So they sent for the Archbishop of Canterbury, and he came to where Sir Mordred was. Sir Mordred said to him, “Sir, wit you why I have sent for you? It is that you shall crown me King of Britain.”
The Archbishop refuses.
Quoth the Archbishop, “I cannot do this thing that you ask of me, for the news is that King Arthur is returning to Britain. How then can you be crowned King of Britain when the rightful King of Britain is still alive?”
To this Sir Mordred made reply, “I have not set for you to reason with me, but to crown me as the King of this realm. For if you crown me, then do I believe that I shall be well able to defend my crown and my kingship, but if you do not crown me, then will I do battle with King Arthur as a usurper to make myself a king instead of him.”
Then said the Archbishop, “Sir, you shall not do this thing. For I, as the head of the Church in this realm, bid you to surrender your rights and claims unto the just and lawful king who now returneth. For he surrendered his kingship to you for a little while whilst he was away from Britain, and not for a permanency. Yet you would make that surrender permanent, for you would make yourself king instead of him. Wherefore, if you do not surrender yourself to King Arthur’s mercy upon the day of his landing, then will the Church curse you with bell, book and candle as the usurper of those rights that belong to another.” Then Sir Mordred was filled with rage against the Archbishop and he cried out, “Sir, get you gone, or I shall forget myself and draw my sword and slay you perhaps.”
The Archbishop withdraweth.
So the Archbishop withdrew from the presence of Sir Mordred, and he called his court about him, and he recounted to that court all that had passed between him and Sir Mordred. And he said, “Let us fly from this place. For we are in danger here.” So the Archbishop took him a strong horse and he mounted upon it and his court also mounted upon horses, and then he and his court rode with great haste away from that place and to Dover, where King Arthur was expected to be about to land.
After the Archbishop had gone and when Sir Mordred found that he had gone, Sir Mordred collected such of his army together as were there at hand; and he also descended to Dover, taking that army with him; his intent being to prevent the King from landing if he could do so.
So came King Arthur to Dover, and as one stood upon the cliffs one beheld that his ships and galleys covered the entire sea as far as the eye could behold. And as the King approached the shore, he beheld that there was a considerable army drawn up in array upon the beach where he was to land, and he knew not whether that array were to welcome him or to do battle with him. But at length he perceived Sir Mordred in the forefront of that array, and he wist that that army was there to do battle with him. Then he groaned aloud and he said, “Is there yet more blood to be shed? Well, then, it must be shed, for never will I give up my throne unless I give it up with my life. For eight and twenty years have I held that throne, and shall I now surrender it to this man, my nephew Mordred? No; never!”
Of the battle of Dover.