of February; and thereupon the mortality ceased. A t this time, Modred, Arthur's nephew, to whom he had committed the kingdom of Britain, assumed his crown, and in violation of her former nuptials, married the queen Guenhumara. The traitor made a confederacy with the Saxons, who came over from Germany under Cheldric their leader, with two hundred ships full of armed men, and all served Modred as their lord. When intelligence of this treason reached Arthur's ears, as he was crossing the Alps on his way towards Rome, he returned to Britain with the island kings alone, in great anger against Modred. Arthur slays Modred, and is himself mortally wounded. In the year of grace 541, there appeared a comet in Gaul, so vast that the whole sky seemed on fire. In the same year there dropped real blood from the clouds, and about the same time the house of a certain man appeared sprinkled with blood, and a dreadful mortality ensued. A t the same time, king Arthur, having returned to Britain with all expedition, made dispositions for landing at the port of RutupEE, which is now called Sandwich. Modred, with an immense force, opposed his landing, and slew not a few ; for there fell that day Angusel, king of Albania ; and Walwain the king's nephew, with many others. At length with the utmost difiiculty Arthur made good his landing ; and then, falling fiercely on the enemy, he put Modred and his forces to flight in a very shattered condition : the latter collected his men as he best could, and the following night entered Winchester. When the news was brought to the queen Guenhumara, she fled immediately to the city of Legions, and assumed the religious habit among the nuns in the monastery of Julius the martyr. Meanwhile Arthur hotly pursued Modred to Winchester and besieged him in the city ; but in the morning, Modred having disposed his forces, came forth from the city and fiercely assaulted the king. After not a little loss to his opponents, Modred at length fled the field and took the road for Cornwall. Thither he was followed by Arthur, who came up with him by the river Camblan; whereupon Modred, who was in truth the most dauntless of men, set his forces in order and rushed boldly upon the king and his army, determined to die rather than any longer to turn his