In the mickle fight Arthur lost of his knights, five and twenty thousand, hewed in pieces on the ground, of Britons most bold, bereaved of life.  Kay was wounded sore, wondrously much; to Kinun he was carried, and soon thereafter he was dead.  He was buried there beside the castle, among hermits, who was the noble man.  Kay hight the earl, Kinun the castle, Arthur gave him the town, and he thereat was entombed, and set there the name after himself; for Kay’s death he named it Kain (Caen); now and evermore so it hight there.  After Beduer was slain, and deprived of life day, Arthur caused him to be borne to his castle Baeios (Bayeux), and there he was buried, in the burgh; without the south gate in earth men him laid.  Howeldin was floated forth into Flanders; and all his best knights there floated forth-right into the earldoms whence they there came.  And all the dead in earth men them laid; in Terouane they lie all clean.

Leir, the earl, men carried into Boulogne; and Arthur then thereafter dwelt in a land in Burgundy, that to him seemed best; the land he all ruled, and all the castles appointed; and said that he would himself hold the land.  And afterwards he made his threat, that he would in summer march into Rome, and acquire all the realm, and himself be emperor where Luces ere dwelt.  And many of the Rome folk would that it so should be, for they were adread to their bare death, so that many away there fled, and their castles abandoned; and many sent messengers to Arthur the strong; and many spake with him, and yearned Arthur’s peace; and some they would against Arthur hold, and hold Rome against him, and defend the realm.  And nevertheless they were afraid for their destruction, so that they knew not under Christ any good counsel.  Then was it there come to pass, what Merlin said erewhile, that Rome-walls should fall down before Arthur; that was fulfilled there by the emperor, who fell there in the fight, with fifty thousand men; there sank to the ground the rich Rome-people!  Then Arthur weened in sooth to win all Rome, and dwelt in Burgundy, noblest of all kings.

Then came there on a time a brave man riding, and brought tiding to Arthur the king, from Modred, his sister’s son; to Arthur he was welcome, for he weened that he brought news most good.  Arthur lay all the night long, and spake with the young knight; so never would he say to him sooth how it fared.  When it was day on the morrow, and people gan to stir, Arthur then up arose, and stretched his arms; he arose up, and sate down, as if he were exceeding sick.  Then asked him a fair knight—­“Lord, how hast thou fared to-night?” Arthur then answered—­in mind he was uneasy:  “To-night in my sleep, where I lay in chamber, I dreamt a dream—­therefore I am full sorry.  I dreamt that men raised me upon a hall; the hall I gan bestride, as if I would ride; all the lands that I possessed, all I there overlooked.  And Walwain sate before me; my sword he bare in hand.  Then approached Modred there,