Page:Studies on the legend of the Holy Grail.djvu/223

Rh the Dane than with any Celtic worthy. Yet the oldest historic instance is that of Arthur. I have quoted (supra, p. 122) Gerald's words relating to the mountain seat of Arthur. A more definite tradition, and one closely resembling the episode in the Grail romances, is the one noted by Gervasius of Tilbury (c. 1211 ). A groom of the Bishop of Catania, following a runaway horse even to the summit of Mount Etna, found himself in a far reaching plain, full of all things delightful. A marvellous castle rose before him, wherein lay Arthur on a royal bed, suffering from the wound inflicted upon him by Modred his nephew, and Childeric the Saxon, and this wound broke out afresh each year. The King caused the horse to be given to the groom, and made him many rich presents. This tradition of Arthur in Sicily raises some very interesting questions. For one thing it is a fresh example of the tremendous