the road whereby the enemy were bound 
 to march, surprised them by a sudden attack, 
 and, cutting up their ranks and slaying many 
 of them without mercy, drove them off in flight. 
 
 Colgrin at last contrived to send messengers 
 to Germany for assistance, and they returned 
 bringing with them six hundred ships full of 
 stout warriors under Duke Cheldric. When 
 Arthur's counsellors heard of their coming, they
 
 Arthur the British Hero King 105 
 
 advised him to besiege the city no longer, for 
 it would be hopeless, in their present condition, 
 to do battle with so great a multitude of 
 enemies as had now arrived. 
 
 Arthur therefore accepted the counsel of his 
 barons, and retired to the city of London. 
 Thither he summoned all the clergy and chief 
 
 o*/ 
 
 men of the kingdom, to ask their advice as to 
 what it were best for him to do against this in- 
 road of the pagans. At last, by common consent 
 of them all, messengers were sent to King Hoel 
 in Armorica with news of the calamitous state 
 of Britain. Hoel, who was the son of Arthur's 
 sister, commanded his men to prepare the fleet, 
 and, mustering 15,000 men-at-arms, set sail for 
 Southampton, where Arthur received him with 
 all due honour. 
 
 A few days later they set forth to relieve the 
 city of Lincoln, which was besieged by the 
 pagans. There they did battle with the Saxons 
 and routed them with terrible slaughter. Six 
 thousand of them perished in the battle, some 
 were drowned in the river, others smitten by 
 the Britons. The rest forsook the siege and 
 fled in dismay, but Arthur pursued them until 
 they reached the forest of Caledon, where the
 
 106 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 barbarians rallied and did their best to make a 
 stand against him. 
 
 They defended themselves bravely, avoiding 
 the arrows of the Britons in the shelter afforded 
 by the trees. When Arthur perceived this he 
 commanded his men to fell the trees in that 
 part of the forest, and to set the trunks around 
 the Saxons in such a way that they could not 
 escape, being determined to besiege them there 
 until they should die of famine. 
 
 When three days had passed the Saxons, 
 having no food and famishing to death, begged 
 for leave to go forth, promising to leave all their 
 gold and silver behind them so that they might 
 return to Germany with nothing but their empty 
 ships. They promised further to send him 
 tribute from Germany and to leave hostages for 
 its payment. Arthur agreed to their petition, 
 retaining all their treasure and the hostages for 
 the payment of the tribute, and granting them 
 only the bare permission to depart. When they 
 were sailing the sea homeward they repented 
 of their covenant, and, tacking about, they re- 
 turned to Britain, and landed at Totnes. With- 
 out delay they laid waste the land as far as the 
 Severn, slaying all the husbandmen who with-
 
 Arthur the British Hero King 107 
 
 stood them. Then they marched onward and 
 besieged the city of Bath. 
 
 When word of this was brought to the king, 
 he was astonished beyond measure, and com- 
 manded that judgment should be done upon 
 the hostages because of the treachery of their 
 companions. Abandoning an expedition against 
 the Picts and Scots, for which he was then 
 making preparation, he hurried to the relief 
 of the city. When he drew near to Bath and 
 beheld the Saxons, he drew up his warriors and 
 began to address them : 
 
 " Because these hateful Saxons have disdained 
 to keep faith with me, I, faithful to my God, 
 will endeavour to avenge upon them the blood 
 of my countrymen. To arms, therefore, ye 
 warriors to arms, and fall upon yonder traitors 
 like men, for, of a certainty, with Christ's help, 
 we cannot fail of victory ! " 
 
 Then placing upon his head his golden helmet, 
 which bore the figure of a dragon graven upon 
 it, he prepared for the battle. On his shoulders 
 he placed the shield named Priwen, upon which 
 was painted the image of the Holy Mary. At 
 his side hung Caliburn, best of swords, and in 
 his right hand he bore the lance that was called
 
 108 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 Ron, a tall, stout lance, meet to do slaughter. 
 Assembling his forces, he boldly assaulted the 
 Saxons, who stood their ground manfully all 
 day long. 
 
