An Arthurian Miscellany [During the expedition to France, which forms the subject of the preceding Fragment, Sir Mordred, the nephew of Arthur, and brother of Gawayne, had been left in England governor of the kingdom. In his uncle's absence Mordred usurps the crown. Having caused a false report of Arthur's death beyond the sea to be circulated, he procures himself to be proclaimed and crowned king in his stead. Queen Guinevere, whose person -- after she had with scorn rejected his unlawful addresses -- he attempted to seize, effects her escape to the Tower of London (Troynovant) which she fortifies strongly, and whence she sets Mordred and his power at defiance. On receiving intelligence of these events, Arthur suddenly raises the seige of Benwyk, and marching with all haste to Calais, crosses with his army to Dover. There he finds Mordred with a formidable army posted to dispute his landing. After a sanguinary contest the usurper is defeated; but in this action, in which he had borne a conspicuous part, Sir Gawayne was unfortunately slain, having been hit with an arrow on an unhealed wouund, received in one of his encounters with Sir Launcelot.
On his death-bed he indites an affecting letter to Launcelot, in which he laments the injustice he had done him by his vindictive and implacable persecution, implores his forgiveness, and adjures him by the memory of their ancient friendship to speed to the rescue of the king in this pressing extremity of his fortunes. Sir Launcelot hastens to obey this call; but he arrives too late -- the events detailed in the two Fragments following having occurred before he was able to set foot on the shores of England.