[Midlands] ith ten

[Dann Mixon]

 boldest, and gan to flee exceeding quickly into the water, where
wonders are enow! That is a marvellous lake, set in middle-earth, with
fen, and with reed, and with water exceeding broad; with fish, and with
fowl, with evil things! The water is immeasurably broad; nikers therein
bathe; there is play of elves in the hideous pool. Sixty islands are in
the long water; in each of the islands is a rock high and strong; there
nest eagles, and other great fowls. The eagles have a law by every
king's day; whensoever any army cometh to the country, then fly the
fowls far into the sky, many hundred thousands, and mickle fight make.
Then is the folk without doubt, that sorrow is to come to them from
people of some kind, that will seek the land. Two days or three thus
shall this token be, ere foreign men approach to the land. Yet there is
a marvellous thing to say of the water; there falleth in the lake, on
many a side, from dales and from downs, and from deep valleys, sixty
streams, all there collected; yet never out of the lake any man findeth
that thereout they flow, except a small brook at one end, that from the
lake falleth, and wendeth very stilly into the sea. The Scots were
dispersed with much misery, over all the many mounts that were in the
water. And Arthur sought ships, and gan to enter them; and slew there
without number, many and enow; and many a thousand there was dead,
because all bread failed them. Arthur the noble was on the east side;
Howel the good was on the so