 At nightfall neither army had obtained any 
 advantage, and the Saxons, discovering some 
 high .ground, encamped upon Mount Badon. 
 When the return of daylight revealed their 
 position to Arthur he attacked them bravely, 
 but in the ascent of the hill he lost many of his 
 men, for the Saxons, dashing down from the 
 height, had the advantage. 
 
 To dislodge them from their strong position 
 seemed impossible, but, putting forth all their 
 strength, the Britons at last gained the summit 
 of the hill, and closed with the enemy, who strove 
 with all their strength to stand their ground. 
 
 Long and fierce was the fight. And when 
 the day was far spent, Arthur, angry at the 
 stubbornness of their resistance, drew forth his 
 sword Caliburn, and, crying aloud the name of 
 the Holy Mary, rushed into the thickest part 
 of the enemy's ranks. Whomsoever he touched 
 he slew at a single blow, nor did he once 
 slacken his onslaught until he had slain, single- 
 handed, a large number of the enemy.
 
 "HE PLACED UPON HIS HEAD HIS GOLDEN HELMET"
 
 Arthur the British Hero King 111 
 
 When the Britons beheld this, they followed 
 their leader in close rank, dealing slaughter on 
 all sides, so that Colgrin, and Baldulf, his 
 brother, and many thousands beside fell before 
 them. As soon as Cheldric saw the hopeless 
 position of his men, he took to flight, and the 
 Britons pursued the enemy, slaying all they 
 overtook without mercy. At last, finding all 
 shelter failing, Cheldric marched his shattered 
 companies to the Isle of Thanet. Here the 
 Duke of Cornwall, following hard upon their 
 heels, smote down the Saxons, nor did he stay 
 the slaughter until Cheldric had been slain. So 
 decisive was the victory that he compelled them 
 to give hostages for the surrender of all the 
 Saxons in the island, and thus the advance of 
 the Saxons was checked for many years. 
 
 King Arthur gained in all twelve victories 
 over the Saxons, and having established peace 
 with them, he triumphed over all his enemies, 
 and added to his government Ireland, Iceland, 
 Gothland, and the Orkneys, subduing in all 
 thirty kingdoms, including Norway, Aquitaine, 
 and Gaul. 1 In order to demonstrate his joy 
 
 1 When we consider how hard the Saxon army pressed 
 upon him, for the ninth battle is said to have taken place at
 
 112 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 after such triumphant success, Arthur, upon 
 the approach of Pentecost, resolved to hold a 
 magnificent court to place the crown upon his 
 head, and to invite the kings and dukes under 
 his subjection to the solemnity. 
 
 Caerleon, his chief city, it is difficult to accept these wonder- 
 ful stories of foreign conquest related by Geoffrey as accurate 
 records.
 
 XL- -The Coronation of King Arthur 
 
 WHEN the festival of Whitsuntide 
 drew near, no place more suitable 
 than the City of Legions, now called 
 Caerleon, could be found for the celebration of 
 the ceremony which Arthur had resolved to hold. 
 For, besides its great wealth above all other 
 cities, its situation on the river Usk, near the 
 Severn Sea, was most pleasant, and fit for so 
 great a solemnity. On the one side it was 
 washed by the noble river, so that the kings 
 and princes coming from oversea could sail up 
 to it in their ships ; and on the other side, 
 the beauty of meadows and groves, and the 
 magnificence of the royal palaces, with their 
 lofty, gilded roofs, rivalled even the grandeur of 
 Rome. Ambassadors were then sent to the 
 various kingdoms to invite to the court all their 
 kings and princes, and no prince of any con- 
 sideration desired to remain at home, for 
 Arthur's bounty was famed throughout the 
 whole wide world. 
 
