He was not there but one night, that a fair knight came to him; he told tiding to Arthur the king, he said that there was arrived a monster, westward from Spain; a fiend well loathsome; and in Britanny was busy to harm.  By the seaside the land he wasted wide—­now it hight Mount Saint Michel—­the land he possesseth every part.—­“Lord king,” quoth the knight, “in sooth I make known to thee right here, he hath taken away thy relative, with great strength, a nobly born woman, Howel’s daughter choice, who was named Helen, noblest of maidens.  To the mount he carried her, noblest of maidens; now full a fortnight the fiend hath holden her there right; we know not in life whether he have her not to wife.  All the men that he seizeth, he maketh to him for meat, cattle, horses, and the sheep, goats, and the swine eke; all this land he will destroy, unless thou allay our care, the land and this people; in thee is our need.”  Yet said the knight to the monarch:  “Seest thou, lord, the mount, and the great wood, wherein the fiend dwelleth that destroyeth this people?  We have fought with him well many times; by sea and by land this folk he destroyed; our ships he sank, the folk he all drowned, those that fought on the land, those he down laid.  We have driven (suffered) that so long, that we let him alone, to act how so he will, after his will, the knights of this land dare not with him any more fight.”

Arthur heard this, noblest of all kings; he called to him the Earl Kay, who was his steward and his relative; Beduer eke to him he called, he who was the king’s cup-bearer.  He bade them forth-right be all ready at midnight, with all their weapons, to go with the king, so that no man under Christ should know of their journey, except Arthur the king, and the two knights with him, and their six swains, brave men and active; and the knight that counselled it to the king should lead them.  At the midnight, when men were asleep, Arthur forth him went, noblest of all kings.  Before rode their guide, until it was daylight; they alighted from their steeds, and righted their weeds.  Then saw they not far a great fire smoke, upon a hill, surrounded by the sea-flood; and another hill there was most high; the sea by it flowed full nigh, thereupon they saw a fire that was mickle and most strong.  The knights then doubted, to whether of the two they might go, that the giant were not aware of the king’s movement.  Then Arthur the bold took him to counsel, that they should go together near the one fire; and if they there him found, kill him to death.  Forth went the king, so that he came near; nought he there found but a mickle fire there burning.  Arthur went about, and his knights by his side; nought they found alive upon earth but the great fire, and bones innumerable; by estimation it seemed to them thirty fother.  Arthur then knew not any good counsel, and began him to speak to Beduer, his earl:—­ “Beduer, go quickly down from this hill, and pass thee over the deep water, with all thy weeds;