ns were good men of their hands and not easily
were they beaten. Saddest of all was the loss of the noble Geraint,
who, thrusting back the pirates once again from the harbour of
Llongporth, got his death there with many of his valiant men.

When the fame of King Arthur's prowess and the might of his knights had
gone abroad among the pagans, they were afraid and would not venture in
great numbers to invade the land again, and there was peace and rest in
Britain for a space.

Then Sir Gawaine, remembering his hatred of Sir Lancelot, persuaded the
king to make him ready another host, with which to invade the land of
Brittany where Sir Lancelot ruled his kingdom. For a long time the king
would not listen to his advice, and the queen, with all her power,
strove against Sir Gawaine. But that knight and his large following of
knights and men-at-arms had been of great service in the recent wars
against the pagans, and the king could not wholly refuse to listen to
Sir Gawaine's demands.

Also Sir Mordred added his words to those of his brother, and said that
men who came from Brittany said that Sir Lancelot was getting him ready
a large army, and training many men, although he was at peace with his
neighbours in Gaul. But the rumour went, as Sir Mordred reported, that
Sir Lancelot was only waiting his time, and when King Arthur should be
more than usually pressed by his pagan foes, Sir Lancelot and his great
host would sail swiftly across the sea and seize the kingdom of
Britain, when Arthur, exhausted by war, would be unable to withstand
the fresh warriors of Sir Lancelot, and would lose both his queen and
his crown.

For a time the king would not suffer these evil rumours to be mentioned
in his presence, but many of his counsellors thought there was much
truth in them. At length, so persistent was Sir Mordred and those whom
he craftily persuaded to believe him, that for sheer weariness the king
consented to take an army across to Brittany, and to demand that Sir
Lancelot should own that the king was his overlord, and that he should
do homage to King Arthur for his kingdom.

The host was prepared, therefore, and at a meeting of his council King
Arthur made his nephew, Sir Mordred, Regent of Britain, to rule in the
king's place while he should be abroad; and Queen Gwenevere he placed
under the governance of Sir Mordred, as well as the officers of the
court.

When they had passed the sea and landed in the coasts of Sir Lan