Chapter Moon's Men to More of More Hall of M by Brewer's Readers Handbook

to sir Launcelot, the knight betakes himself to Benwick, in Brittany. The king lays siege to Benwick, and during his absence leaves Mordred regent. Mordred usurps the crown, and tries, but in vain, to induce the queen to marry him. When the king hears thereof, he raises the siege of Benwick, and returns to England. He defeats Mordred at Dover and at Baron-down, but at Salisbury (Camlan) Mordred is slain fighting with the king, and Arthur receives his death-wound. The queen then retires to a convent at Almesbury, is visited by sir Launcelot, declines to marry him, and dies.—Sir T. Malory: History of Prince Arthur, iii. 143–174 (1470).

N.B.—The wife of Lot is called “Anne” by Geoffrey of Monmouth (British History, viii. 20, 21); and “Bellicent” by Tennyson, in Gareth and Lynette.

(This tale is so very different to those of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Tennyson, that all three are given. See Modred, p. 714.)

Mordure, son of the emperor of Germany. He was guilty of illicit love with the mother of sir Bevis of Southampton, who murdered her husband and then married sir Mordure. Sir Bevis, when a mere lad, reproved his mother for the murder of his father, and she employed Saber to kill him; but the murder was not committed, and young Bevis was brought up as a shepherd. One day, entering the hall where Mordure sat with his bride, Bevis struck at him with his axe. Mordure slipped aside, and the chair was “split to shivers.” Bevis was then sold to an Armenian, and was presented to the king, who knighted him and gave him his daughter Josian in marriage.—Drayton: Polyolbion, ii. (1612).

Mordure, Arthur’s sword, made by Merlin. No enchantment had power over it, no stone or steel was proof against it, and it would neither break nor bend. (The word means “hard biter.”)—Spenser: Faërie Queene, ii. 8 (1590).

More (Margareta), Miss Anne Manning, authoress of Household of Sir Thomas More (1851).

More of More Hall, a legendary hero, who armed himself with armour full of spikes; and, concealing himself in the cave where the dragon of Wantley dwelt, slew the monster by kicking it in the mouth, where alone it was mortal.

In the burlesque of H. Carey, entitled The Dragon of Wantley, the hero is called “Moore of Moore Hall,” and he is made to be in love with Gubbins’s daughter, Margery of Roth’ram Green (1696–1743).