 H 113
 
 114 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 When at last all were assembled in the city 
 on the day of the great festival, the archbishops 
 were conducted into the palace to place the 
 crown upon the king's head. Dubricius, there- 
 fore, because the court was held in his diocese, 
 made ready to celebrate the service. As soon 
 as the king was invested in his royal robes, he 
 was conducted with great pomp to the church, 
 supported on each side by two archbishops, the 
 kings of Scotland, Cornwall, North and South 
 Wales, bearing before him, as was their right, 
 four golden swords. 
 
 In another part, the queen, wearing her rich- 
 est apparel and ornaments, was led by arch- 
 bishops and bishops to the Church of Virgins. 
 The four queens of the four kings who attended 
 Arthur bore before her four white doves, ac- 
 cording to ancient custom, and after her there 
 followed a retinue of ladies rejoicing greatly. 
 When the procession was ended, so beautiful 
 was the music of the organs, and so many were 
 the hymns that were chanted in both churches, 
 that the knights who were there scarcely knew 
 which church they should enter first because of 
 the exceeding sweetness of the harmony in 
 both.
 
 The Coronation of King Arthur 115 
 
 When divine service was over in both 
 churches, the king and queen put off their 
 crowns, and, putting on their lighter robes and 
 ornaments, went to the banquet that had been 
 prepared, he to one palace with the men, and she 
 to another with the women ; for the Britons still 
 observed the ancient custom of Troy, according 
 to which men and women used to celebrate 
 their festivals apart. 
 
 When all were set at table according to their 
 rank, Kay, the seneschal, in rich robes of 
 ermine, with a thousand young noblemen all in 
 like manner clothed in ermine, served the dishes. 
 Then Bedivere, the butler, followed by the same 
 number of attendants clothed in furs, carried 
 round the wine vessels and poured forth the 
 wine into the drinking-cups. In the queen's 
 palace innumerable pages, dressed with many 
 ornaments, performed various duties ; but if we 
 were to describe all the details of the mag- 
 nificent banquet, this little book would not be 
 long enough to contain them all. For at that 
 time Britain had reached such a high pitch of 
 grandeur that, in abundance of riches, in luxury 
 of adornment, and in the courtesy of its in- 
 habitants, it far surpassed all other kingdoms.
 
 116 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 The knights, who were famed for feats of 
 chivalry, wore their clothes and arms all of the 
 same colour and fashion. And the ladies also, 
 no less celebrated for their wit, wore all the 
 same kind of apparel, and esteemed none worthy 
 of their love till he had proved his valour thrice 
 in battle. 
 
 As soon as the banquet was over, they with- 
 drew to the fields outside the city, to join in 
 sports and various games. The knights engaged 
 in a game in imitation of a fight on horseback, 
 and the ladies, looking down upon them from 
 the tops of the walls, encouraged them so that 
 they might see better sport. 
 
 " The gilded parapets were crowned 
 With faces, and the great tower filled with eyes 
 Up to the summit, and the trumpets blew." 
 
 Others spent the rest of the day in various 
 games, such as shooting with bows and arrows, 
 tossing the pike, casting heavy stones and rocks, 
 playing at dice and similar amusements, and 
 each was happy in his chosen way. There was 
 no sound of strife or quarrelling whoever 
 gained success, and when the sports were ended
 
 The Coronation of King Arthur 117 
 
 the victors were rewarded with rich prizes by 
 Arthur. 
 
 After the first three days had been spent in this 
 manner, on the fourth day all who, in virtue of 
 the office they held, had rendered any service at 
 the festival were called together to receive a 
 fitting reward for their services. Some were 
 appointed to the government of cities and castles, 
 others were made archbishops or bishops, and 
 many received other posts of honour. 
 
