Then Sir Bedivere departed; and he quickly took the sword and went to the water side. Then he wrapped the belt about the hilt, and threw the sword as far into the water as he could. And there came an arm and a hand above the water, and caught the sword, and shook it thrice and brandished it. Then the hand, with the sword, vanished in the water. So Sir Bedivere came again to the king and told him what he had seen.
“Alas,” said the king, “help me from this place; for I fear that I have tarried too long.”
Then Sir Bedivere took the king upon his back, and carried him to the water side. And when they came to the water, a little barge was seen floating close by the bank; and in the barge were many fair ladies, and among them was a queen. All these wept and cried out when they saw King Arthur.
“Now put me into the barge,” said the king; and this Sir Bedivere did, with tenderness and care.
And three of the fair ladies received him with great mourning. Then that one who was the queen said: “Ah, dear brother, why have you staid so long? Alas, I fear lest this wound on your head has been chilled over much with the cold!”
Then they rowed from the land, and Sir Bedivere watched them. And he cried: “Ah, my lord Arthur! What shall become of me, now you go away and leave me here alone among my enemies?”
“Comfort thyself,” said the king, “and do the best thou canst, for I can no longer give thee help. For I go now into the vale of Avilion, to heal me of my grievous wound. If thou never hear more of me, pray for my soul.”
But the ladies and the queen wept and cried in a way that was piteous to hear. And when Sir Bedivere lost sight of the barge, he wept bitterly; and, weeping, he went into the forest, where he wandered all that long night.
“Some men yet say,” continues Sir Thomas Malory, “that King Arthur is not dead, but taken by the will of our Lord into another place. And men say that he shall come again and shall win the holy cross. I will not say it shall be so, but rather I will say that in this world he changed his life. But many men say that there is written upon his tomb a verse in Latin, which when turned into English, is this: ‘Here lieth Arthur, that was and is to be King.’ ”