Page:Le Morte d'Arthur - Volume 1.djvu/20

Rh one of the logical consequences of Arthur's having, as I have ventured to suppose, occupied the historical position of the Comes Britanniæ, in other words, that of the Imperator himself, which it became when Britain ceased to form a part of the dominions of Rome.

We next have a poem consisting of a dialogue between Arthur and Glewlwyd Gavaelvawr, who in the Welsh stories about Arthur is represented as one of his chief porters; but here he seems to have a castle of his own, the gates of which he appears in no hurry to open for Arthur and his companions. He asks Arthur who he is and what followers he has, which Arthur is made to seize as an opportunity for describing some of them, especially Kei, Malory's Sir Kay the seneschal. Unfortunately, the poem is so obscure that I can only guess its meaning, as follows :—