Alliterative romance · c. 1400
Morte Arthure
The alliterative Morte Arthure
An alliterative Middle English romance of about 4,350 long lines, preserved in Robert Thornton's manuscript, telling the end of King Arthur's reign: the Roman emperor Lucius demands tribute, Arthur crosses to the Continent and kills the giant of Mont-Saint-Michel, defeats the Romans and sets out for Rome, but is recalled by Mordred's treason, loses Gawain at the landing, and meets Mordred in a last battle before he is carried to Avalon. It is one of the finest English alliterative poems and a source for Malory.
Contents · 10 parts
- Lines 1–435about 440 lines
- Lines 436–870about 440 lines
- Lines 871–1305about 440 lines
- Lines 1306–1740about 440 lines
- Lines 1741–2175about 440 lines
- Lines 2176–2610about 440 lines
- Lines 2611–3045about 440 lines
- Lines 3046–3480about 440 lines
- Lines 3481–3915about 440 lines
- Lines 3916–4347about 430 lines