 When Arthur had allotted all the rewards 
 given in honour of his great festival, twelve old 
 and dignified men came to his palace at Caerleon, 
 and after saluting him, they presented a letter 
 to him from Lucius, the emperor of Rome. 
 When Arthur had read the letter he called his 
 earls together in the Giant's Tower, and made 
 known to them that the Emperor of Rome sent 
 demanding tribute from them on account of 
 Julius Caesar's conquest. 
 
 " Comrades," said he, " alike in adversity and 
 in prosperity, whose prowess I have made proof 
 of, in giving counsel no less than in deeds of 
 arms, consider earnestly what it is best for us to 
 do in the face of such a demand." 
 
 When they had considered the matter for a
 
 118 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 long time, and many of the knights had spoken, 
 Arthur arose in their midst. 
 
 Since Lucius has presumed," he began, 
 " without cause or reason, to demand that which 
 is unjust, let us demand tribute from him, and 
 let him that is the better man of the two carry 
 off that which he now demands." 
 
 Then Hoel, rising in precedence of all the rest, 
 made answer for them all : 
 
 " Since the Romans desire to take from us 
 that which is our own, beyond doubt we ought 
 to take what is theirs from them, if only we 
 might meet them in the field. This is a battle 
 most desired by all the Britons." 
 
 Soon after this, Arthur, having made ample 
 preparation, went abroad with his army to seek 
 terms of peace for his kingdom, leaving Modred, 
 his nephew, as regent of the kingdom and 
 protector of his wife, Guinevere. While Arthur 
 was leading his army against the Romans, 
 Modred traitorously betrayed the trust that 
 had been placed upon him. Forming an alli- 
 ance with the Saxons, he set the crown of the 
 kingdom upon his own head, and made Guinevere 
 his queen. 
 
 As soon as news of the treachery of Modred
 
 The Coronation of King Arthur 119 
 
 reached the king, he gave up his expedition 
 against the Romans, and hastened back to 
 Britain. Modred meanwhile obtained the aid 
 of Saxons from Germany, pledging himself to 
 give them large tracts of land in reward for 
 their assistance. He also gathered into his 
 army the Scots, Picts, and Irish, and whomso- 
 ever else he knew bore hatred toward his 
 uncle. 
 
 When Arthur returned to find the Saxons 
 in the land, and all the great work that he had 
 accomplished for his kingdom undone, he saw 
 that his only hope lay in fighting. Gathering 
 together his warriors he marched against his 
 treacherous nephew. At the first onset there 
 was great slaughter on both sides, and Modred 
 was put to flight. For seven long years Arthur 
 continued the struggle, until, at last, he drove 
 his enemies into Cornwall, and torn by inward 
 grief because Modred had so often escaped 
 him, he pursued him to Camlam, where, at 
 last, he overtook him. 
 
 He encouraged his men by reminding them 
 that these motley barbarians from many king- 
 doms were raw recruits unused to war, and 
 were quite unable to make a stand against
 
 120 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 valiant men like themselves, seasoned in so 
 many battles, if they fell upon them and fought 
 like men. While the two leaders were exhort- 
 ing their men, the battalions made a sudden 
 rush at each other, and began the battle, 
 striving to see which could deal their blows 
 the more quickly. 
 
 " On the waste sand by the waste sea they closed ; 
 Nor ever yet had Arthur fought a fight 
 Like this last, dim, weird battle of the west." 
 
 When the day was far spent, Arthur, with 
 a company of 6000 men, made a charge upon 
 that portion of the enemy where he knew 
 Modred to be, and hewing a path with their 
 swords, cut clean through it, and inflicted 
 terrible slaughter. Arthur was face to face 
 with his hated nephew at last, and raising his 
 sword he struck the traitor down with a mighty 
 blow. The battle continued in all its fierceness 
 until Arthur was carried out of the deadly 
 strife mortally wounded. He was taken to 
 Glastonbury, where he died, giving up the crown 
 of Britain to his kinsman Constantine. 
 
