might increasing you have
deceived many a full noble and valiant knight; and, now I feel that ye
have done your mighty deeds, now wit you well I must do my deeds.
And then Sir Launcelot stood near Sir Gawaine, and then Sir Launcelot
doubled his strokes; and Sir Gawaine defended him mightily, but
nevertheless Sir Launcelot smote such a stroke upon Sir Gawaine's helm,
and upon the old wound, that Sir Gawaine sinked down upon his one
side in a swoon. And anon as he did awake he waved and foined at Sir
Launcelot as he lay, and said: Traitor knight, wit thou well I am not
yet slain, come thou near me and perform this battle unto the uttermost.
I will no more do than I have done, said Sir Launcelot, for when I see
you on foot I will do battle upon you all the while I see you stand on
your feet; but for to smite a wounded man that may not stand, God defend
me from such a shame. And then he turned him and went his way toward the
city. And Sir Gawaine evermore calling him traitor knight, and said:
Wit thou well Sir Launcelot, when I am whole I shall do battle with thee
again, for I shall never leave thee till that one of us be slain. Thus
as this siege endured, and as Sir Gawaine lay sick near a month; and
when he was well recovered and ready within three days to do battle
again with Sir Launcelot, right so came tidings unto Arthur from England
that made King Arthur and all his host to remove.

_Here followeth the xxi. book._

BOOK XXI.

CHAPTER I. How Sir Mordred presumed and took on him to be King of
England, and would have married the queen, his father's wife.

AS Sir Mordred was ruler of all England, he did do make letters as
though that they came from beyond the sea, and the letters specified
that King Arthur was slain in battle with Sir Launcelot. Wherefore Sir
Mordred made a parliament, and called the lords together, and there he
made them to choose him king; and so was he crowned at Canterbury,
and held a feast there fifteen days; and afterward he drew him unto
Winchester, and there he took the Queen Guenever, and said plainly that
he would wed her which was his uncle's wife and his father's wife. And
so he made ready for the feast, and a day prefixed that they should be
wedded; wherefore Queen Guenever was passing heavy. But she durst not
discover her heart, but spake fair, and agreed to Sir Mordred's will.
Then she desired of Sir Mordred for to go to London, to buy all manner
of things that longed unt