into Carlion. And thither came to him, King Lot's wife, of Orkney, in
manner of a message, but she was sent thither to espy the court of
King Arthur; and she came richly beseen, with her four sons, Gawaine,
Gaheris, Agravine, and Gareth, with many other knights and ladies. For
she was a passing fair lady, therefore the king cast great love unto
her, and desired to lie by her; so they were agreed, and he begat upon
her Mordred, and she was his sister, on his mother's side, Igraine. So
there she rested her a month, and at the last departed. Then the king
dreamed a marvellous dream whereof he was sore adread. But all this time
King Arthur knew not that King Lot's wife was his sister. Thus was the
dream of Arthur: Him thought there was come into this land griffins
and serpents, and him thought they burnt and slew all the people in the
land, and then him thought he fought with them, and they did him passing
great harm, and wounded him full sore, but at the last he slew them.
When the king awaked, he was passing heavy of his dream, and so to
put it out of thoughts, he made him ready with many knights to ride
a-hunting. As soon as he was in the forest the king saw a great hart
afore him. This hart will I chase, said King Arthur, and so he spurred
the horse, and rode after long, and so by fine force oft he was like
to have smitten the hart; whereas the king had chased the hart so
long, that his horse lost his breath, and fell down dead. Then a yeoman
fetched the king another horse.

So the king saw the hart enbushed, and his horse dead, he set him down
by a fountain, and there he fell in great thoughts. And as he sat so,
him thought he heard a noise of hounds, to the sum of thirty. And with
that the king saw coming toward him the strangest beast that ever he saw
or heard of; so the beast went to the well and drank, and the noise was
in the beast's belly like unto the questing of thirty couple hounds; but
all the while the beast drank there was no noise in the beast's belly:
and there with the beast departed with a great noise, whereof the king
had great marvel. And so he was in a great thought, and therewith he
fell asleep. Right so there came a knight afoot unto Arthur and said,
Knight full of thought and sleepy, tell me if thou sawest a strange
beast pass this way. Such one saw I, said King Arthur, that is past two
mile; what would ye with the beast? said Arthur. Sir, I have followed
that beast long time, and killed mine hors