 Arthur is still the hero of the Britons, and 
 as long as the Welsh nation remains, the memory
 
 The Coronation of King Arthur 121 
 
 of all that is most chivalrous, most true, and 
 most noble will ever cling around the name 
 of the "blameless king," 
 
 " Whose wondrous deeds shall be for ever sung, 
 Sweet music to the ear, sweet honey to the tongue, 
 The only prince that hears the just applause, 
 Greatest that e'er shall be, and best that ever was."
 
 The Passing of Arthur 
 
 THEN quickly rose Sir Bedivere, and ran, 
 And, leaping down the ridges lightly, 
 plunged 
 
 Among the bulrush-beds, and clutch'd the sword, 
 And strongly wheel'd and threw it. The great 
 
 brand 
 
 Made lightnings in the splendour of the moon, 
 And flashing round and round, and whirl'd in an 
 
 arch, 
 
 Shot like a streamer of the northern morn, 
 Seen where the moving isles of winter shock 
 By night, with noises of the northern sea. 
 So flash'd and fell the brand Excalibur : 
 But ere he dipt the surface, rose an arm 
 Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful, 
 And caught him by the hilt, and brandish'd him 
 Three times, and drew him under in the mere. 
 And lightly went the other to the King. 
 
 Then spoke King Arthur, drawing thicker 
 
 breath : 
 
 " Now see I by thine eyes that this is done. 
 
 122
 
 The Passing of Arthur 123 
 
 Speak out : what is it thou hast heard, or 
 seen ? " 
 
 And answer made the bold Sir Bedivere : 
 " Sir King, I closed mine eyelids, lest the gems 
 Should blind my purpose, for I never saw, 
 Nor shall see, here or elsewhere, till I die, 
 Not tho' I live three lives of mortal men, 
 So great a miracle as yonder hilt. 
 Then with both hands I flung him, wheeling him ; 
 But when I look'd again, behold an arm, 
 Clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful, 
 That caught him by the hilt, and brandish'd him 
 Three times, and drew him under in the mere." 
 
 And answer made King Arthur, breathing 
 
 hard : 
 
 " My end draws nigh ; 'tis time that I were gone. 
 Make broad thy shoulders to receive my weight, 
 And bear me to the margin ; yet I fear 
 My wound hath taken cold, and I shall die." 
 
 So saying, from the pavement he half rose, 
 Slowly, with pain, reclining on his arm, 
 And looking wistfully with wide blue eyes 
 As in a picture. Him Sir Bedivere 
 Remorsefully regarded thro' his tears, 
 And would have spoken, but he found not words, 
 Then took with care, and kneeling on one knee,
 
 124 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 O'er both his shoulders drew the languid hands, 
 And rising bore him thro' the place of tombs. 
 
 But, as he walk'd, King Arthur panted hard, 
 Like one that feels a nightmare on his bed 
 When all the house is mute. So sigh'd the King, 
 Muttering and murmuring at his ear, "Quick, 
 
 quick ! 
 
 I fear it is too late, and I shall die." 
 But the other swiftly strode from ridge to ridge, 
 Clothed with his breath, and looking, as he 
 
 walk'd, 
 
 Larger than human on the frozen hills. 
 He heard the deep behind him, and a cry 
 Before. His own thought drove him like a goad. 
 Dry clash'd his harness in the icy caves 
 And barren chasms, and all to left and right 
 The bare black cliff clang'd round him, as he 
 
 based 
 
 His feet on juts of slippery crag that rang 
 Sharp-smitten with the dint of armed heels 
 And on a sudden, lo ! the level lake, 
 And the long glories of the winter moon. 
 
