The said noble gentlemen instantly required me to print
the history of the said noble king and conqueror, King
Arthur, and of his knights, with the history of the
Saint Graal, and of the death and ending of the said
Arthur, affirming that I ought rather to print his
acts and noble feats than of Godfrey of Boulogne or
any of the other eight, considering that he was a
man born within this realm, and king and emperor of
the same; and that there be in French divers and many
noble volumes of his acts, and also of his knights.
To whom I answered that divers men hold opinion that
there was no such Arthur, and that all such books
as be made of him be but feigned and fables, because
that some chronicles make of him no mention, ne remember
him nothing ne of his knights; whereto they answered,
and one in special said, that in him that should say
or think that there was never such a king called Arthur,
might well be aretted great folly and blindness; for
he said that there were many evidences of the contrary.
First ye may see his sepulchre in the monastery of
Glastonbury; and also in ‘Polychronicon,’
in the fifth book, the sixth chapter, and in the seventh
book, the twenty-third chapter, where his body was
buried, and after found and translated into the said
monastery. Ye shall see also in the history of
Boccaccio, in his book ‘De casu principum,’
part of his noble acts and also of his fall.
Also Galfridus in his British book recounteth his
life, and in divers places of England many remembrances
be yet of him, and shall remain perpetually, and also
of his knights. First in the Abbey of Westminster
at Saint Edward’s shrine remaineth the print
of his seal in red wax closed in beryl, in which is
written ’Patricius Arthurus, Britanniae Galliae
Germaniae Daciae Imperator.’ Item, in the
castle of Dover ye may see Gawain’s skull and
Caradoc’s mantle; at Winchester the round table;
in other places Lancelot’s sword, and many other
things. Then all these things considered, there
can no man reasonably gainsay but here was a king of
this land named Arthur; for in all places, Christian
and heathen, he is reputed and taken for one of the
nine worthy, and the first of the three Christian
men. And also he is more spoken of beyond the
sea; more books made of his noble acts than there
be in England, as well in Dutch, Italian, Spanish,
and Greek as in French; and yet of record remain in
witness of him in Wales in the town of Camelot the
great stones and marvellous works of iron lying under
the ground, and royal vaults, which divers now living
hath seen. Wherefore it is a marvel why he is
no more renowned in his own country, save only it accordeth
to the word of God, which saith that no man is accepted
for a prophet in his own country. Then all these
things aforesaid alleged, I could not well deny but
that there was such a noble king named Arthur, and
reputed one of the nine worthy, and first and chief
of the Christian men; and many noble volumes be made
of him and of his noble knights in French, which I