war they had learned an excellent way of ordering their
forces; which was so managed that while their foot were employed either
in an assault or upon the defensive, the horse would come in at full
speed obliquely, break through the enemy's ranks, and so force them to
flee. Nevertheless, this perjured usurper got his forces together again,
and the night following entered Winchester. As soon as Queen Guanhumara
[Guinevere] heard this, she immediately, despairing of success, fled
from York to the City of Legions, where she resolved to lead a chaste
life among the nuns in the church of Julius the Martyr, and entered
herself one of their order....

In the battle that followed thereupon, great numbers lost their lives on
both sides.... In this assault fell the wicked traitor himself, and many
thousands with him. But notwithstanding the loss of him, the rest did
not flee, but running together from all parts of the field, maintained
their ground with undaunted courage. The fight now grew more furious
than ever, and proved fatal to almost all the commanders and their
forces.... And even the renowned King Arthur himself was mortally
wounded; and being carried thence to the isle of Avallon to be cured of
his wounds, he gave up the crown of Britain to his kinsman Constantine,
the son of Cador, Duke of Cornwall, in the five hundred and forty-second
year of our Lord's incarnation.

THE HOLY GRAIL

From Malory's 'Morte d'Arthur'

"Faire knight," said the King, "what is your name? I require you of your
knighthood to tell me."

"Sir," said Sir Launcelot, "wit ye well, my name is Sir Launcelot du
Lake."

"And my name is Sir Pelles, king of the forrain countrey, and nigh
cousin unto Joseph of Arithmy" [Arimathea].

Then either of them made much of the other, and so they went into the
castle for to take their repast. And anon there came in a dove at the
window, and in her bill there seemed a little censer of gold, and
therewithal there was such a savor as though all the spicery of the
world had been there; and forthwithal there was upon the table all
manner of meates and drinkes that they could thinke upon. So there came
a damosell, passing faire and young, and she beare a vessell of gold
between her hands, and thereto the king kneeled devoutly and said his
prayers, and so did all that were there.

"O Jesu," said Sir Launcelot, "what may this meane?"

"This is," said King Pelles, "the richest thing that any man hath
living; a