 Then saw they how there hove a dusky barge, 
 Dark as a funeral scarf from stem to stern, 
 Beneath them ; and descending they were 
 
 ware
 
 The Passing of Arthur 125 
 
 That all the decks were dense with stately 
 
 forms 
 Black- stoled, black-hooded, like a dream by 
 
 these 
 Three Queens with crowns of gold and from 
 
 them rose 
 
 A cry that shiver'd to the tingling stars, 
 And, as it were one voice, an agony 
 Of lamentation, like a wind, that shrills 
 All night in a waste land, where no one comes, 
 Or hath come, since the making of the world. 
 Then murmur'd Arthur, "Place me in the 
 
 barge," 
 And to the barge they came. There those three 
 
 Queens 
 Put forth their hands, and took the King, and 
 
 wept. 
 
 But she, that rose the tallest of them all 
 And fairest, laid his head upon her lap, 
 And loosed the shatter'd casque, and chafed his 
 
 hands, 
 
 And call'd him by his name, complaining loud, 
 And dropping bitter tears against his brow 
 Striped with dark blood : for all his face was 
 
 white 
 And colourless, and like the wither'd moon
 
 126 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 Smote by the fresh beam of the springing east ; 
 And all his greaves and cuisses dash'd with drops 
 Of onset ; and the light and lustrous curls 
 That made his forehead like a rising sun 
 High from the dais-throne were parch'd with 
 
 dust; 
 
 Or, clotted into points and hanging loose, 
 Mix'd with the knightly growth that fringed his 
 
 lips. 
 
 So like a shatter'd column lay the King ; 
 Not like that Arthur who, with lance in rest, 
 From spur to plume a star of tournament, 
 Shot thro' the lists at Camelot, and charged 
 Before the eyes of ladies and of kings. 
 
 Then loudly cried the bold Sir Bedivere : 
 "Ah ! my Lord Arthur, whither shall I go ? 
 Where shall I hide my forehead and my eyes ? 
 For now I see the true old times are dead, 
 When every morning brought a noble chance, 
 And every chance brought out a noble knight. 
 Such times have been not since the light that 
 
 led 
 
 The holy Elders with the gift of myrrh. 
 But now the whole ROUND TABLE is dissolved 
 Which was an image of the mighty world ; 
 And I, the last, go forth companionless,
 
 The Passing of Arthur 127 
 
 And the days darken round me, and the years, 
 Among new men, strange faces, other minds." 
 
 And slowly answered Arthur from the barge : 
 " The old order changeth, yielding place to new, 
 And God fulfils Himself in many ways, 
 Lest one good custom should corrupt the world. 
 Comfort thyself : what comfort is in me ? 
 I have lived my life, and that which I have done 
 May He within Himself make pure ! but thou, 
 If thou shouldst never see my face again, 
 Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by 
 
 prayer 
 Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let 
 
 thy voice 
 
 Rise like a fountain for me night and day. 
 For what are men better than sheep or goats 
 That nourish a blind life within the brain, 
 If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer 
 Both for themselves and those who call them 
 
 friend ? 
 
 For so the whole round earth is every way 
 Bound by gold chains about the feet of God. 
 But now farewell. I am going a long way 
 With these thou seest if indeed I go 
 (For all my mind is clouded with a doubt) 
 To the island-valley of Avilion ;
 
 128 Heroes of Old Britain 
 
 Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow, 
 Nor ever wind blows loudly ; but it lies 
 Deep-meadow'd, happy, fair with orchard- 
 lawns 
 
 And bowery hollows crown'd with summer sea, 
 Where I will heal me of my grievous wound." 
 So said he, and the barge with oar and sail 
 Moved from the brink, like some full-breasted 
 
 swan 
 
 That, fluting a wild carol ere her death, 
 Ruffles her pure cold plume, and takes the flood 
 With swarthy webs. Long stood Sir Bedivere 
 Revolving many memories, till the hull 
 Look'd one black dot against the verge of dawn, 
 And on the mere the wailing died away. 
 
 LORD TENNYSON.
 
 JAN 2 131995 
 
 QL- 
 
 R PC P i 
 
 OEC 2 o 1994